Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders campaign's "BERN NOTICE"
BERN NOTICE: What We Cannot Discuss
Pundits freak out over the suggestion that billionaire media tycoons don't like Bernie Sanders
Aug 15 Public post
This is the first edition of Bern Notice the digital newsletter of the Bernie 2020 campaign. Please forward this on to your friends and tell them to subscribe. The views expressed here are solely of the bylined author.
"People will think-
What I tell them to think! - Charles Foster Kane
As Bernie Sanders has been rising in post-debate polls, why are elite media pundits particularly angry at him? The explosion of rage tells us a lot about what the corporate media says we can and cannot discuss and how frightened the establishment really is.
Lets review what happened: this week, the billionaire-owned Boston Globe and New York Times both rehashed an old media-manufactured trope pretending that Bernie Sanders doesnt talk to people at parades and fairs (he does, a lot). This followed the Washington Post ignoring a slew of recent positive polls for Bernie and instead choosing to only publish a big story on one single bad outlier poll.
In response, Bernie suggested that maybe the reason this keeps happening is because billionaire media moguls like Jeff Bezos and others dont particularly like his agenda that would take power away from billionaires and corporations.
Vox pointed out that yes, Bernie has some legitimate complaints. Media outlets do seem to be looking for signs of weakness theres more coverage of a sputtering campaign than one that is steadily chugging along in second place nationally (the latter is closer to the truth).
And yet, Bernies comments about media ownership touched off a full freak out by shocker! the Washington pundits who are paid by the corporations and billionaires who own the media.
Meet the Press called Bernies comments an attack on the free press and CNN pundit Chris Cillizza called his comments ridiculous. MSNBCs disgraced anchorman Brian Williams went even further approvingly reading an anonymous Twitter trolls anti-Bernie lie on national television, even though the lie had already been thoroughly debunked.
The bizarre part of all these overwrought responses is that, until now, it hasnt been particularly controversial to suggest that media ownership can influence media coverage. The FCC previously had rules in place supported by one Bernie Sanders to regulate media ownership in order to try to prevent Citizen Kane-style tycoons from monopolizing the media, and weaponizing it against political opponents (sidenote: Donald Trumps administration has been working to gut the remaining rules that are still on the books).
A framework of what we can discuss and what we cannot discuss
As Bernie said -- and as research shows -- the influence of a corporate or billionaire owner on media isnt typically heavy handed, but more often subtle.
There is a framework of what we can discuss and what we cannot discuss, Bernie told CNN.
Reporters dont have to receive a call from Jeff Bezos to know that their paychecks are signed by a billionaire with a well-known personal and corporate agenda and knowing that agenda exists can shape overall frameworks and angles of coverage.
Consider two examples.
Bernie has been the leading voice in American politics calling for billionaires and large profitable corporations to pay higher taxes. Is it really any surprise that Jeff Bezos newspaper published 16 stories in 16 hours denigrating the leading lawmaker pushing to make Bezos and Amazon pay more taxes?
Similarly, Bernie has led the fight to push companies like Amazon to start paying their workers a living wage. Is it really a shock that the newspaper owned by Amazons founder promotes a never-ending and obsessive series of editorials and debunked fact checks that personally vilify Bernie and demonize his agenda?
The answer is no, it isnt surprising -- and that should be easy for everyone to understand. But as the journalist Upton Sinclair famously said: It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.
Amazon Is flooding D.C. With money and muscle
Now, if Jeff Bezos was some silent apolitical statesman, perhaps you could argue that he couldnt possibly have any overall influence or interest in his newspapers coverage. But hes the opposite he and his company have a very clear and aggressive political agenda.
Bezos bankrolled the campaign to block lawmakers from raising taxes on billionaires, and as s Politico headline noted: Bezos plays active role in tax fights. More recently, Bloomberg News reported that Amazon is flooding D.C. with money and muscle as the company seeks to dominate Washington policymaking.
In the lead up to his companys Washington lobbying blitz, Bezos told everyone he did not buy the Washington Post as some apolitical passive business investment. On the contrary, he publicly declared that he took an interest in it because of its power in our democracy. Heres what he said:
I said to myself, If this were a financially upside down salty snack food company, the answer would be no...But as soon as I started thinking about it that way, it was like, This is an important institution. It is the newspaper in the capital city in the most important country in the world."
As journalist Kevin Gosztola put it: Owning an important institution like the Washington Post, in the nation's capital city, is probably a really good investment if you're a CEO who has to routinely worry about antitrust probe being launched into your massive corporation.
And for all the claims that Bezos has no interaction with the Washington Post, Bob Woodward recently told a health insurance lobbying group that he spoke with Bezos about how he makes hiring decisions. Bloomberg has also reported that every two weeks, Bezos holds an hour-long conference call with executives at the Washington Post (and) twice a year, the managers fly to Seattle for day-long strategy sessions with the Amazon.com founder.
Every major news organization uses this insurance industrys framing
Does this all mean that corporations and billionaires control and carefully sculpt every piece of media content? No.
Does it mean Jeff Bezos is calling every single shot in his newsroom? Nope.
Does it mean Comcasts top executive is calling producers at Comcast-owned MSNBC and telling them to destroy the opponents of the presidential candidate he is raising money for? Probably not.
Does it mean there are no good reporters managing to do excellent and honest journalism? No, of course not great journalists are still doing great work.
But does corporate and billionaire ownership help create a general framework of coverage?
Yes, of course.
Think about it: outlets owned by Disney and Amazons founder probably arent going to consistently and aggressively cover the fight to raise Disney and Amazon workers wages, and they probably arent going to make it their core mission to honor Joseph Pulitzers famous demand that journalists attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty.
Cable TV networks bankrolled by pharmaceutical ads probably arent going to be super psyched about Bernies bill to reduce prescription drug prices.
Media conglomerates making big money off fossil fuel ads probably arent interested in holding fossil fuel executives accountable for their pollution and they often do not provide adequate coverage of emergencies like climate change.
Washington pundits and reporters doing paid speaking gigs to health insurance lobbyists probably arent interested in giving Bernies widely popular Medicare for All proposal a genuinely fair hearing. Indeed, as one recent study noted, today virtually every major news organization covering health care policy routinely uses (the) insurance industrys framing to define Medicare for All.
In other words, as the Hills Krystal Ball shows in the video below, corporate and billionaire-owned media often tilts coverage against candidates like Bernie who push a working-class agenda an agenda threatens the political power of corporations and billionaires.
Bern after reading,
Sirota
P.S. If you want to go deeper on the Washington Posts ideological crusade against Bernie, read this terrific 2016 Harpers magazine report from Thomas Frank.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Me.
(35,454 posts)Does he plan on winning by complaint?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
comradebillyboy
(10,119 posts)I don't think Bernie is going to win by attacking the press. A campaign of grievance is pretty unappealing. No wonder his campaign is sinking.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
SouthernProgressive
(1,810 posts)Truly a disturbing trend. Both politicians are using these attacks to deflect from their own failures but the societal implications go much further than that.
Sanders campaign reboot after the last debate was supposed to be all about M4A. Instead he has joined forces with another politician attacking the media.
Believe your eyes.
Generating complete distrust among the populace and media is a cornerstone of any authoritarian populist agenda.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
aikoaiko
(34,127 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)"As Bernie Sanders has been rising in post-debate polls"
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
OhZone
(3,212 posts)Starting out with a lie makes me give up.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Thekaspervote
(32,606 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Thekaspervote
(32,606 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
We really need our candidates to be fact based. Amirite?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)This newsletter will not be taken seriously by non-sanders supporters. I found the content to so bad to be amusing
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
betsuni
(25,140 posts)Unless I was a dim-witted, self-righteous, disgruntled upper middle class teenage boy.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)I was not impressed with this attempt at a news letter
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
lapucelle
(18,042 posts)and now David Sirota pretending to be James Bond.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
betsuni
(25,140 posts)BERN NOTICE
Hello! I think you're stupid, give me five dollars.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
still_one
(91,967 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
onetexan
(12,994 posts)i've heard Bernie speak in person. Same old same old pie in the sky message.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)I tried to avoid this amusing attempt at a news letter
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
betsuni
(25,140 posts)He keeps saying he's going to "take on" everything. It doesn't mean anything.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)So far sanders has been unable to get any of his legislative proposals adopted in the real world
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)posting something accurate and true as a means to bash. I believe the technical term for this kind of thing is "self-own"
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)Nice to know.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Vegas Roller
(704 posts)it is self-flagellation by the BS campaign
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
That's not it. You seem to think the word 'mahalo' is going to irritate me. Not really sure where you get that from.
But I suspect we're still on the "PM thing" and you think I should be embarrassed about PM'ing someone to call them on their bullshit.
Well I'm not. So sorry.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Yesterday you said you had no clue what I was talking about.
Hugs and Mahalo.
2020 LETS VOTE!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Cha
(295,929 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)Sorry
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NYMinute
(3,256 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ismnotwasm
(41,921 posts)Personally I would never expect you to be embarrassed about anything, but why PM someone to continue an argument on a discussion board?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)Why is that?
"but why PM someone to continue an argument on a discussion board?"
I didn't.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)That's nice.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
So you agree?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)The thing to do there would be to parrot the exact post.
Keep trying. You'll land one eventually.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Sounds like I hit one out of the park..
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)Senator Warren has just as liberal or even more liberal platform compared to sanders and she is not being hurt in the polls or getting bad press coverage
Link to tweet
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
melman
(7,681 posts)a guy that constantly trashes Sanders, is saying nobody trashes Sanders. Pretty persuasive.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(144,005 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)Did he crib the "MSNBCs disgraced anchorman Brian Williams" from another billionaire-owned media outlet?
Anyway, tl;ti;dr.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)that has a rage problem, not the media.
They probably don't like the recent polls showing Bernie losing support to Elizabeth Warren.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
onetexan
(12,994 posts)i doubt it though. They were ugly all the way up to the convention nomination. And after the fact too of course. It was rather embarrassing.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Eliot Rosewater
(31,097 posts)s
i
g
h
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)instead of simply quashing any story on what happened afterwards...
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JI7
(89,182 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)That you had permission to post this in it's entirety.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
brooklynite
(93,880 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Vegas Roller
(704 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NYMinute
(3,256 posts)This will concretize BS's base further and alienate it from reality even more. There will be no chance of expanding the base beyond the devotees.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
emulatorloo
(43,982 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
brooklynite
(93,880 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
betsuni
(25,140 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
NYMinute
(3,256 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Response to CentralMass (Reply #53)
Post removed
LongtimeAZDem
(4,494 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
betsuni
(25,140 posts)I just finished reading a book, "Troll Nation": "That's the logic of troll nation at work. The media is the 'enemy' and so denying what the media says is paramount, no matter how true it obviously is. And the more that the media covers a true story, the more fiercely it's denied."
I'm disappointed it only discusses Republicans as the trolls and conspiracy theorists because clearly they are not the only ones.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden