Corporate Media - The Primary Threat To Obama's Progressive Goals

[Median Democrat]

The mainstream media repeatedly plays stories that the media has a liberal bias in order to cover-up its pro-corporate agenda. The one thing that concerns me is the fact that the "liberal media bias" myth continues to be repeated and spread like it is gospel beyond the forums such as this one. As the steady attacks on Bill Clinton that lead to a 1995 Republican majority in congress show, the right wing Republican noise machine can be difficult to overcome.

When confronted by folks repeating the liberal media myth, you could respond by showing this memo showing efforts of ABC to blacklist liberal talk shows:

http://www.fair.org/images/ABCmemo.pdf

Likewise, you could show the increasing corporate monopolization of the media that is even worse than it was during the Clinton years:

<>

Finally, you can show how what people see and hear is largely controlled by one of just six corporate conglomorates:

<>

In other words, the liberal media myth is being pushed by the six mega-corporations that control what you see and hear, and what makes a person rationally think that the corporate media is progessive?

[Uzybone]

1. You are correct, the storm troopers of the right (the GOP) are in tatters

all they have left is their megaphone. The MSM will assail Obama and his goals relentlessly.

[Median Democrat]

2. The More The Liberal Media Bias Meme Is Pushed, The Bigger The Cover-up

CNN and Fox News having being hitting this meme repeatedly over the past few weeks. The most recent examples are CNN interviewing an author of a book about the media's alleged love affair with Obama. Of course, if such a love affair existed, then why is that author getting such a prominent interview while authors of books attacking McCain never saw the light of day on such news programs during the election.

[Cha]

3. They were the primary threat to

Obama getting Inaugurated, too..and this requires those who know what they're doing to be ever vigilant and active.

Action Alert..courtesy of Frenchie~
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8230971

[RepublicanElephant]

4. StopBigMedia.com

"Corporate media giants are silencing diverse voices, abandoning quality journalism and eliminating local content (we've got evidence). Our democracy needs better media. Bad policies made in Washington could have a big impact on the news in your community.
Find out how you can help."
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/

[Sebastian Doyle]

5. This is why all the talk about "The Fairness Doctrine" is useless.

While it was wrong of Reagan to overturn the Fairness Doctrine in the 80's, it was the Telecommunications act of 1996 that allowed these corporate media empires to exist. There would be no FAUX Noize, no Clear Channel radio, and no AOL ownership of CNN today, had Clinton not signed that wretched piece of shit.

[RepublicanElephant]

6. still, just TALK of the fairness doctrine is scaring the crap outta some wing-nuts.

and that makes it worth it!
;)

[Uncle Joe]

7. The liberal media myth is the fig leaf which they use

to then empower the most corporate loving political party in the United States, because it fits the corporate media's agenda of promoting corporate/oligarch supremacy over the American People's government and by extension over the American People; themselves.

Thanks for the thread, Median Democrat.:thumbsup:

[Median Democrat]

10. Latest Example - Look at CNN's Constant Coverage of CPAC

Has there ever been similar free coverage/propaganda for Democratic contenders following the election of George Bush? The right wing bias of the mainstream media is incredibly pervasive, since you cannot escape it with just six corporations controlling all media.

[november3rd]

8. *Also note*

The 5 Filters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_model

[Uncle Joe]

9. As to the Third Filter, check out this paragraph regarding the Shield Law Bill from the House

of Representatives and honestly I don't know if the Senate Bill is any better in looking out for the American People's best interests in being informed or just another means of further empowering the monopolistic corporate media even more.

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/feb/Congress-Considers-Journalist-Shield-Law.html

"CMLP points out that the House bill includes a clause that essentially says a person must be engaged in news gathering for a “substantial portion of the person’s livelihood or for substantial financial gain and includes a supervisor, employer, parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of such covered person.” The Senate bill doesn’t include any stipulations for livelihood or financial gain. The House bill also doesn’t explain what “substantial” means. Under the House language, many bloggers and freelance writers may not be covered."

[EraOfResponsibility]

11. this deserves upping

[Median Democrat]

12. Another Example - Look at Media Revising FDR's Efforts To Fight Depression...

...as well as ignoring the fact that World War II was the largest fiscal stimulus in history. Yet, you still see the media giving the voodoo economics folks a lot of air time despite years of experience showing that their theories just don't work.

[anonymous171]

13. We need to break them up. It would take serious nerve but it would help immensly.

[onenote]

14. a little bit of fact checking

If you're going to repeat the factually unsustainable claim that six companies control everything we read, see or hear, at least try to be up to date. The amount of information in your post that is out of date is astounding.
More on that in a minute. On a larger level, I'd love to hear an explanation how the six companies listed control everything we see, hear, and read when, on a combined basis, they control only 2 of the top 100 newspapers (by circulation) in the US, one of the three major news magazines, virtually none of the 14,000 radio stations and around 60 percent of the television stations (and that's giving them credit for the stations that they don't own but that are affiliated with their networks). They also represent an infinitesimal portion of the sites available on the internet. A more up to date discussion of this wildly exaggerated claim: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5153281#5153669

Now, back to fact checking. Here are some facts not reflected in your post:

Time Warner: AOL is no longer the dominant ISP. It doesn't have 27 million subs anymore. It barely has 7 million. And Time Warner hasn't owned record labels since 2004 and it hasn't owned any sports franchises since 2005. And it will be divesting its ownership of any cable systems sometime in the next month.

Disney: It also hasn't owned any sports franchises since 2005 and it sold the bulk of its radio stations and its radio network years ago. As for its 720 DIsney Stores wordwide -- most have closed. In fact, Disney got out of the retail business almost entirely here in the US, and only recently got back in because the company it sold out to went into bankruptcy. Sold its ownership in newspapers years ago.

Bertelsmann -- still big in publishing (Random House) -- but out of the music business.

Viacom - CBS and Viacom split several years ago, but since National Amusements (Sumner Redstone) still has a controlling stake in both, let's over look that. HOwever, its hard to overlook the suggestion that VH1 and MTV are supposed to be "competitors." No one who has watched these channels in years would make such a claim.

News Corp. -- Sold the Dodgers in 2004. If they have seven other "news" channels in the US, I'd love to know what they are. Indeed, at the time the information was compiled, they only had the one. Now, arguably, they have two, since they've added a business news channel.


My point, made in the linked post, isn't that things are hunky dory in the media. Its that if were going to make media ownership an issue, its important to have our facts straight.

[Median Democrat]

15. Very Well - Here Is An Update List Of What News Corp Owns

Not sure I can agree with your premise that the problem of concentration of media ownership is exagerated unless you want to equate an individual owned internet site with a multi-media conglomorate. That would be like equating three sole proprietors with Ford Motor company, and arguing that the American auto industry is not dominated by just a few corporations.

News Corporation
10000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Voice [phone]
www.newscorp.com
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Television Stations
WNYW - New York City
WWOR - New York City
KTTV - Los Angeles
KCOP - Los Angeles
WFLD - Chicago
WPWR - Chicago
KMSP - Minneapolis
WFTC - Minneapolis
WTXF - Philadelphia
WFXT - Boston
WTTG - Washington D.C.
WDCA - Washington D.C.
KDFW - Dallas
KDFI - Dallas
WJBK - Detroit
KUTP - Phoenix
KSAZ - Phoenix
WUTB - Baltimore
WRBW - Orlando
WOFL - Orlando
WOGX - Ocala
WAGA - Atlanta
KRIV - Houston
KTXH - Houston
WTVT - Tampa
WHBQ - Memphis
KTBC - Austin
DBS & Cable
FOXTEL
BSkyB
Sky Italia
Fox News Channel
Fox Movie Channel
FX
FUEL
National Geographic Channel
SPEED Channel

Fox Sports Net
FSN New England (50%)
FSN Ohio
FSN Florida
National Advertising Partners
Fox College Sports
Fox Soccer Channel
Stats, Inc.
Film
20th Century Fox Español
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox International
20th Century Fox Television
Fox Studios Australia
Fox Studios Baja
Fox Studios LA
20th Century Fox
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Television Studios
Blue Sky Studios
Newspapers
United States
New York Post
The Wall St. Journal
Dow Jones
United Kingdom
News International
News of the World
The Sun
The Sunday Times
The Times
Times Literary Supplement
Australasia
Daily Telegraph
Fiji Times
Gold Coast Bulletin
Herald Sun
Newsphotos
Newspix
Newstext
NT News
Post-Courier
Sunday Herald Sun
Sunday Mail
Sunday Tasmanian
Sunday Territorian
Sunday Times
The Advertiser
The Australian
The Courier-Mail
The Mercury
The Sunday Telegraph
Weekly Times
Magazines
InsideOut
donna hay
SmartSource
The Weekly Standard
Big League
ALPHA
Books
HarperMorrow Publishers
HarperMorrow
General Books Group
Amistad
Caedmon
Avon
Avon A
Avon Inspire
Avon Red
Collins
Collins Design
Ecco
Eos
Fourth Estate
Harper Mass Market
Harper Pakerbacks
HarperAudio
HarperBusiness
HarperCollins
Perennial
Perennial Modern Classics
HarperCollins e-Books
HarperLuxe
Rayo
William Morrow
William Morrow Cookbooks
Children's Books Group
Amistad
Greenwillow Books
Joanna Cotler Books
Eos
Laura Geringer Books
HarperAudio
HarperCollins Children's Books
HarperFestival
HarperTeen
Katherine Tegen Books
Julie Andrews Books
Rayo
Trophy
HarperCollins International
HarperCollins Canada
HarperCollins Australia
HarperCollins UK
HarperCollins India
HarperCollins New Zealand
Zondervan
Other
Los Angeles Kings (NHL, 40% option)
Los Angeles Lakers (NBA, 9.8% option)
Staples Center (40% owned by Fox/Liberty)
News Interactive
Fox Sports Radio Network
Broadsystem
Classic FM
Festival Records
Fox Interactive
IGN Entertainment
Mushroom Records
MySpace.com
National Rugby League
NDS
News Outdoor
Scout Media
Rotten Tomatoes
AskMen
FoxSports.net
WhatIfSports
kSolo
Fox.com
AmericanIdol.com
Spring Widgets
News Digital Media
News.com.au
FoxSports.com.au
CARSguide.com.au
Careerone.com.au
Truelocal.com.au

[Median Democrat]

16. Time Warner

Time Warner Company
1 Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019
Voice [phone] Fax [phone]
www.aoltimewarner.com/
Time Warner - Cable
HBO
Cinemax
HBO Video
HBO Independent Productions
HBO OnDemand International
HBO Mobile International
Adult Swim
Boomerang
CNN
CNN International
CNN en Espanol
CNN Headline News
CNN Headline News in Latin America
CNN Headline News in Asia Pacific
CNN Mobile
CNN+
CETV
CNN Newsource
CNN Pipeline
CNN To Go
CNN fn
CNN Radio
CNN Interactive
Court TV (with Liberty Media)
Time Warner Cable
Road Runner
New York 1 News (24 hour news channel devoted only to NYC)
Kablevision (53.75% - cable television in Hungary)
In Demand
Metro Sports (Kansas City)
Time Warner Inc. - Film & TV Production/Distribution
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Studios
Warner Bros. Television (production)
The WB Television Network
Warner Bros. Television Animation
Hanna - Barbera Cartoons
Telepictures Production
The CW Television Network
Kids' WB!
Castle Rock Entertainment
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Domestic Pay - TV
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
The Warner Channel (Latin America, Asia - Pacific, Australia, Germ.)
Warner Bros. International Theaters (owns/operates multiplex theaters in over 12 countries)
Warner Bros. Online
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Technical Operations
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Studio Facilities
Time Warner Inc. - Magazines
Time
Time Asia
Time Atlantic
Time Canada
Time Latin America
Time South Pacific
Time Money
Time For Kids
Fortune
Fortune Asia
Fortune Europe
FSB: Fortune Small Business
All You
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated International
SI for Kids
Money
People
Who Weekly (Australian edition)
People en Espa�ol
Teen People
Entertainment Weekly
In Style
Southern Living AT HOME
Southern Accents
Cooking Light
Cottage Living
This Old House
Sunset
Health
Hippocrates
Coastal Living
Real Simple
Wallpaper (U.K.)
Bride To Be
English Woman’s Weekly
Practical Parenting
Who
In Style Australia
25 Beautiful Homes
4x4
Aeroplane Monthly
Amateur Gardening
Amateur Photographer
Angler’s Mail
Beautiful Kitchens
Cage and Aviary Birds
Caravan Magazine
Chat
Chat - It’s Fate
Classic Boat
Country Homes and Interiors
Country Life
Cycle Sport
Cycling Weekly
Decanter
European Boat Builder
Eventing
Family Circle
Guitar
Hair
Hi Fi News
Homes and Gardens
Horse
Horse and Hound
Ideal Style
In Style (U.K.)
International Boat Industry
Land Rover World
Livingetc
Loaded
Mountain Bike Rider
MiniWorld
Model Collector
Motor Boat and Yachting
Motor Boats Monthly
Motor Caravan Magazine
NME
Now
Nuts
Park Home & Holiday Caravan
Pick Me Up
Practical Boat Owner
Prediction
Racecar Engineering
Rugby World
Ships Monthly
Shoot Monthly
Soaplife
Sporting Gun
Stamp Magazine
SuperBike Magazine
The Field
The Railway Magazine
The Shooting Gazette
TV & Satellite Week
TV Easy
TVTimes
Uncut
VolksWorld
Web User
Wedding
What Digital Camera
What’s on TV
Woman
Woman & Home
Woman’s Own
Woman’s Weekly
Yachting World
Your Yacht
Ambientes
Audi Magazine
Balance
Chilango
EXP
Expansion
IDC
Life and Style
Manufactura
Obras
Quien
Vuelo
Yachts
In Style Mexico
Magazines listed under Warner Brothers label
DC Comics
Vertigo
Wildstorm
Mad Magazine
Online Services
CompuServe Interactive Services
AOL Instant Messenger
ADTECH
Advertising.com
AOL.com portal
Digital City
AOL Europe
GameDaily.com
Lightningcast
ICQ
The Knot, Inc. - wedding content (8 % with QVC 36% and Hummer
WinbladFunds18%)
MapQuest.com
Spinner.com
Relegence
TACODA
Third Screen Media
Truveo
Userplane
Weblogs, Inc.
Winamp
Xdrive
CNNStudentNews.com
NASCAR.com
PGA.com
Time Warner - Online/Other Publishing
Road Runner
Warner Publisher Services
Time Distribution Services
American Family Publishers (50%)
Africana.com
Time Warner - Merchandise/Retail
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Theme Parks
Warner Brothers Recreation Enterprises (owns/operates international theme parks)
Time Warner Inc. - Turner Entertainment
Entertainment Networks
TBS Superstation
Turner Network Television (TNT)
Turner South
Cartoon Network
Turner Classic Movies
Cartoon Network in Europe
Cartoon Network in Latin America
TNT & Cartoon Network in Asia/Pacific
TNT Latin America
TNT HD
TCM Asia Pacific
TCM Canada
TCM Europe
TCM Classic Hollywood in Latin America
Adult Swim
Boomerang
CETV
GameTap
TBS
Pogo
Toonami
TrueTV
Peachtree TV
Film Production
New Line Cinema
Fine Line Features
Picturehouse
Turner Original Productions
Sports
Atlanta Braves
Other Operations
Turner Learning
CNN Newsroom (daily news program for classrooms)
Turner Adventure Learning (electronic field trips for schools)
Turner Home Satellite
Turner Network Sales
Other
Netscape Communications
Netscape Netcenter portal
AOL MovieFone
iAmaze
Amazon.com (partial)
Quack.com
Streetmail (partial)
Switchboard (6%)
Advantages
European Magazines Limited

[Median Democrat]

17. Walt Disney

The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
Voice [phone]
www.disney.com
Film
Walt Disney Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Miramax Films
Pixar
Broadcast Television
ABC Network
Owned and Operated Television Stations
WLS - Chicago
WJRT - Flint
KFSN - Fresno
KTRK - Houston
KABC - Los Angeles
WABC - New York City
WPVI - Philadelphia
WTVD - Raleigh - Durham
KGO - San Francisco
WTVG - Toledo
Cable Television
ESPN (80%)
ESPN2 (80%)
ESPN Classic (80%)
ESPNU (80%)
ESPNEWS (80%)
ABC Family
Disney Channel
Toon Disney
SOAPnet
Lifetime Network (partial)
Lifetime Movie Network (partial)
Lifetime Real Women (partial)
A&E (partial)
A&E International (partial)
Jetix Europe (partial)
Jetix Latin America
The History Channel (partial)
Lifetime Real Women (partial)
Radio
ABC Radio
WDWD – Atlanta
WMVP – Chicago
WLS – Chicago
KESN – Dallas
KMKI – Dallas-Forth Worth
KRDY – San Antonio
WCOG – Greensboro, NC
WRDZ – Indianapolis
KABC – Los Angeles
KLOS – Los Angeles
KDIS – Los Angeles
KSPN – Los Angeles
KDIZ – Minneapolis - St. Paul
WKSH – Milwaukee, WI
WEVD – New York City
KDZR – Portland, OR
KWDZ – Salt Lake City
KIID – Sacramento
KMKY – Oakland
KQAM – Wichita
KKDZ – Seattle
WSDZ – St. Louis
WWMK – Cleveland
KMIK – Phoenix
KDDZ – Denver
WWMI – Tampa
KMIC – Houston
WMYM – Miami
WBWL – Jacksonville
WBYU – New Orleans
KDIS – Little Rock
WWJZ – Philadelphia
WWJZ – Philadelphia
WMKI – Boston
WDZK – Hartford
WDDZ – Providence
WDZY – Richmond
WGFY – Charlotte
WDYZ – Orlando
WMNE – West Palm Beach
WEAE – Pittsburgh
WDRD – Louisville
WDDY – Albany, NY
KPHN – Kansas City
WQUA – Mobile
WBML – Jacksonville
WFDF – Detroit
WFRO – Fremont, OH
WDMV – Damascus, MD
WHKT – Norfolk Radio Disney
ESPN Radio (syndicated programming)
Music
Walt Disney Records
Hollywood Records
Lyric Street Records
Publishing
Book Publishing Imprints
Hyperion
Miramax Books
ESPN Books
Theia
ABC Daytime Press
Hyperion eBooks
Hyperion East
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Cal Publishing Inc.
CrossGen
Hyperion Books for Children
Jump at the Sun
Volo
Michael di Caupa Books
Disney Global Children's Books
Disney Press
Disney Editions
Disney Libri
Global Retail
Global Continuity
Magazine
Automotive Industries
Biography (with GE and Hearst)
Discover
Disney Adventures
Disney Magazine
ECN News
ESPN Magazine (distributed by Hearst)
Family Fun
Institutional Investor
JCK
Kodin
Top Famille - French family magazine
US Weekly (50%)
Video Business
Quality
Wondertime Magazine
Parks and Resorts
Walt Disney Imagineering
Disneyland Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
Disneyland Resort Paris
Hong Kong Disneyland
Disney Vacation Club
Disney Cruise Line
Other
Disney Theatrical Productions
Disney Live Family Entertainment
Disney on Ice
The Disney Store
Club Penguins
ESPN Zone
Disney Toys
Disney Apparel, Accessories and Footwear
Disney Food, Health and Beauty
Disney Home Furnishings and Decor
Disney Stationery
Disney Consumer Economics
The Baby Einstein Company
Muppets Holding Company
Disney Interactive Studios
Walt Disney Internet Group