Thom Hartmann to Receive 2014 Freedom of Speech Award

[alp227]

Source: Talkers.com

The TALKERS editorial board has named progressive radio and television talk show host Thom Hartmann as the 2014 recipient of The Gene Burns Memorial Award for Freedom of Speech.

The award recognizes broadcasting achievement in raising consciousness and awareness of the First Amendment, displaying courage and commitment in exercising First Amendment rights and contributing to the viability of the First Amendment through deed and example.

The award, one of the most prestigious and high-profile honors presented to individuals in the talk media industry, has a colorful (and often controversial) history that goes back to the early 1990s when the modern era of talk radio emerged and the format became recognized as an influential forum of public policy and social change following the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine. It was re-named in honor of talk radio pioneer Gene Burns upon his death in May 2013.

Read more: http://www.talkers.com/2014/05/27/tuesday-may-27-2014/

[rhett o rick]

1. Thom is one of the good guys. I am happy for him. I miss listening to him

after the oligarchs took progressive radio out of Seattle.

[rurallib]

4. catch him on the computer if you can

http://www.chicagoprogressivetalk.com/

He has (or is) moving back to the noon (ET) 9AM (PT) time slot to replace Ed.

Happy listening - I love Thom.

[rhett o rick]

5. I dont seem to listen to much via computer. I used to love to listen to TYT's, Hartman and

Maddow in the car during my commute. I havent gotten into podcasts yet.

[rurallib]

7. these are live broadcasts, not podcasts

WCPT is a live station in Chicago - one of the few lefty stations left.

the link I gave is one you can listen to if you have access to a computer during the day.
We also have Sirius XM in our car and thus can listen live there.
Just wanted you to know they were still kicking.

[alp227]

12. Better quality links - thom streams live w/video via youtube

http://youtube.com/thomhartmann

and http://freespeech.org/

and http://progressivevoices.com/

[uhnope]

2. Recent recipients include Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Matt Drudge, G. Gordon Liddy

Glenn Beck Al Franken, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly...It's a joke award. Thom should have quit RT and kept his integrity when Liz Wahl did.

[rhett o rick]

6. So you say Thom Hartman has lost his integrity? Would you like him better if he

were on CNN or Fox? I respect Thom's decision to broadcast on RT. I am not terrified by the word "Russian". American corporate media is the worst. Who do you follow?

[uhnope]

9. Are you joking? You're comparing today's corporate America, as bad as it is,

to the Russian dictatorship?

Are you aware at all of what's going on in Russia? I don't think you can be, or else you wouldn't scoff at people like Hartmann who collaborate with Putin's anti-democracy, anti-progressive, neocon, gay-bashing, press-closing, Pussy-Riot-imprisoning regime.

[JoeyT]

14. Yeah, I'd say it's a fair comparison.

Our media aided the Bush administration into lying us into wars of choice and pretty well stayed crawled up Lil' Boot's ass until he finally fucked off to paint ugly pictures.

[rhett o rick]

15. Nice try to paint me as a Russian apologist. Have you no pride?

I laugh at those that might claim to be liberal but hide under the bed when the word Russia appears. American media is the worst. I realize that RT may have bias but I figure I am smart enough to figure it out. But I see where you might be scared and disparage Thom Hartman because he lost his integrity by being on RT. I suppose you love CNN and Wolf Blitzshit. I question whether you know what integrity really means.

[uhnope]

16. Integrity is not collaborating with dictatorships. Period.

Integrity is also living by your words. Here are yours:

I am not terrified by the word "Russian". American corporate media is the worst.

If you didn't mean that American corporate media is worse than Russian media, then have the integrity clarify your words. But you better do some research first, because you probably don't know that Putin has closed every independent media outlet in the whole country, and he actually pays for RT.

More research http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/10/1283668/-Thom-Hartmann-Sticking-with-RT-despite-Resignations-over-Putin-s-Actions-in-Ukraine

[rhett o rick]

18. I dont know the Russian media but familiar with the American media that is callous to

the millions of children living in poverty. Thom Hartman has more integrity than your Wolf Blitzshit in his little finger.

I think the biggest danger to American Democracy is our Oligarchy. But you go ahead and listen to their propaganda. While you are cowering, afraid of the Red Menace, your Oligarchy is robbing the middle class blind.

[uhnope]

19. you should have stopped at "I don't know"

because at least that was definitely true, and admitting you don't know is at least decent, unlike your sad descent into personal attacks and hysterical verbiage ("cowering, afraid" "Red Menace" "your Wolf Blitzshit&quot

[rhett o rick]

24. You havent said what media you think has integrity. I suggested CNN, but you wont respond.

ABC? Who do you respect?

[uhnope]

34. Do you understand that if CNN or ABC is bad, that doesn't make RT better?

I don't have cable so I don't watch CNN or any commercial news, actually.
But do you understand the bad logic of that, right? They could all be bad; bad corporate media in USA doesn't improve the quality of RT. Corporate-funded media isn't inherently worse that dictatorhip-funded media. Celebrating and hyping RT because you're mad at corporate media just doesn't make sense. And from a progressive standpoint, it's horrible to do anything that support the neo dictatorship of Russia.

[rhett o rick]

35. I dont know that RT is better than ABC but I dont dismiss it because it has the word Russia in it's

name. And you do realize that those (the oligarchs) that wish to pick your pocket will use distractions, like "the Communists are coming" as well as others. I think that the noose around our necks being tightened by the Carlyle Group or whoever the oligarchs are, is of concern.

[uhnope]

36. you're exhibiting near-total ignorance of Russia

and that ignorance is not bliss in this case, but really ugly. You know what? You should dismiss RT because it's Kremlin-sponsored propaganda, yes of course you should.
You want to be progressive? Then:
Stand up for gay rights! In Russia, Putin has made it illegal to publicly say you're gay.
Stand up for Pussy Riot, jailed for their freedom of speech against the Russian dictator.
Stand up for freedom of the press! Putin has closed every independent media outlet and now plans to make bloggers register.
Stand up for freedom from oligarchs and corruption! Putin's regime is totally corrupt. Read about Sergei Magnitsky, RIP.
Stand up against Putin's lies, and oppose RT.
I could go on. These are the crimes and injustices represented by the FOX News of Russia, RT. You're hurting yourself, and progressive causes, when you support RT and dictatorships like Russia.

[rhett o rick]

37. "you're exhibiting near-total ignorance" Really, REALLY? You dont really want to discuss do you?

Of course Russia is not a free country. But before I worry about that, we need to fix our own Democracy. Those that want to control us love it when we can be distracted by fear of something over there. Look over there.

[uhnope]

38. apparently you'll never get it.

I don't bring up Russia for no reason--there are unfortunately tons of dictatorships in the world (though few as large and dangerous as Russia). I bring up Russia because YOU bring up Russia when you say you say you're not "afraid" of the word Russia in Russia Today. As a progressive, you should be afraid for progressives when you hear the word Russia, and you should be alert to any support of or collaboration with the neocon Kremlin dictatorship, instead of dismissing Hartmann's collaboration.

But I've made the point several times and you always resist it. I'm done--it's now between you and your conscience.

[rhett o rick]

39. While you are watching the Russians, the Carlyle Group is picking your pocket.

I wouldnt mind except they are literally killing Americans today. But you go ahead and worry about the Russians and continue to support the oligarchs here at home. H. Clinton is a Wall Street hack.

[yurbud]

25. Tom has far more credibility than any DLC/New Democrat pay-per-post hack

making personal attacks.

[uhnope]

30. so it's a conspiracy against Hartmann by people paid to post

Interesting. Please tell us more about this conspiracy and about your proof of a "New Democrat" pay-per-post campaign against Hartmann.

[yurbud]

32. not against Hartmann, just against progressives when they conflict with corporate agenda

[uhnope]

33. interesting. Please tell us more about this conspiracy.

Who organizes it? How are the conspirators recruited? How do you know about it? Please expose it to the light of day.

[yurbud]

42. Persona management software allows one person to appear as many sockpuppets without being detected

It was covered in the Guardian and several other places a few years back.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks

http://boingboing.net/2011/02/18/hbgarys-high-volume.html

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/feb/23/need-to-protect-internet-from-astroturfing

[uhnope]

44. Thx for the info. First link is about gov't use

and says this:

Centcom said it was not targeting any US-based web sites, in English or any other language, and specifically said it was not targeting Facebook or Twitter.

Second link is broken. Third is opinion piece.

However, I don't doubt these things are being used by some groups or foreign countries, and the pro-Russian bots that pop up on DU would be likely suspects.

But we need proof. I would love some proof that the DLC or Americans for Prosperity or Russia or Israel or whatever were paying people to go to chat rooms and message boards like DU. I just haven't seen it. Have you?

[yurbud]

43. You're right. The DLC/New Democrat/Third Way is so popular, they have to keep changing their name

more often than Blackwater, and when Obama was a candidate for the US Senate, he had to distance himself from the DLC to avoid becoming TOO popular with Democratic voters:

To begin with, neither my staff nor I have had any direct contact with anybody at DLC since I began this campaign a year ago. I don't know who nominated me for the DLC list of 100 rising stars, nor did I expend any effort to be included on the list beyond filling out a three line questionnaire asking me to describe my current political office, my proudest accomplishment, and my cardinal rules of politics. Since my mother taught me not to reject a compliment when it's offered, I didn't object to the DLC's inclusion of my name on their list. I certainly did not view such inclusion as an endorsement on my part of the DLC platform.
http://www.blackcommentator.com/47/47_cover.html

and later

That is why I am not currently, nor have I ever been, a member of the DLC.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/48/48_cover.html

Although Obama did bravely stand up to be counted as a "New Democrat" AFTER he was elected president.

The only reason a candidate and later elected official would dance around any connection to a group like that is because it would make him TOO popular with the activists and base of his party, right?

[mdbl]

8. I thought the same thing. Love Thom Hartmann, but the award can't be for integrity in journalism

[Jesus Malverde]

3. I'm sorry, I've been told he's a publicist for PUTIN

There must be some mistake. He works for a bad channel owned by bogey men.

[alp227]

26. But his contract guarantees him total editorial control

[prairierose]

31. Thom owns his show....

RT just broadcasts the evening show...anyone telling you he works for Putin does not know what they are talking about. He is also on freespeech tv and has a radio show 3 hours a day. He owns both shows. Find his youtube channel or go to http://www.thomhartmann.com/

[Doctor_J]

41. Jesus was invoking irony

[bananas]

10. Congratulations, Thom!

[90-percent]

11. Thom and RT

It seems to me Thom can keep his integrity and work for RT at the same time. Thom and his career stand for something. Integrity, among many other things.

Thom's integrity is utterly intact, as far as I'm concerned, and his intellect and research are one of the few consistantly bright burning beacons of hope we've had in this era of corporate totalitarianism.

=90% jimmy

[alp227]

13. because Thom's contract states that whichever channel airs his TV/radio shows

must give Thom the final say on creative/intellectual control of the show.

[uhnope]

17. The Kremlin gives him a paycheck

and he goes easy on Putin. Not the definition of integrity, exactly http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/10/1283668/-Thom-Hartmann-Sticking-with-RT-despite-Resignations-over-Putin-s-Actions-in-Ukraine

[cascadiance]

20. Well, the corporate media aren't necessarily better than Putin are they?

Sometimes, in this day and age of control of media by many people we don't like, you have to make tradeoffs. I believe Thom that he controls his own show. Putin and the Russians pay him, probably because they know a show that even they don't control, would do more damage to those other entities they don't like in control of our government and working against them than any of their own shows could do. He has far more credibility than any of their own shows do.

[uhnope]

21. Yes, you're right, RT/Putin does use Hartmann as a tool

but no self-respecting media person allows themselves to be used like a tool by dictatorships

[cascadiance]

29. I will BET that our corporate media entities exert FAR MORE editorial control over shows like Thom's

than RT. Even if Thom had no connections at all to RT, they would still appreciate that Thom's shows question the real criminal activities in our government and corporate power structure. Thom operating completely independently, and even questioning the actions of Putin in RT is far more apt to happen and not be a problem for them, than Thom trying to do an independent show with any kind of domestic media company partnerships who WOULD demand control over his content, as they wouldn't see value in giving him resources unless they did.

Thom is as much of a tool or more for us than he is for Putin now. And it is a tool we very much need if we want to have any kind of chance at keeping a government that has any kind of accountability to us.

Corporate media and many corporate bought politicians in both parties are used like a tool by the Chinese dictatorship which uses them to preserve the trade relationships that screws the American worker and helps them take our manufacturing business from us, amongst other things.

[navarth]

22. Thom's the best.

notwithstanding some of the horse shit I've read on this thread.

[LovingA2andMI]

23. Well Deserved

And hope to be in his league one day at Independent Underground Radio LIVE. Huge Congratulations!

[Enthusiast]

27. I love Thom Hartmann.

I no longer have access to Thom except on the internet. Just as TPTB wanted it.

[handmade34]

28. Thom Hartmann

is one of the really good guys… I worked for/with him yeas ago and he's the real deal!!

[Doctor_J]

40. Bravo

Love Thom