Everyone hates the media, but everyone needs it

[Joe Fields]

Just take us, for example, and I know I don't speak for everyone. There are always one or two who say they get along fine without it. But I would wager money that 99.9 percent of us watch the television. The news on the major networks, cable news channels, political forums such as This Week, and so on. Many of us (I don't) watch the opposition network (fox) to see what the enemy is up to. We do this for many reasons.

But this is what we have been indoctrinated to do since we were children and old habits are hard to break. I wish I could get rid of my TV, but I would just go out and get another. Most of the threads I red have to do with what the writer just watched on a certain network, regarding the days events, and then the thread goes into a rant. (which I completely understand, most of the time)

I know that there are a few independent news sources out there, but Americans, by and large are lazy. It's much easier to just surf ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and so on. These are the danger to our society, or at least complicit partners with a corrupt government.

We MUST figure out a way to take back the media, and force the grossly corrupt corporate interests, whose hidden interests really run counter to a free democracy to divest themselves of all media holdings.

Freedom of speech does not mean a freedom to take license with the truth , or hide the truth.

[Mythsaje]

1. I watch TV for entertainment...

I DO NOT watch TV news, and haven't since I was interviewed by a reporter years ago and recognized the whole thing for what it was. I refused to bow to pressure to sensationalize something they wanted desperately to sensationalize.

The TV media is the WORST place to get real news, and has been for years.

[Joe Fields]

2. How do you know, if you don't watch it, as you say?

[Mythsaje]

6. Because I know people who do that I have to explain reality to

on a regular basis.

It's all snippets and soundbytes and very little of substance.

[zonmoy]

4. Agreed even conspiracy sites and blogs have better news coverage than the

mainstream news networks.

[mmonk]

3. I quit watching the "news" on TV except for local news

right after the election. Yet I know more than many people I know that watch it daily. You don't need them if you have access to reliable sources.

[Joe Fields]

5. I had a feeling that the first ones to respond to my thread

would be the ones who claim they don't watch the news. Can we agree that you are in the most minute of minorities? Your reply and the other reply completely miss the point of my thread.

[Mythsaje]

7. I would refute your 99.9% figure...

I think the percentage is much lower here on DU.

[Joe Fields]

8. All you have to do is read the posts around here.

I will stand firm by my estimate.

[400Years]

11. and those who do watch it have a habit of using repubican frames

and talking points.

[mmonk]

9. I do think people need news,

but accurate information needs to be in it without spin. Today while I was at my desk (my home office), my wife turned the TV in the other room to CNN. When I heard the WMD line at the funeral, I went in there and watched for a few minutes while my wife and I had a laugh. That's the first time I've done it in awhile and I did enjoy that. But I can't take the misinformation and propaganda that is now on TV and don't find it healthy for our country.

[OneBlueSky]

10. only if you want to be misinformed, ill-informed, or uninformed . . . n/t

.

[Joe Fields]

12. Using that analogy, most everyone here wants to be misinformed,

because I see tons of Tweety posts, posts on Stephanopoulis, O'lielly, Hammity, et.al. The truth is that the vast majority of us here and the rest of the country watch Television news, and like I said, it can be for various reasons, BUT WE DO STILL WATCH IT.

That is my point. We do still watch it and bitch like hell about it here because we understand the damage that twisted information, tainted information and a total lack of information causes the American public.

The ONLY answer, as I see it, is to have corporations such as General Electric be forced to divest such media holdings.