Did I just see the unconscious media blink its eyes ??

[kentuck]

Could it really be true ? Could it be that a media that has been unconscious for more than a decade is about to regain consciousness? When they awaken, will they remember that their job is to question those in authority? Will they remember that they are supposed to be a watchdog - not a lapdog?

This Richard Clarke story seems to have awakened them, at least momentarily. They are asking questions of those in power. That is such a total turnaround because they have acted as if their job is to question those that question those in authority. Their eyes have definitely blinked. Let us hope they do not fade back into unconsciousness. Our nation needs a strong and independent press. It is doubtful that we can survive without one.

[boobooday]

1. Drastic Measures

Drastic measures are called for -- the media has become systemically dysfunctional.

We will have no true discourse until the media oligopolies are SMASHED into a thousand local pieces.

We can't have diverse viewpoints presented without diversity in ownership.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[stepnw1f]

5. I Agree With You

This conglomeration has got to be stopped and forced to break apart. In fact, it's against the law. We should wage a campaign against the media.

[trumad]

2. Nah

Give it a day and they'll get back to Kobe, Jacko, and gang.

[Wickerman]

3. God, but I want to believe what you say

I've noticed it, too. What you say is dead on. I hope it sticks.

[Ganja Ninja]

4. The eyes may blink but there's nothing behind them.

Brain dead and comatose that's my diagnosis.

[indigo32]

6. Oh I hope so

I really do. I have watched in horror at their coma for so long. I mean did you watch John Stewart last night.
(he has never been asleep) His description of that testimony was "F#*ing Mindblowing!!!!" And it's true. Nobody can deny that.

[elfwitch]

14. Jon was on fire last night!!!

He is so HOT!
They are doing a great job there at TDS

[qb]

7. They're just going through the motions...

When something like Clarke's book & testimony become too big to ignore, they have to act like journalists and ask a few questions. They'll be back to their old tabloid selves in a few days.

[worldgonekrazy]

8. My hope is that this could lead to an awakening of the whole nation

i.e., THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION!

Of course, one could argue that Watergate didn't do that (or just for a small period of time), but if I am right I think this thing could blow Watergate out of the water.

[ramapo]

13. That was the good old days

The media back then was a fairly independant entity in comparison to today. It did function, to a degree, as the "Fourth Estate", a watchdog of the government for the citizens.

Today the media is much more the tool of the government. The corporate control over the mainstream media is far more concentrated than even 15-20 years ago.

It will be difficult for the media to function like it did during the Watergate era with the current control by the mega-corporations.

[kaitykaity]

9. I certainly hope so.

David Gergen said on Nightline last night that Clarke's charges were a "stake through the heart" of the Bush re-'election' campaign re: his handling of terrorism.

Clarke's testimony is a conduit for the NORAD story and the whole mess about the Afghan pipeline, and so many other facets of the 9/11 story that the media have ignored out of fear up until now.

I want to hope the dike is breaking. I'm not as pessimistic as I have been, but there are glimmers.

[Kool Kitty]

10. And Gergen also said that Rice not testifying

but showing up on every news and talk show is a huge mistake.
I'm hopeful that this will break the dam a bit, too. It's about friggin' time.

[BabsSong]

11. Oh, honey, they have become awakened alright...and kicked in

the ass with the jackboot that told them to get on those damn airwaves and discredit this Clarke thing, run 'previews' 17.000 times a day of Bush's ads, keep the ticker telling us the FBI was trailing Kerry, bring on car loads of administration lackeys to defend Bush.......unfortunately, that's all I see. In fact, I saw Wolfe apologize today and almost lost lunch. He had Ben-Vinista (sp.??) of the Commission on and the man was excellent. Every interruption by Wolfe spewing the company line (Bush and Company) this man totally destroyed citing not only testimony these past few days but testimony they already have from the first. At break, Wolfe looked into the camera and said he apologized because they wanted to have republican memberS (note plural)on today with this gentleman (to bitch slap him down, I'm sure) but none could make it and that they even arranged for a WH communications person but they had to cancel. He was almost crying --please, please, it's not my fault that we have uninterrupted and unchallenged Dem here..I'm so stressed...what was I suppose to do was I suppose to tell this dude to shut up or go home....cry, cry. It was sickening.

[molly]

12. They are having fits about Bush's joke about WMD

and the fact that some of their fellow newspeople laughed.

[xchrom]

15. condi hasn't threatened them yet

with the full force of the government -- they'll lose their nerve soon enough.

[rucky]

16. The propaganda thing just isn't pulling in the ratings they'd hoped for...

guess it's time to go back to reporting news.

unless, of course, another war breaks out.