Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free (U S) Press

[Liberator_Rev]

Sorry if this has already been posted, but the found no trace of these very important articles & web sites:

Mass Media Cover-up
http://www.wanttoknow.info/buzzsaw10pg
Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press. Mass Media Cover-up - This is a 10-page summary of the fascinating accounts of 18 award-winning journalists from the book Into the Buzzsaw. All of these writers were prevented by corporate media ownership from reporting major, incredibly revealing news. Some were even fired or laid off. These journalists have won numerous awards, including several Emmys and a Pulitzer Award. Help us spread this news across the land in order to create a more responsible media and a better world: Welcome to http://www.projectcensored.org
**************************************************

http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.Org

[donsu]

1. I've passed this info on

thanks

[salin]

2. This looks very interesting

am printing up the summary to read and pass along.

[pippin]

3. The most relevent part of this article . .

"We need to press for the overhaul of the media system, so that it serves democratic values rather than the interests of capital. The US media system has nothing to do with the wishes of the Founding Fathers and even less to do with the workings of some alleged free market. To the contrary, the media system is the result of laws, government subsidies, and regulations made in the public’s name, but made corruptly behind closed doors without the public’s informed consent. The largest media firms are all built on top of the profits generated by government gifts of monopoly rights. It is impossible to conceive of a better world with a media system that remains under the thumb of Wall Street and Madison Avenue, under the thumb of the owning class."

[w4rma]

4. This is extremely important, IMHO (n/t)

[Mairead]

5. I recommend everyone read the book

There are a couple of people whose accounts sound sadly flaky, and the majority are scary but not conclusively so.

But there are also a couple of accounts in there that will make anyone's blood run cold. One of them is the story of the TWA flight 800 investigation.

Read the book. You won't regret it.

[UTUSN]

6. Thanks, It's on Its Way to Choice Targets!

Censored 2004: The Top 25 Censored Media Stories of 2002-2003

#1: The Neoconservative Plan for Global Dominance
#2: Homeland Security Threatens Civil Liberty
#3: US Illegally Removes Pages from Iraq U.N. Report
#4: Rumsfeld's Plan to Provoke Terrorists
#5: The Effort to Make Unions Disappear
#6: Closing Access to Information Technology
#7: Treaty Busting by the United States
#8: US/British Forces Continue Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons Despite Massive Evidence of Negative Health Effects
#9: In Afghanistan: Poverty, Women's Rights, and Civil Disruption Worse than Ever
#10: Africa Faces Threat of New Colonialism
#11: U.S. Implicated in Taliban Massacre
#12: Bush Administration Behind Failed Military Coup in Venezuela
#13: Corporate Personhood Challenged
#14: Unwanted Refugees a Global Problem
#15: U.S. Military's War on the Earth
#16: Plan Puebla-Panama and the FTAA
#17: Clear Channel Monopoly Draws Criticism
#18: Charter Forest Proposal Threatens Access to Public Lands
#19: U.S. Dollar vs. the Euro: Another Reason for the Invasion of Iraq
#20: Pentagon Increases Private Military Contracts
#21: Third World Austerity Policies: Coming Soon to a City Near You
#22: Welfare Reform Up For Reauthorization, but Still No Safety Net
#23: Argentina Crisis Sparks Cooperative Growth
#24: Aid to Israel Fuels Repressive Occupation in Palestine
#25: Convicted Corporations Receive Perks Instead of Punishment

[Robbien]

13. No wonder so many people think Bush* is doing a good job

They are only force fed Laci Peterson stories. The supression of these stories is giving corporates a license to steal.

[im4edwards]

7. free press means free from government persecution

the press has never been free from commercial pressure. so long as there ads, there will be pressure. if you think it sucks for the people memntioned, at least they didn't die or get imprisoned for it.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. no, it sucks for all of us

the press has a duty to hold power (corporate, government or whathaveyou) accountable for its actions and publicize information that is in the public's best interest to know. This is important because the investigative journalists are being censored by the very people engaged in the wrongdoing so that they can continue preying on an unsuspecting public unscathed.

The press is supposed to operate as a watchdog, not a lap dog.

Knowledge is power, and it is deliberately being kept from us.

[im4edwards]

11. I don't disagree

but writters have complained about exactly the same thing for decades (at least, I've read quotes from early 1800's). The only cure is independance and that means ownership as well as elimination of advertising. Are you prepared to pay $5-10 for a newspaper ?

[Mandate My Ass]

12. Yup, in a heartbeat

But in the meantime we're all paying a much heavier price by having these stories squelched. If the press had done its job reporting Bush's record in Texas and the true implications of his tax cuts (both very juicy stories that would have sold shitloads of papers) we wouldn't be in the mess we're in right now. This silence goes way beyond pressures from advertisers. Just about every one of those stories has huge economic implications for average citizens that goes unreported although the media outlets always make money from scandal.

What good does it do me to buy my .50 cent paper that tells me everything is fine while I'm being fleeced?

They know people vote with their wallet, I do all the time. I also get very good information free on the internet.

[im4edwards]

19. information free on the internet

maybe its good but its not free. someone is paying someting to put it there and they have an agenda.

that being said, at least you have a variety and can try and find what truth there is in the various reports.

and by your admission, I cannot believe that you would spend $5-10 for something you get for nothing. if the journalists thought that they had a chance to earn a living putting the network together to report freely they would do it. they know it won't work and they like to eat.

[NashVegas]

10. When the Government is Married to Business Interests

Free press is aborted.

[Liberator_Rev]

18. Love your dictum, Crisco. Is it original to you?

[DemBones DemBones]

16. People DO die because these stories are not reported. If the

media had done its job and made people aware of a couple of these stories (such as story #1 about neocon plans for empire and story # 3 about the US removing pages from the Iraq report), American citizens' opposition to the war might have been great enough to make the Bushistas back away from war, saving thousands of Iraqi lives, hundreds of American lives.

People can't oppose policies they don't know about. Ask the famous "average American" about PNAC. Then explain it to them, including who in this administration subscribes to PNAC ideology, and ask them if it concerns them. Ask them if they want PNAC to continue having such influence on policy.

[Zhade]

21. Indeed.

I mentioned PNAC to a friend at work today. He looked it up, read about it, and immediately contacted me to ask what we can do to stop them, then (kidding on the square) said, "Revolt!"

This is a person who has fought himself every step of the way on seeing the truth right in front of him (or coming out of my mouth). Needless to say, his awakening made my day.

[Avalon Sparks]

8. Thanks for posting~

It looks like an AMAZING book. I can't wait to read it, and I'll be purchasing it and passing it out to some people as Christmas presents this year.

EVERYONE should read this book.

[janekat]

14. We're now ranked 17th in freedom of the Press

Rank Country Note

1 Finland 0,50
- Iceland 0,50
- Norway 0,50
- Netherlands 0,50
5 Canada 0,75
6 Ireland 1,00
7 Germany 1,50
- Portugal 1,50
- Sweden 1,50
10 Denmark 3,00
11 France 3,25
12 Australia 3,50
- Belgium 3,50
14 Slovenia 4,00
15 Costa Rica 4,25
- Switzerland 4,25
17 United States 4,75
18 Hong Kong 4,83
19 Greece 5,00
20 Ecuador 5,50
21 Benin 6,00
- United Kingdom 6,00

[Liberator_Rev]

17. JaneKat, could you provide link, and/or interpretation of scores?

It's scary to see that the U K is worse than the USA and yet has reported more of our elections stories.

[Kellanved]

20. I can

It's the reporter without borders' statistic.


http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=4116

[LittleApple81]

15. kick n/t

[JNelson6563]

22. good find

Thanks for posting.

Julie