The End of News?

[Thom Little]

In late September, the Government Accountability Office—a nonpartisan arm of Congress—issued a finding that the Bush administration had engaged in "covert propaganda," and thereby broken the law, by paying Armstrong Williams, a conservative commentator, to promote its educational policies. The GAO also faulted the administration for hiring a public relations firm to distribute video news segments without disclosing the government's part in producing them. The auditors' report, which followed a year-long investigation, presents chilling evidence of the campaign that officials in Washington have been waging against a free and independent press. Only months before, it was revealed that Kenneth Tomlinson, the President's choice to head the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, had paid a Republican operative to monitor the political leanings of guests on Bill Moyers's show Now, as part of a broader effort to shift PBS's programming to the right.

The Bush administration has restricted access to public documents as no other before it. According to a recent report on government secrecy by OpenTheGovernment.org, a watchdog organization, the federal government classified a record 15.6 million new documents in fiscal year 2004, an increase of 81 percent over the year before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Spending on the declassification of documents dropped to a new low. What's more, 64 percent of Federal Advisory Committee meetings in 2004 were completely closed to the public. The Pentagon has banned TV cameras from recording the return of caskets from Iraq, and it prohibited the publication of photographs of those caskets, a restriction that was lifted only following a request through the Freedom of Information Act.

The restrictions have grown so tight that the normally quiescent American Society of Newspaper Editors last fall issued a "call to arms" to its members, urging them to "demand answers in print and in court" to stop this "deeply disturbing" trend. The conservative columnist William Safire, usually a supporter of Bush's policies, complained last September that "the fundamental right of Americans, through our free press, to penetrate and criticize the workings of our government is under attack as never before."


But the campaign against the press is only partly a result of a hostile White House. The administration's efforts have been amplified by a disciplined and well-organized news and opinion campaign directed by conservatives and the Christian right. This well-funded network includes newsletters, think tanks, and talk radio as well as cable television news and the Internet. Often in cooperation with the White House, these outlets have launched a systematic campaign to discredit what they refer to disparagingly as "MSM," for mainstream media. Through the Internet, commentators can channel criticism of the press to the general public faster and more efficiently than before. As became plain in the Swift Boat campaign against John Kerry, to cite one of many examples, an unscrupulous critic can spread exaggerated or erroneous claims instantaneously to thousands of people, who may, in turn, repeat them to millions more on talk radio programs, on cable television, or on more official "news" Web sites. This kind of recycled commentary has become all the more effective because it is aimed principally at a sector of the population that seldom if ever sees serious press coverage.


http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18516

[stillcool]

1. i'll just add this little tid-bit....

http://www.yuricareport.com/Media/OnPatRobertsonWolfeBlitzerAndDavidCorn.html

But it’s sort of strange to realize that Pat and Wolf Blitzer go way back together. Yep! Wolf used to work for Pat Robertson's CBN way back when Pat was setting up his news bureau and Wolf was the 700 Club’s reporter from the Middle East. He was a lot younger in those days, but in those beginning days Pat exposed Wolf Blitzer to a viewing audience that topped the Nielsen ratings at 28.7 million monthly viewers! That’s a great way to launch one’s career. But Wolf Blitzer likes to keep that part of his career kind of quiet. He doesn’t list the 700 Club’s news bureau in his biography. He doesn’t tell CNN’s audience that Pat was like an angel to him when he was just an independent reporter starting out. But those of us who watched Pat’s show could never forget Wolf Blitzer’s reports. He was presented to us as such an expert—we were just so proud of him! And look how high he’s gone. You’d think he’d give Pat a little credit. No doubt he says “Thanks” by inviting him on CNN!
After all, Pat started a J-School (Journalism School) and Bob Slosser, who had worked for the New York Times became the President of CBN University and Bob Slosser shared Pat’s vision of a new America. Slosser was at the graduation of the first graduate from the Institute of Journalism, it was a young lady named Eliza Wright. And the Governor of Missouri, a fellow named John Ashcroft gave the graduation speech on May 20, 1985! (My how these folks go way back together—and it shows what loyalty can do!) Bob Slosser told the 700 Club audience that day:
“We’re going to change the way the country thinks, we’ve bought into this secularism thing and that’s taken us right down the wrong path. I believe that this institution and those like this…will change the way this country thinks!”

[Neil Lisst]

2. NETWORKing is here.

Oh, Paddy, where are ya?

[Trillo]

3. So DU is one of the White House operatives?

There was a great deal of discussion of MSM in relation to the 2004 election forum. I seriously doubt the many dedicated people there were neo-con or WH operatives. In fact, at one point, it was suggested that the term Mainstream Media be reframed to Corporate Media.

Perhaps the phrase from the OP article, "in cooperation with the White House, these outlets have launched a systematic campaign to discredit what they refer to disparagingly as "MSM,"" excerpt is another little neo-con White House operation attempting to smear DU.

[prescole]

4. While the mainstreamers are cozying up to the government,

the Internet seems to be keeping them at least partially honest.
Or is "partially honest" about the same thing as "partially pregnant?"
I'm optimistic--truth will out.