C-SPAN Washington Journal: James Fallows on Rupert Murdoch

[kainah]

He's apparently just written a long story for Atlantic Monthly on Murdoch.

[KoKo]

1. I listened for a long time....but had to turn it off....Blech!

Fallows' main point in the article (according to him) is that Murdoch isn't a true Repug or RW'er. He's a "buisnessman who has successfully found a new model for delivering the news that people want to hear."

Fallows says that for the past 100 years newpapers and media tried to be "balanced." However before that timeframe most newspapers were very biased in that a paper would appeal only to a certain political persuasion. He said this changed about a hundred years ago with the idea that papers had a "duty" to try to appeal to broader cross-sections of the population. But, Murdoch has been successful by changing that model back to a more targeted audience, therefore he is the "new future of broadcasting."

He pretty much gave a very "fluff" view of Murdoch saying that this successful model is why he is so criticized by the Left. Fallows then goes on to say that the Left thinks news is all Liberal, and the Right thinks news is all conservative. But, he says the truth lies in the middle.

After about 25 minutes of that......I had to turn it off because it was nothing but an apologia and praise for Corporate dominated news. Plus, it turns out he never even interviewed Murdoch for his "fluff" piece analysis. He said he got his information from interviewing others.

I hope someone else saw it. I'm very negative over Fallows whole presentation of Murdoch as this "gigantic" corporate figure who worked his way up by just giving the viewers "what they want to read and watch." As if giving kids sugar coated cereals because they want them is a wonderful thing because it made the cereal manufacturer a Millionaire but the fact that the cereal rotted the kids teeth or caused health problems down the line is of no consequence, because wasn't it brilliant for the manufacturer to come up with such a clever idea for kids to get roughage in their diet.

:puke: for Fallows.

[cybildisobedience]

2. I saw it and share your disgust

I had a tiny bit of respect for him before today's appearance, but came to the conclusion that he is just another insider journalist spouting the same old "the media has never been more diverse" crap that we hear from everyone. They point to thousands and thousands of outlets (conveniently overlooking the fact that all the mainstream ones are owned by a handful of corporate-minded conservatives) and say that there are ample venues for all points of view. Ironically, only one view gets heard -- the conservative, anti-democratic, anti-middle class, anti-labor, anti-compassionate one.
And Fallows' adoring portrait of Murdoch as just a savvy businessman is nauseating. Completely absent from the discussion was any acknowledgement of what this "trend" in journalism does to democracy, or to society.
Can we now move Murdoch into the category of "visionary," as Fallows suggest, merely because he figured out a way to serve up trash to a non-discrimminating public. Would he be a visionary if he televised rapes, merely because the program would attract huge ratings?
It was a very disappointing of a very shallow premise.