HomanIcan't believewhatIjust saw

[frogbison]

I have been watching Fox News, while looking for Chris Mathews' Hardball, of all things, because some had posted that it was a good show. What did I happen upon but Fox. 'News.' Ralph Reed was on; I don't know who the interviewer was. But my God, I have NEVER SEEN such a biased report. So obviously editorial, is it possible that it was being passed off as news?

I can't believe things are that dire. (I need to get out more.)

More later, as I study the problem.

[GCP]

1. Well when you consider that Faux news was founded by Roger Ailes

who worked for Ronnie Raygun and Nixon...

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/ailesroger/ailesroger.htm

Roger Eugene Ailes is one of television's most versatile, outspoken, and successful producers and consultants. He has been described as "the amusingly ferocious Republican media genius" and a "pit-bull Republican media strategist turned television tycoon." He has had a variety of careers, including producer of television shows, Shakespearean plays, and Off-Broadway, and president of the cable television channels CNBC and America's Talking.

Ailes carried out political consulting for many candidates during the 1970s and 1980s, but returned to presidential campaigning as a consultant to Ronald Reagan in 1984. He is widely credited with having coached Ronald Reagan to victory in the second presidential debate with Walter Mondale after Reagan had disappointed his partisans with a lackluster effort in the first debate. In 1984, Ailes won an Emmy Award as executive producer and director of a television special, Television and the Presidency. In 1988, Ailes wrote a book with Jon Kraushar, You Are the Message: Secrets of the Master Communicators, in which he discusses some of his philosophies and strategies for successful performance in the public media eye.


Ailes also won acclaim for his work in the 1988 presi-dential election, in which he helped guide George Bush to a come-from-behind victory over Michael Dukakis. He did not work on the losing 1992 Bush campaign against Bill Clinton. In 1991, Ailes convinced a syndicator to bring Rush Limbaugh from radio to television and became exec-utive producer of the late-night show. He announced his withdrawal from political consulting in 1992.

It's hardly surprising that what comes out is right-wing all the way. What is surprising is that people buy the "fair and balanced" crap.

[boobooday]

2. I have been studying media

as a graduate student, and I gotta tell ya, we're in deep shit here.

Any candidate who criticizes the media is immediately buried (see: Dean, Kucinich, et al) and this is for a very good reason. The media have much at stake. The reporters are all covering their asses, living in fear of their "big daddy" corporate bosses, and the media is doing exactly what serves its own interests. Do they make money by producing the best darn newscast you ever saw? hahahaha

Some of you may have seen a recent story about how the NRA is trying to buy a television station. Regardless of what you think of the NRA, the fact is, they didn't want a TV station. They wanted the "media exception" -- an exception that media companies get to FCC regulations and Campaign finance regulations.

So who is a media company? There is no such thing. MS-NBC-GE -- refrigerators, bombs, light bulbs . . . media. GE gets the media exception, but it is easy to argue that their primary business is everything but. Plus, they are convicted felons. There is no such thing as a media company, except maybe PBS and a few independent filmmakers and guerrilla artists and brilliant creative citizens, like the folks who entered the Move-On contest.

So the media speak as corporations, not independent watchdogs, the ideal as imagined by our founders. It is still described on the site for the Society for Professional Journalists but read it and weep. There is no other word to describe it but fascism.

I agree with many others who feel that there will be no real reform in this country until we take back our airwaves. My proposal is that a media company should be ONLY a content provider in order to be granted the media exception. Then we would really have content creators competing on the basis of the quality of their content. What a thought.

Jeanette
http://www.wgoeshome.com

[Nlighten1]

5. Excellent post.

This is why I keep coming back to DU everyday. Thanks.

[Blue Gardener]

12. And Buzzflash

If I didn't have DU and Buzzflash I wouldn't know what the heck was really going on. (Oh, and Greg Palast).

[SpiralHawk]

9. Thanks Jeanette. I went to a Communications College

at a big university 29 years ago (Holy Shit). At any rate, i did have a chance to take some general media and communications courses, in addition to the journalism and photo classes that I was really interested in.

Ever since, I've maintained a general interest in the State of the Media, while remaining as Independent as a Hog on Ice. Your little essay sums up the present State of affairs in a shockingly powerful way. I have to concur. That, alas, is how it is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted
to a sick society." -- J. Krishnamurti (1895-1986)

[xxqqqzme]

11. Xcellent BBD

hope U visit here often - you're insights will B welcomed.

Glad 2 have U aboard.

[lastknowngood]

3. AHHHH Ralpie boy he has dead eyes you can see the evil

behind them. I always think of the Omen when I see him.

[devilgrrl]

4. I swear! Ralph Reed is the spawn of S-A-T-A-N!!!

:scared:

[maggrwaggr]

8. he's one of the creepiest people ever on television

he's a vile little reptile.

[countmyvote4real]

6. Yes, that's what they do.

"So obviously editorial, is it possible that it was being passed off as news?"

I don't have the stomach to watch Faux. I did tune in the night they hosted the debate and felt dirty seeing their bug on the screen.

It's not just Faux either. All the corporate broadcast and cable news outlets are tainted.

The only "news" program I can watch is "The Daily Show." I know it's satire, but it seems more rooted in the truth than the real "news."

[Eric J in MN]

7. "Hardball with Chris Matthews" is on MSNBC (nt)

nt

[leesa]

10. Ralph Reed's a PNACer

He is a vile human being, and I use the term 'human being' loosely.

[annagull]

13. Welcome! Welcome to reality world! Critical Thinking A+

Where your critical thinking skills are MUST HAVES!
TV Lies, and that's a fact, so you must read more to build up those critical thinking skills muscles. Then you shall be a baaadddd mooothaaa.