William Rivers Pitt : Your Media is Killing You

[G_j]

looks like this hasn't been posted yet, it deserves to be..


William Rivers Pitt | Your Media is Killing You
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/092104A.shtml
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[dweller]

1. ahhhhhh.....mediadrome

aka 'Videodrome'.

thnx G

dp

[mrdmk]

2. This is what I have said last night in another thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2363820&mesg_id=2372339

Back in 1977, Los Angeles media area news turn to what I call the "Mellow Yellow Affect", It was when supposedly the general public were complaining that the news was to depressing and needed a change. The newscasters were laughing and telling jokes in an attempt to lighten up. Print news was somewhat more telling and a good book on history was even better. To me the media news at that time was a joke, today it seems to be pure propaganda.

If people do stop watching the news, there could be a ripple effect on the content, but most people are not information nuts like us. Yes, writing to the people who do put out the news about their bias, the misinformation and the lack of information does have an effect. Turning to other news sources and letting it be known also has its merits. Being informed on the F.C.C. rulings and following up with a voice of protest will have more of an effect, that has all ready been proven.

Then there are the people who do not want an informed society. Arnold Schwarzenegger proved this at the G.O.P. convention a couple of weeks ago when he stated that "Girlie Men", worry about the economy and other things. Mr. Schwarzenegger just insulted over 80% of the population of the United States with that statement. Do we see anything in the mainstream media about this comment, very little if any. The only thing I have seen is a letter to the editor stating that the reader was insulted and what was so bad about being a women. Of course Mr. Schwarzenegger is the media darling and cannot do no wrong, but with a voice of protest this could change.

Does anybody remember in 1985 (?), when there was a rumor that Ronald Reagan had cancer and there were number of experts stating that this was not so. Mr. Reagan did have have cancer at the time, but the media was putting this out for national security reasons. At Mr. Reagan's age cancer will not take over the body as in an younger person. Still it was said that he did not have cancer. Is this something for a society that is not informed or national security?

[Ilsa]

3. That's interesting.

I abhor the local news out of San Antonio because they discuss stories of violence that have almost no relevance to the rest of society there, but the news uses them for ratings. Austin news, IIRC, reports only on that violence which is relevant to everyone, not just the gory acts of passion.

The national media has screened and filtered what they want us to hear when it comes to bad news that is not politically expedient for the corporate owners.

[fortyfeetunder]

4. Will, good job

The point I want to make is, when I quit paying attention to TV my stress level decreased. The local TV ain't worth squat either. Go dig in the Internet for news and commentary and things like Dan Rather sound like another chapter in a soap opera.

[The River]

5. An Excellent commentary

on the sad state of the our "free press"

Ever since I read "The Hidden Persuaders" by Vance Packard
back in the early 60's, I've been very aware of how the media has been manipulating the "message".
Now, modern technology has given these corporate
propagandists a global reach and 24/7 presence.
If the media isn't decentralized soon, we will become a nation
of media morons, happily believing and consuming whatever
we're told. We're more than half way there now.

[TahitiNut]

6. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2374100

[ogsball]

7. The internet is our only hope

of reclaiming sanity. And the internet is full of wakkos.

[lostnfound]

8. Great column, but a wee bit too kind to Judith Miller.

The woman who thinks her job is to report what the government says, not to question it.