Sheppard's Command the Sheep to Stampede!

[Jelybe903]

One of the most overlooked area's of DU's forums seem to be Media. And yet it should be one of the top! In 2000 elections my main concerns were that the office of the president elect that year was probably arguably one of the most important elections of our time. Of course every election is a chance to speak but this one....What was at stake...the ones that were foreseeable before 9/11?

1. The Media...Consoladation was moving way to fast and rules were being broken and ethics scraped even then.
2. The Supreme Court...the power to stack the courts was up for grabs. And it was for all intents and purposes be all over with except for the fortitude of some aging judges that know whats at stake and ignoring ill health and years of dedication that should have earned them a relaxing retirement, they will not step down until they know the court and the appointees are in good hands for the sake of a nation.
3. Civil rights...the patriot act was drafted long before 9/11 and was awaiting the chance to be used by Lex Luther Chaney and his sidekick Kitty Condolisa Rice. It was destiny.

Alright I'll save 2 and 3 for another day...But the Media?!!!

The Media...the consolidation of Media Giants and the ability to leave us ultimately with 6 major corporations telling main stream america what was up! My argument then was that once consolidated the voice was controllable. And yet it happened...Time Warner, Com cast, Disney, NBC Universal, News corp and Via Com. All major players and huge campaign contributors. Not only is every major network news and entertainment controlled by the players they control newspapers, radio, magazine and internet content to a overwhelming market share.

And yet we are surprised...even revolutionized by the idea that we were duped into a war...and that the corespondents, anchors, editors and writers did not tell. The seasoned reporters were already effectively blackballed from the whitehouse press and we were left with the few, the funded and the controlled. Nobody asked the questions, nobody connected the dots and yet we are surprised. Its a job, and we as much as anyone allowed it to happen. The word has to get out that the sources we traditionally relied on, the journalist with ethics and tenacity are no longer there. We are at the moment at the mercy of the talking heads.

Gone are the days when journalist in mainstream media think that the truth, the mechanics of the who, what, when, where, why and how are important. It should be easier now...we have fast two way communications. We have alternate sources and intelligence, neighbors in other countries waiting for us to lead once again. Why is our media not stepping up! THIS IS WRONG...The Shepard's should be now commanding the sheep to stampede! We want to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...save the spin for Entertainment Tonight. Is it any wonder that even honorable, seasoned anchors like Dan Rather are complimenting Maher, Steward and Cobert. At least they are asking the questions...not defining the outcome by complacency. Toss your alumni affiliations to the wind. Pick up a pen and paper and think! Ask the questions and demand the answers. If everyone in the whitehouse press corp loses their seat...then we know they asked. Come to grips with the idea that if the Bush Whitehouse does not allow a reporter in...there is probably a reason...one we should know about!

We lost our political innocence in the 1960's. There has not been a leader that has been able to get it back. We know about some of the conspiracies and there are many more that are yet to be uncovered (especially under this administration) and nobody is looking after the people and their interests. And the people, the press, the in-trusted are not in place.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. The media has been complicit in every step. It was the government that enabled them

by allowing mergers and consolidation of media power into the hands of the few.

[magellan]

2. I heard a very good explanation for how this works from Palast this morning

Why does it seem to both liberals and conservatives that the corporate media is complicit with the other side, and why, if they're mainly ratings-driven, don't they cover all the meaty stories, regardless of who in government it hurts? These are questions I've been wondering about for a while. Well, I just happened to catch Greg Palast on Link TV this morning and he cleared it up for me.

It's not only about ratings. It's mostly about staying in good with the government, which provides the licensing and all sorts of perks to its favorite media portals and their parent companies, and can force out of existence those that make waves. That's why the coverage is spotty at best, and usually favors Republicans. The Repubs are far more permissive with big business than the Dems -- deregulation, union-busting, tax breaks, endless bailouts, legal protection from class action suits, etc. So the news slants Republican and the parent companies contribute more to Republicans. They just WON'T jeopardize their business, even for the truth.

For example, Walt Disney owns ABC. Walt Disney is not going to allow ABC News to say anything about Bush** or Republicans that will jeopardize its decades-long cozy relationship with the governor of FL (who happened to be Jeb Bush until recently).

Same goes for all the parent companies, and those in government they're beholding to for whatever the reason. Weapons manufacturers like GE, etc...they all have conflicts of interest that trump keeping us properly informed of what their "business partners" in government are up to.