Do we raise hell, harass, fight the RW media OR just turn it off?

[Pirate Smile]

Should we bug the sh@# out of them constantly, for years, organize campaigns, etc. like the RW did OR do we just turn the channel or turn it off?

Do we fight everywhere, all 50 states and on all TV stations OR do we abandon stations to the RW'ers?

Strategy talk.

Opinions?

[Cobalt Violet]

1. I heard the day is coming....

When can order cable A la Carte. Maybe that will help us.

[fiveleafclover]

12. They've been saying that for a while though

It's doubtful that the cable companies would want things that way. Not that I care what the cable companies want, thieving bastards.

[Pirate Smile]

26. I actually think it is getting dangerous.

There are two different "realities" now.

You can't even have a normal political discussion with people on the other side of the political spectrum because we no longer agree on even the most basic facts.

They have their "reality" - what Faux, Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, etc. tells them and we don't believe almost any of it. I'm sure they think the same thing about us.

I think it is extremely unhealthy for our Country.

I don't want to believe any bullshit. I just want the truth. If it isn't good for my side, so be it. Spin, blur, truthiness rules the day. Dangerous for a republic.


(by the way, "truthiness" isn't recognized by the spell check yet)

[sendero]

49. You are right...

... and someday in the future after this situation has resolved itself, probably at considerable societal cost, folks are going to look back on the "4th estate" as the most pernicious corrupting influence responsible.

How these people can sit in front of a camera day after day and lie their asses off for a few bucks (ok, a lot of bucks)is frankly beyond me. They are as amoral as any sociopath IMHO.

[yellowdoginGA]

47. ala carte cable will be extremely expensive

be careful what you wish for.

[Cobalt Violet]

48. I have no cable right now.

I would rather pay only for channels I watch. I think their would be more liberal choice that way too.

[yellowdoginGA]

53. i don't either but

alot of the more boutique channels wouldn't be economical in an ala carte world. how many of the more niche channels would last if they cost 5 bucks each?

[JuniperLea]

2. Keep an eye on the bastards

You need to know every stinking lie that comes from their putrid mouths so you can shine the light of truth on them right away. If you let it go, who knows how many will fester and become to big to kill.

Gotta nip them in the bud! Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!

[AX10]

3. I agree 100%!

This is war, the enemy (a.k.a threats to America, i.e Matthews and CO) must be destroyed.

[JuniperLea]

5. And you can't destroy them

if you ignore them! I know it's not pretty, but you have to pay attention to the smarmy bastards.

[movonne]

13. I think we should have a few people watch and report back to us here...

[Warpy]

18. You can read that stuff online and deprive their sponsors

of your warm body and your attention when they're trying to sell you stuff, and that means the liars won't be making a dime off you and you'll still know what lies they're talling.

That assumes your blood pressure can take it.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

37. I agree - and war ain't pretty......

n/t

[acmejack]

4. Are they worth the time & effort?

The internet is a different matter of course. But television just dumbs everybody down anyway. It is nothing more than a vehicle to soften your brain into a mush suitable to absorb advertising, I think simply turning it off is our best option.

[Pirate Smile]

15. There are too many people, voters, who aren't as informed and are

more easily swayed since they don't know the facts. They may even lean our way but don't know the facts or arguments against the crap spewed on Faux, CNN and MSNBC.

Geez, if I actually believed the crap I see on TV, I'd think the Democrats were terrible, America-hating, weak, etc......

It is like Letterman with O'Reilly - "I'm not sure but I think 60% of what you say is crap". It is crap and we need to let people know. We need the people, we need the votes. Fight everywhere!

[wiley]

23. Fight, Harrass, Belittle, Quote them out of context,

until the CORRUPT REPUBLICAN PR machine goes down or gets some ethics and integrity.

[Pirate Smile]

24. Right now, our problem seems to be when do we even get the chance to

quote them out of context.

We do need the new, independent news sources but I still don't think we can just write off all of the rest of the media and press - excluding Faux, of course. They (Faux) were written off years ago.

Thank God for AAR and Progressive Talk or I really would go crazy some days. But that also emphasizes part of the problem. My Mom lives in KC. There is no AAR/Progressive Talk. She doesn't have a home computer and can't stream at work. She tries to check DU, Daily Kos, Huffington Post, Media Matters, etc. a few times during the work day but otherwise she only has what is on her radio (no satellite - she actually bought it but no reception at work so she returned it)and cable TV. At least the KC Star is a good paper.

I think there are many good Dems, independents, moderate Republicans who don't do the lurking on those left leaning sites. We need to continue to try to reach them.

I hope they get an AAR station soon but I've been hoping that for a couple of years now.

[EST]

6. I'm too easy to influence on this one.

Since hairball totally flipped and cnn went totally beyond any saving grace, permanently fauxfox, I quit trying to sort out the good stuff. Entirely too much trouble.
When cnn finds out they're sharing the fox audience, instead of magically creating a new one, they may turn around. Bush is desperate, they got their marching orders, the fix is in, I am not holding my breath.

[Disturbed]

8. Don't tune in.

Get the news from DU.

[JuniperLea]

9. You shouldn't be there to learn the truthful news

You should, however, be there so you can recognize the lies when you see them. That way you are prepared and not easily fooled.


KNOW YOUR ENEMY!

[johncoby2]

7. I way we find them, and burn their houses down.

:-)

[Pirate Smile]

10. LOL. I'm, of course, speaking figuratively not literally re fighting.

I just want an even shot, even panels, etc. I don't want to just have only my views aired.

[Warpy]

11. I turned all the bastards off on 11.2.04

and have yet to turn them back on. Local news is pretty predictable, so I can usually time it just right to get the weather forecast, the only thing other than ball scores that has a ghost of a chance of being right.

I've noticed my blood pressure is much better since I've erased the nightly propaganda hour from my life. I don't bother rationalizing any need to know what the ordinary folk are being told, I know they're being seriously lied to by omission already.

To hell with all of them. If they can't be bothered to tell the truth, I can't be bothered to waste part of my life watching them lie and then try to sell me crap I don't want.

And that goes triple for the Sunday gasbag shows.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

19. What Warpy Said 100% nt

[snowbear]

14. Actually... Pirate Smile makes an excellent point..

When there's enough outrage by viewers, it has made a difference in the past... MSNBC fired Mike Savage a couple of years ago from his radio/tv show because of his nasty comments to a caller.

And ESPN fired Limpballs because of public outrage after his racial comments a while back..

But it sure is long overdue for another firing!!

I can't speak for Faux since I don't watch it.. but Matthews is completely out of control lately, and if anyone needs to be canned ... he should be the next to go.

[Pirate Smile]

28. Thanks, larissa.

:hi:

[0007]

32. Can Phil Donahue replace this junior loving whore?

Can Howard Zinn get 30 minutes a day spewing the true meaning of our Constitution?

[Ouabache]

36. Look Matthews is drinking Dunkin Donuts coffeee -owned by Carlyle

They probably give him free coffee for life and spike it with BFEE syrup.
I am series here.

[Selatius]

16. Start an independent news network OWNED by the people

There is no point in arguing with Viacom, Disney, FOX Corp., and General Electric, of all owners. Unless you have the shares in these companies to force the board of directors to listen to you, you will never make progress, but the problem is to buy these shares, they have to be willing to sell you the shares, and they are not.

The most novel solution I have seen is to start a news organization owned and funded by viewers directly, a subscription based model where the fees paid by viewers goes to operate the news organization. It's a news organization owned by the viewers directly.

Independent World Television is one such organization, and it is trying to start up, but it cannot do it without financial donations from viewers like you.

http://www.iwtnews.com/

The whole explanation:

http://www.iwtnews.com/files/Globe%20and%20Mail%20-%20Jul%204%202005%20-%20Build%20it%20and%20they%20will%20watch.pdf

[Pirate Smile]

17. Great but I still don't think we can just let the rest of the stations air

crap, spin and lies without slamming them for it.

I don't watch Faux. I can't take it but I think we need to keep trying to hold the rest of the networks and cable stations feet to the fire. We need to get better at it NOT abandon it.

[Selatius]

20. You can't abandon what you DON'T OWN

I stopped watching FOX a long ass time ago. There is no point in bitching and whining to them because I have no control over them. It is like bitching about people in power, yet you didn't participate in their elections, and most people, with respect to the news media, don't own voting shares in these goliath multinational corporations. Money is needed in our society to do anything, and we haven't the money.

The best way, in my mind, is to show them how to really cover the damn news. It will stand out so starkly different from every other dittohead news organization that people will be driven to it out of curiosity and away from the old organizations and out of a sense of wanting to view a BROADER spectrum of views.

Every time they cover issues like Schiavo, runaway bride scandals, the War on Christmas, or some other rubbish instead of covering issues with public education funding, health care funding, environmental degradation, or the destruction of labor unions in this country, they insult the sensibilities of Americans everywhere, and maybe it's time to pull the plug and provide an alternative.

[LoKnLoD]

21. also

free speech tv and link tv, SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MEDIA!!!

[Catchawave]

22. Keith Olbermann on MSNBC

Not 100% DU-Approved, but close enough for MSM.

Must support him, or MORE Glen Becks :sigh:

Keith airs 8pm (EST) nightly, re-air midnight !

[Pirate Smile]

35. Olberman is always excepted from these rants.

He must feel awfully lonely. Why doesn't he get to be one of the "MSNBC hot shots" or whatever the hell Tweety called them. :eyes:
Perhaps it was beneath him. :)

[blm]

25. RAISE HELL AND FIGHT THEM - EXPOSE THEM WHERE YOU CAN.

They wouldn't be so cocky with the American people KNOWING they are controlled by fascist Republicans.

[NCarolinawoman]

27. I like to keep an eye on them. Tucker trashed both M. Warner and W.Clark

tonight. He linked them together and trashed them both. Scarborough trashed Hillary and most of the other Dems----"weak, weak, weak on National security". Rita was mostly into trashing just Hillary, and she seems to be looking forward to Hillary running so she can trash her some more.

Tweety sat there saying not a lot for a change. He didn't refute anything that his "all-star" panel said. Or were they called the "sharp-shooter" panel? I can't remember. They interspersed the trashing of Dems with that Cruise ship "man-overboard" story which has taken the place of the "missing girl in Aruba"story

I was doing other things in the room while this joke of a show was going on. But I will continue to watch from time to time because I am one of those who believes in "knowing what they are up to". I do not want to put my head in the sand or just listen to those I agree with.

[wiley]

29. We need an outlet that ALSO does sports

Trust me. I know the burbs and middle America. There has to be sports scores and even sports shows involved. If you did an hour a day wrap up of wrestling (especially if the guys are muscular, good-looking or entertaining) a lot of people would watch at night.

[Dr Fate]

30. I dont watch much. I moslty listen to what you guys say & read transcripts

I think we should keep tabs on them and document and discuss their bias.

[Stinky The Clown]

31. The media, in my opinion, is our single biggest issue

And we need to be supporting anyone who would re-regulate it and bring back the fairness doctrine and break up the mega companies in favor of more independence.

I know, I know ..... 'if they control the machines, they get elected'.

The answer to that is "if the public knew they cheated they'd take to the streets with pitchforks and torches".

We can all cite example anfter example after example of the media's strong rightwing bias. It isn't a joke. Its very real.

And its insidious.

And its deadly to democracy.

[Pirate Smile]

33. I agree and that is why I don't think we can just ignore it.

They need to feel the heat from us when they deserve it (which seems to be most of the time lately).

Thank Goodness for Media Matters and David Brock. We just need to help them become more powerful.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

34. CALL THE SPONSORS OF LYING MEDIA AND TELL THEM

WE'RE NOT BUYING IT ANYMORE!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

38. It could end up being a self-solving problem

If the economy continues tanking (and there is some really ominous stuff out there) then soon most Americans will be cutting back as the price of gas and food and utilities goes through the roof and one of the very first cuts they will make in their personal budgets will be cable tv.They can then truly become the outlet for the haves and have mores.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

39. just wait...

Soon we'll see Wall Street trading drop below 10,000 shares and remain there... That will hurt that top 3% no matter how many tax cuts Dur Fuhrer gives them. New construction of housing is way down, as interest rates continue to rise. I don't care what lies they tell, there's no new jobs being created. In fact, America's NO. 1 export is jobs during this administration. Maybe in the not so distant future WallMart will cease to be "where America shops" and become "WHERE AMERICA BOYCOTTS." I hope the Nazis like my new slogan.

[sendero]

50. You are right..

.... I think Americans are already becoming suspicious of the RW media. The fact is, the media has never been trusted by most Americans, a scant 30 years ago they were doing the same thing they are doing now, only they were doing it for our team.

I've talked about the "disconnect" between what the RW noise machine puts out and reality around here many times. I claim that right now, they are pushing the envelope of what is actually possible with lies and spin - because many people can look around themselves and they know the economy sucks but they keep hearing how great things are in the noise machine.

The noise machine merely discredits itself every time it tries to tell someone something they know isn't true.

Now to your point: what is really going to do in the Republicans is not the war, not the erosion of civil rights, not the scandals. It is the economy stupid, and the Republicans have mismanaged it so totally and completely (and there were plenty of structural problems already) that we are on the precipice of some serious pain. The average American can be sold a lot of bullshit, but not when they are barely surviving. When this shit hits the fan, and it will, the Republicans will try, try and try to blame it on Dems but it's not going to work this time.

[pdxmom]

40. The problem is that the media know that the left has pretty much

turned them off anyway. So now they're fighting for the shallow horde that thinks Natelie Holloway and the cruiseship newlyweds are the most important news of the day. It's the "Jerry Springer-ization" of the media. They are pandering to the least common denominator.

What hits them are the viewership numbers. So instead of turning them off, why not turn them on? Raise their numbers on whatever network is least offensive? THEN, when they get totally egregious, you vote with your remote and with emails. It's just like elected officials that are imbedded in totally Republican areas. They don't HAVE to appeal to anyone other than their constituents, who want them to be far-right. Same with the network audiences. They are appealing to what they see as their constituents--the right. The left tuned them out long ago.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

41. I spent 20 years in media....

Much of it in media sales. I promise you that a few well-written letters to SPONSORS will have an impact on station revenues. The most important thing is for us to appear as concerned moderates in these letters. There are plenty of issues, which concern moderates in America, these days, thanks to Dur Fuhrer. The main theme is "WE'RE NOT BUYING IT ANYMORE" but don't use the exact phrase when taking part in the program. By the same token, use positive letters to sponsors to offer thanks to them for supporting reasonable programming, if you can still find any.

[Pirate Smile]

42. kick

[NativeTexan]

43. Abandon FOX, as should all Dem pols, but.....

....harrass the HELL out of all of the national and big city media! Fill their email boxes with LTTE's and also to the publishers email addy, about their right-wing lean and maybe the lack of getting your LTTE's published!!

CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, etc., need to be hearing from us. I do it on a semi-regular basis, and need to up my letter count still!!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

44. all that matters Native Texan...

Is that everyone sees, as I just did, a need to improve our efforts in targeting both sponsors and media at all levels... Nice to meet you!

[NativeTexan]

46. Point well taken here in the Lone Star State....

....good to meet you too!

[CTyankee]

45. I write a LTTE as often as I can

but they won't publish me more than once every two months or so. It makes me feel good, just to attack their lies and prove them, and their right wing readers and LTTE writers, wrong. I'm a little snarky, too.

I am also not watching news programs, cable or network. I listen to AAR and Stephanie Miller and come to DU. Much more interesting and much more information.

[Toots]

51. Squeeky Wheel get's the grease

:shrug: I never watch them but I still do my share of complaining....

[Geek_Girl]

52. If you turn them off

Then they loose viewers, ratings and revenue. Turning them off is fighting.