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Tag(s): Corporate Media; Journalism; Mass Media; Media; Media CNN; Media Consolidation; Media Distortion; Media Fox News; Media Mainstream MSM; Media New York Times; (more...) Media Newspapers; Media Radio; Media Television; Media Washington Post; Media-News; News And Media; Propaganda; Television (less...)
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April 16, 2008 at 00:22:15

Headlined on 4/16/08:
The selling of the mainstream media: A threat to American democracy

by Deb Della Piana Page 2 of 2 page(s)

www.opednews.com

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A system in desperate need of reform

The state of the mainstream media in America is desperate and as a nation we are in need of media reform, but not the reform the FCC has in mind. Because the FCC failed to listen to the American people back in 2003, Congress has decided to intervene this time. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has introduced S.J. Res. 28. This legislation would veto the FCC’s December 18, 2007 decision relaxing media ownership rules, which was presented to Congress as Report and Order FCC 07-216 on February 22, 2008. The vote has been postponed until April 24, 2008 in order to give the public more time to weigh in on the measure.

This critical piece of legislation will be enough to temporarily halt big business’s stranglehold on the media. How we get back to the place where the media fully understands and appreciates the importance of its role in a democracy is entirely another challenge. This topic is worthy of a national dialogue. The preservation of our democracy relies on a free and independent media. That is the only way we can have an informed public. And an informed public is the only way our government can be held accountable for its actions.

References

(1) Bagdikian, Ben; The Media Monopoly (1992-2004).

(2) The Center for Public Integrity web site; http://www.publicingtegrity.org

(3) Government Accounting Office Study on Public Relations and Advertising Spending released February 13, 2006, by the Minority Staff of the Committee on Government Reform.

(4) See U.S. Government Accountability Office, Prepackaged News Stories (Feb. 17, 2005) (B-304-272). See also U.S. Government Accountability Office, Office of National Drug Control Policy – Video News Release (Jan. 4, 2005) (B-302710); U.S. Government Accountability Office, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – Video News Releases (May 19, 2004) (B-302710).

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Take action -- click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
Support S. J. Res. 28 which will veto Order FCC 07-216 relaxing media ownership rules.

Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers

http://turn-left.hypocrisy.com

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9 comments

Michael C. Morris has been involved in racing since the age of twelve (12) when he took a summer job working at Terry’s Speed Shop located in Phoenixville PA.

With the help of his brother John Morris, they teamed up and joined Razzberry Racing. In the 90’s, the team was building their own cars to complete in the Sports Car Club of
America’s National Classes when in 1993 Michael joined Ed Arnold Racing with David
Donahue, son of the legendary Mark Donahue, to run in th...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Michael MorrisMichael C. Morris has been involved in racing since the age of twelve (12) when he took a summer job working at Terry’s Speed Shop located in Phoenixville PA.

With the help of his brother John Morris, they teamed up and joined Razzberry Racing. In the 90’s, the team was building their own cars to complete in the Sports Car Club of
America’s National Classes when in 1993 Michael joined Ed Arnold Racing with David
Donahue, son of the legendary Mark Donahue, to run in th...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Deb...Great article....

And you are correct, but if I may make a correction, investigative reporters are not dying, they are being assassinated throught elimination of paying jobs.

If we cant survive, we cant report the truth. The country we were sworn to protect with the truth has been stolen from us and except for internet reporting the chances of the truth reaching the masses is slim.

by Michael Morris (18 articles, 0 quicklinks, 15 diaries, 301 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 7:52:44 AM

Deb Della Piana is a corporate ex-patriot (30+ years in advertising & public relations) turned liberal political blogger. She lives in the great state of Massachusetts with her life partner, two children and three cats.
Deb Della PianaDeb Della Piana is a corporate ex-patriot (30+ years in advertising & public relations) turned liberal political blogger. She lives in the great state of Massachusetts with her life partner, two children and three cats.

Investigative Reporters

Hi Michael: I stand corrected. You are absolutely right. Thanks for reading the article and taking the time to write.

by Deb Della Piana (24 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 33 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 9:17:36 AM

Erik Larson, Human Being and concerned Citizen. Member of 911Truth.org Advisory Board. Opinions expressed here are my own. I only advocate and practice non-violent methods of social and political activism & change.

Recommended links:
9/11 Family Steering Committee Review of the 9/11 Commission Report

http://www.911truth.org/downloads/Family%20Steering%20Cmte%20review%20of%20Report.pdf

JusticeFor911.org Complaint and Petition
http://justicefor91...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Better World OrderErik Larson, Human Being and concerned Citizen. Member of 911Truth.org Advisory Board. Opinions expressed here are my own. I only advocate and practice non-violent methods of social and political activism & change.

Recommended links:
9/11 Family Steering Committee Review of the 9/11 Commission Report

http://www.911truth.org/downloads/Family%20Steering%20Cmte%20review%20of%20Report.pdf

JusticeFor911.org Complaint and Petition
http://justicefor91...

to see more of bio, click on member name

thanks for this

it's amazing how much power the MSM still has, when only 19.6% can say they believe all or most corporate media reporting

AMERICANS SLAM NEWS MEDIA ON BELIEVABILITY

Complete 9/11 Timeline

made from over 5000 articles exclusively from mainstream sources; the big picture of 9/11 proves the lie of the official story

by Better World Order (4 articles, 417 quicklinks, 27 diaries, 881 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 12:58:43 PM

Jim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.
Jim FreemanJim Freeman's op-ed pieces and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, International Herald-Tribune, CNN, The New York Review, The Jon Stewart Daily Show and a number of magazines.

Somehow or another

we think that grousing about stuff is effective.

Until crowds with signs picket outside the NYTimes Building it ain't gonna change. I was stunned several years back to have a friend e-mail me with the comment that, "Jim, you are the last man in America who gives a shit."

That's patently untrue, as OpEdNews plainly makes evident, but we are endless talkers, even here on this web site and--worse--we talk to each other. We have become a choir of like thinkers and it's comfortable and convenient and satisfying to spout off and think our work is done.

Walking my labrador tonight, I reflected on a comment to one of my diaries. It was pleasant to hear another voice reinforce my own opinion, but pleasantries be damned, it doesn't serve any useful purpose.

My country is in more trouble than it was at any time in my life and I am 73. Living in Europe, I have been pauperized by the dollar tailspin and am unable to come back and walk the walk that I too easily talk.

Someone, for chrissake get five people together and picket the NYTimes. It will not stop until we stop it.

by Jim Freeman (108 articles, 51 quicklinks, 223 diaries, 384 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 6:02:50 PM

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name
William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today’s world where we can’t trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

What can we do?

There are several of us that have been attempting to organize people, but even more than that, the nations Liberal/Progressive sites that are supposedly there to further the cause of democracy.

They reuse to band together to accomplish anything meaningful, and as hard as we try, most of the so-called freedom fighters are too worried about their own "hits" or traffic to even think of standing together in solidarity. America has lost her courage, heart and spirit, and I for one am completely disgusted. All of us can see what is happening, but will Progressives and Liberals stand shoulder to shoulder to accomplish anything other than running their big mouths? Hell No! Everyone wants someone else to do it, and then whine and cry when the economy is tanking and we are facing another war because the Congress and the people are too cowardly to do anything of substance that would help to save this country.

I wish I had a voice, one that could be heard nationwide, but the only people that are allowed to speak against this administration publicly are drowned out by the MSM or marginalized because of the fascist SOB's that control the Mainstream News Media. We see them distort the truth and tell blatant lies, but there appears to be nothing that will move Americans to take action, even when they are losing their homes, having trouble feeding their families, and losing everything they own.

If your neighbor’s house was on fire someone would call 911 and get help - and fast! Americans are looking on while their way of life is being destroyed and what do they do? Nothing… I'm sorry, but I can't say it enough times; Freedom isn't free, and those that do not fight to preserve it deserve none, and they will reap what they have sown, which is exactly nothing.

William Cormier

The Enablers Of Fascism, The Mainstream News Media

by William Cormier (127 articles, 7 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 308 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 8:25:27 PM

Your point

Hi. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I do think that writing serves a purpose. However, I am one of the ones who actually shows up and pickets as well. It is hard to get people motivated to take action. It's the biggest gripe I have with Americans. It's the same issue with impeachment. People would rather just wait out Bush's term, but there is so much more damage he can do in the time he has left. Thanks for writing.

by Deb Della Piana (24 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 33 comments) on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 10:03:49 PM

Writer from California
john de herreraWriter from California

...

http://www.foavc.org

http://www.articlev.org

by john de herrera (34 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 148 comments) on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 9:57:31 PM

Christian tired of republican lies and smear campaigns.
lucydavisChristian tired of republican lies and smear campaigns.

Biased News Reporting

I had been aware that quite a few of our "talking heads" were unashamedly republican biased - but it wasn't until Senator Barack Obama start running for President, that it REALLY came home how many of them are not only republican, but racist. We had looked forward to Dave Gregory taking over the 6:00 p.m. news, until we actually viewed it a few times. Turns out he and his group relish an hour of trashing Senator Obama. There's only two newscasters that are actually "fair and balanced" - and they are Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, and Jack Cassidy on CNN. We no longer look forward to an evening of news viewing - waiting, instead, until Jack Cassidy reports during the 6:00 p.m. slot on CNN, and then watching Keith at 8:00. Guess the rest of them just get in step and report the garbage that will pass muster with the crooked republicans who have run this country into the ground.

by lucydavis (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 88 comments) on Friday, April 18, 2008 at 4:30:29 PM

I'm with you Lucy!

I used to love CNN. I would watch it every single day. I really liked it when Aaron Brown was there and Paula Zahn. At this point, however, CNN is just like the rest of the mainstream media outlets. They are just terrible. Lou Dobbs is a dangerous man. He harbors some pretty racist and uninformed views. Then they went out and got Glen Beck, another backwoods broadcaster. To top it off, even Nancy Grace, whom I respected on Court TV, has lost her mind after joining CNN.

by Deb Della Piana (24 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 33 comments) on Friday, April 18, 2008 at 6:24:29 PM