Your MSM In Action
By SilentPatriot Sunday Apr 06, 2008 8:30amGlenn notes how well the media is doing its job:
In the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. The U.S. Attorney General appears to have fabricated a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania and had a low score.
Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:
"Yoo and torture" - 102
"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73
"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16
"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043
"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)
"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607
"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079
The sad thing is that the mainstream press really does believe that things like Obama's poor bowling skills and the Clinton's tax returns are more important stories than, say, the trillion dollar war that continues to rage on with no end in sight or a collapsing economy. Like Glenn says, people care about the petty stuff because the media loves to tell themselves that they do.
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Americans want a president with whom they can have a beer in a bowling alley.
I can not vote for a president that is unable to get at least triple digits. Sorry.
We don't have a "liberal" media... We don't have a "conservative" media... We have a republican mafia media.
I wonder if the media doesn't tell people the important things because they're afraid that too many people would get angry and then start a revolution.
Or if it's because people don't know the Constitution of the United States, don't realize its significance, and wouldn't care that constitutional laws are being broken.
Of if it's because people aretoo busy trying to pay their bills and just want to relax after coming home from working two or more jobs and don't want to think about all that.
Or if it's because the US population really IS so stupid that Obama's low bowling score counts as "news." I think that's funny, but the issues around Yoo and Mukasey are so much more important and far reaching in their consequences. I wonder if maybe people just don't want to realize the state which the country is in. Maybe people don't want to see it, because they'd be forced to face the reality that they've been lied to and will continue to be as long as they don't stand up and demand transparency.
Heh... as we stand up, they'll stand down? That's probably true, but the onus is on us first, and the population as a whole is too complacent, or too strapped for cash and trying to keep their own head above water to care... yet.
Welcome to the United States of Stupid.
Obama and Wright- 3000 Media hits, Yoo and torture-102. This is one fucked up, stupid nation.
SilentPatriot you got that right, big time.
USA Media has one agenda--Best Interests for Israel.Obama is a America Firster--that's their problem .
8-)
Observed ->
Obama throws a mean gutter ball.
Hardly noticed ->
John Yoo and Bushco set up what Jonathan Turley describes as:
'A premeditated and carefully orchestrated torture program...'
Hannah Hussein @ 8:
Trashing the US Constitution in the process.
MDC @ 3:
What news media? this country has NO news media whats so ever. All we have, are talking heads giving us their opinions. No one reports the news anymore, because they see no profit in it.
We The People (in the broadest sense) have acquiesced over the years in this inane focus on irrrelevancy by not walking away from media outlets that perpetuate this nonsense. If the major media networks suffered a loss of viewership and readership and it was shown to be due to their focus on Obama and bowling instead of Yoo and torture, they would switch to Yoo and torture rather fast.
The sad reality is that not enough people dislike this enough to turn off.
Right and this nation is kept stupid because of the Corporate/Repiglican/ Mafia media .. if these mafia were to actually 'report' the real news, the actual realities created by Repiglicans, then of course fucking none of them would be elected at all. And, as a result, the Corporate Agenda would not then be able to proceed: fascism in which a government BY AND FOR THE FEW, GREED, CAN BE SUSTAINED. So this media mafia lies, deceives, and manipulates public perception in order to hide it's real agenda and reality. Accordingly, they employ soul less buffoons who mouth their agenda, and or simply buy them off via 'faustian deals' so that these soul less buffoons then become part of the 'media elite' .... so we then see creatures like David Gregory dancing on stage with Rove. We see the entire NBC, MSNBC have an active agenda of trying to get their corporate boy McCain installed as the next president. We see then shielding McCain in every way possible, making up Hollywood types 'images' of him that have no relationship to his actual reality in order to 'sell' this to the American people who remain fucking stupid. Thus, seventy percent of it's population is fucking obese or overweight, stuffing yet another hamburger in their face as they fart one more time, answer the cell phone in the middle of other people, and thirty percent of these simpletons can't even find the USA on a world map. And, yep, fifty percent still 'believe' that Saddam had something to do with 9/11 .......... etc, etc, etc .. and the while the rancid , evil abscess called Brian Williams makes 15 million a year to read the nightly propaganda that it is programmed to read, and our teachers of our kids are making about 30,000 a year. The Mafia Media is in fact committing purposeful, criminal, fraud against the American people. They should be charged, tried, and convicted and frogged marched out of the protection of their corporate studios and right into prison .. once there they should be turned into bitches for the enjoyment of the inmates ...
God damnit! this is one fucked up nation, fuckin populated with
voyeuristic, troglodyte, phillistine, American Idol watchin, 12 sandwich eatin, IDIOTS!
I took a couple of journalism classes in High School. My 'fellow students', that intended to be journalism majors were not the sharpest crayons in the box.
This is probably why the really brilliant and ethical reporters stand out in the crowd. And it's probably why they don't really fit in anywhere.
Writing about bowling scores, fits within the knowledge base that the average reporter can competently write about.
The Us Constitution however, seems to be the domain of lawyers now. My own Pete Sessions assures me that his lawyers have read the US Constitution for him and decided that The Patriot Act is Constitional.
From what I gather Pete Sessions doesn't feel he is qualified to read and understand the US Constitution or The Patriot Act.
And if our legislators are unable to read and understand the US Constitution and they need lawyers to read it for them and tell them what they should think it means, then how can a reporter hope to cover a story on Constitutional Law?
This is very, very unfortunate. I just hope that this country is not so far gone from being spoon fed all of the wrong news for so long that it is to late.
maybe the media takes it lead from congress....
and if congress could give two shits that the president is torturing people, why should the media go beserk...
yoo, torture, 911...it's the congress that set the national priority on these at ZERO...and since 2006, congress has set the priorities....
so MSM is not complicit, not to blame, not at fault...
This is why I do not watch or read the mainstream media's commentary about the candidates. I'm not concerned about Obama's apparent lack of bowling skills. Heck, I'm not concerned about his skills in any sport. Nor am I concerned about Obama's association with Rev. Wright or that decade old affair that Bill Clinton had with Monica Lewinsky. All of that is irrelevent. I am concerned about the candidate's policies and where they can take the United States and I like what I see in Obama.
Television is for entertainment purposes only. The "news" has long since been turned into 'infotainment' and there is probably more non-fiction in the sitcoms they show.
MargeAggedon @ 18:
congress is the problem, not the MSM
Pete @ 15:
I'm sorry but the "It's way too late" bell went off about 7 years ago.
ohio progressive (typical non-typical white person) @ 19:
Congress chooses the tv content and the stories for the news?? I had no idea.
Joe O. @ 17:
By the way, I forgot to mention about the further erosion of our civil liberties. The media can play games all they want but when it comes to that I take a keen interest. The Bush Administration is Hell bent on removing our civil liberties one bit at a time. They are no different than any other dictatorial regime.
On the upside can we (at last) put to rest the "Obama-has-been-getting-a-free-ride-from-the-press" meme?
The MSM must maintain the level of "ether" in order to keep the sheeple quiet.
I became aware of this problem when I heard that someone in the White House had edited a global warming science report to soften the message of imminent danger. The media hardly reported it and the populace should have been going NUTS! Any one of the items mentioned in KO's "Bushed!" segments should merit Lewinsky levels of coverage. Instead: Up next on network news, a chimp who's bananas for basketball!
ohio progressive (typical non-typical white person) @ 19:
And where do the vast majority of the people get their info about congress? They get it from MSM, which isn't reporting it. The media is to blame, just as much as congress.
What, no Brittany, nor Paris?
Different Anonymous @ 23:
Yeah, that was some hard-hitting reports on his gutterball.
Michael M. @ 2:
McCain's nearly there in age.
Michael M. @ 2:
... because bowling is such a key still for a US President, right ?
Oh boy, you guys are really screwed !
diamondmc @ 26:
its not a matter of info about congress, its a matter of what congress does....or doesn't do
they've had the majority (albeit slim) since 06....they've done nothing on torture, nothing on 911 incompetence, nothing on corruption (but a bunch of showtrials)...where is the filibuster, where is the shutdown, where is the contempt of congress, where is the impeachment inquiry (and look who is sitting on that, conyers of all people)
so the media reports it, the majority party sees it and does nothing.....what are we supposed to do now....
congress knows but doesn't care...
so what if it was all headline news every day....they'd still do nothing...they know what they know, whether its frontpage news or not....
everybody knows the building is on fire, and the firestation a block away is not on alert, has sent no trucks, sounded no alarms, and the entire crew is on the roof of the station, sitting on lawnchairs watching the fire as they sip on cold beers, admiring the fascinating way it burns, the way the screams of people conflate with the howls of the wind, the whorling drafts of the flames......
now don't come and tell me that they haven't sent the trucks because people weren't screaming loud enough, or nobody called 911....
its over johny
the people who could stop it, know what's going on...they just don't want to stop it..
pssst,
did ya hear,
billy got a blow job. sssshhhhhhhh
don't say it too loud.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 13:
Left&Left @ 6:
below_me @ 5:
Yes.
Yep.
And a big affirmative.
The mainstream press IS doing its job. The problem is that their job is not journalism, it's right-wing propaganda. The media is owned by right-wing corporations, and it produces stories to serve right-wing corporations. That's propaganda.
Acting surprised that millions of well-paid professionals are producing right-wing propaganda is being obtuse - we don't HAVE mainstream journalism in this country anymore, period.
C&L, it is information like this that has turned my Republican parents into "Obamacans." My parents have finally opened their eyes after years of discussions, arguments and emails. It hasn't been a small feat, I have a sister and other relatives that are constantly bombarding them with conservative propaganda. It's unfortunate that we can no longer rely on our own media for any truth telling. For the first time, my father and I actually share disdain for the media AND Republicans.
SilentPatriot, just sent your post to my parents. Thanks.
mudshark @ 32:
And Barack is BLACK!!
Very disturbing.
Do we really expect anything different from the MSM? Really?
It is the people who allow this to happen - by being apathetic, and/or by being too concerned about their own lives, and not the lives of others in the world community.
It is very very sad, and very telling that 10 year old news (Clinton and Lewinsky) gets mentioned orders of magnitude more often than the bush administration's cheer-leading for torture, and it's complete disregard for the laws that govern our country (mucusy's blatant fabrications re 9/11). Very sad indeed.
The sad thing is that the mainstream press really does believe that things like Obama’s poor bowling skills and the Clinton’s tax returns are more important stories than, say, the trillion dollar war that continues to rage on with no end in sight or a collapsing economy.
Actually, the opposite is true. The M$M understand the importance of those stories, but they also understand who signs their paychecks, and it isn't Greenpeace or the ACLU or the National Organization for Women, it's AIG & Ameriquest & GE, etc. The so-called mainstream press is bought and paid for by Wall Street.
People just want to be stupid.
The information is out there if they look for it.
Revolution is far too difficult and painful.
"Obama’s poor bowling skills and the Clinton’s tax returns"
How is a fluff piece the same thing as finding out where a candidate's (mountains of) money comes from? Why won't C&L either endorse Clinton fully or stop doing this bizarre thing wherein the posters pretend there's no difference between the two campaigns?
Liberal AND Proud @ 33:
And even MORE worster, is that these brain-dead teevee zombies breed like fuckin rabbits.
Meanwhile heres what you wont see on Corp Media:
State Dept. Renews Blackwater Contract in Iraq Despite
Pentagon Labeling Sept. Baghdad Killing of 17 Civilians “A Criminal Event”
The State Department has announced it is extending the private military firm Blackwater’s contract in Baghdad for another year. The news comes despite an ongoing FBI investigation into the Sept. 16th shooting in Baghdad where Blackwater guards were accused of killing 17 Iraqi civilians. An earlier investigation by the Pentagon found that all 17 Iraqis were killed as a result of unprovoked and unjustified fire by Blackwater operatives. We speak with journalist Jeremy Scahill, author of the bestselling book, “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s most Powerful Mercenary Army.” Scahill recently confronted the vice president of Blackwater about the Sept. 16th shootings.
liberalHUSSEINmoderation @ 42:
How else are little bunnies born, primogeniture?
Woops
Parthenogenesis.
News is just something you fill up space with between Kohl's underwear ads.
ohio progressive (typical non-typical white person) @ 16:
No, the MSM is complicit, is to blame, is at fault, they just don't shoulder the entire blame. That blame is shared by the MSM, Congress, and the dumbed down American public.
Interesting thought, for want of a space in action becomes inaction.
I think that Glenn is (uncharacteristically) off in trying to make any argument that the MSM are *generating* interest in the bullshit stories as opposed to *capitalizing* on an existing interest in them.
Look at how the tabloids do this: The National Enquirer has a circulation of 2,760,000. First, think about what kind of people are so interested in the "bat-boy" or the "baby born with father's tattoos"; let ALONE endless Britney Spears and Olsen twins stories. Those people existed before that tabloid started successfully targeting them for monetary exploitation and NOT the other way around.
I'm not saying that it doesn't suck when CNN rolls back coverage of the war because statistics and internet opinion show "viewer fatigue" with the subject. I'm not saying it doesn't suck when CNN spends an entire day with aerial video of some big-ass house fire for the same "reason".
But just because the MSM is saying "we're covering more of what the masses are interested in hearing about" doesn't mean it *isn't* true.
In order to make the argument that the MSM really are pushing more so than following on the less/non-substantive stories, you'd have to go way beyond NEXIS queries.
Identify CNN's viewers; poll their interests; track those interests for five weeks (or however long); compare CNN's coverage to viewers' interest in stories.
I don't buy it. I don't think that if you took away all the tabloids and replaced them with something less sensational, that those readers would suddenly (or even gradually) start being less interested in UFOs & Elvis sightings.
Obama is big money for the MSM, around 70% of Americans relate to his values and he has lived upper middle working class lifestyles until last year.
I don't blame them for covering him but would love them to take on other issues that are important
ysbaddaden @ 46:
Count the Pharmaceutical ads while flipping around the 'evening news' (cack) sometime ...amazing.
I guess we're just a few minutes away from a "Bowlers Against Obama" website.
I think MSM should do one of those "first person" pieces on torture. I think Lou Dobbs or perhaps Sean "Mr. Torture" Hannity should allow themselves to be waterboarded.
OT, but bully for the French!
theWalrus @ 52:
How about "Bowling for POTUS". We don't need no stinkin' elections.
Left&Left @ 6:
Hellloooo?? President McCain anyone?
Uh, yep. Get ready.
Bud @ 54:
Why, because they blew out the candle?
Well, there is one Clinton hater paying attention to this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/06/andrew-sullivan-bush-admi_n_953...
Thank you ACLU. They have done more than Congress and government to hold them accountable.
The spinelss dems failed.
Why Americans still trust them is beyond insane.
They do not even try to win back our trust.
When will they stop getting a free pass?
YouCantHandleDaTruth @ 50:
"Relate to his "values"??? WTF?
Do you really think (based this story) any of that 70% really know what those "values" are?
I sure don't.
"Filed Under: Glenn Greenwald"
Music to my eyes.
If you are looking for the 'United States of America'?, then forget it...it is never coming back. While you were sleeping and worried more about NASCAR it was stolen away from a citizenery that cared little for liberty and freedom. The enemy has the money, the weapons, the self proclaimed right to subjugate anyone, anytime, anyplace. My personel opinion...grab your family and your loved friends and your possessions and get the hell out of Dodge while you can. We didn't fight back when it was easy, why do it now when it's impossible.
You are dead wrong if you think the media does not know what it is doing. They are playing defence for the Republicans. If a Dem wins in November it will be just like Clinton in the 90s, you wait and see.
henry walace @ 61:
http://www.canada.gc.ca/
No guns please.
I'm not that surprised. I was taught in my journalism courses that the media doesn't tell people HOW to think, but rather WHAT to think (about).
WE the people need to start a NEW Continental Congress.
And get one of the states to secede.
We have to start somewhere.
First is was "the insurgency is in its last throes", then it was "we've turned the corner".
Now a new and improved slogan: "Iraq is not longer the abyss of defeat".
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080407/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_rdp
The message I'm getting from the media:
The inexperienced, "dainty" and "prissy," flag pin scorning, national anthem despising, sicko pastor embracing, high-horse sitting, avant-garde Harvard graduate and smarty pants Muslim Barack Hussein Obama bowled a 37.
This is why the likes of George W. Bush get elected.
Demerits to Obama for pandering to the media narrative that says candidates must prove worth to voters by visiting bowling alleys.
solid @ 47:
congress has all the evidence they need to take this stuff seriously....they don't need anymore front page headlines
conyers is sitting on impeachment hearings....
pelosi is sitting on contempt citations
a million headlines wouldn't change a thing
your congress has abandoned you, don't blame it on the MSM.....you think the congress doesn't know about all this shit we cry the MSM isn't covering...
they do, and, despite their majority, they don't give a flip....
they'd rather keep their seats secure, not rock the boat, all that jazz...
if congress took these things seriously, the MSM would as well
but if John Conyers thinks impeachment is a joke, why should the MSM take it seriously...
theWalrus @ 52:
Or maybe "Democrats Who Do Not Know How To Bowl" and mistakingly have Osam... er... Osa... er... Obama's name listed three or four times.
If you would, please provide a bit more detail about which MSM outlets egrigiously ignore serious news in favor of news-lite. It seems unfair to lump all MSM together as if it were some malevolent monolith. (Although I imagine some will disagree on that point alone.) What I'm saying is if CNN and Fox cover Obama bowling X number of times, is that a count based on what they air in a 24 hour cycle? How does that possibly compare to N.Y. Times publishing schedule, with or without their website being factored in. Sorry, I see the point you're trying to make, but it frankly seems a bit shallow, if not downright jejune. Let's stop lumping MSM outlets together, OK? Not all bloggers are of the same caliber...
And without the hard work of people in the blogosphere, we would still be sheeples. Thank you C&L for getting this information out. I am saving this one for my buddies who think the msm is liberal. Of course, it wouldn't do any good. I think that they are really too afraid to speak out because they know what's coming and they don't want to go to our newly remodeled civil labor camps. Good God, I can't believe this is the America I grew up in.
Captain Kangaroo @ 69:
How about clean freaks who like to bowl?
They could call them the Tidy Bowl.
It's 'hard work' being the Fourth Estate - so much easier to fellate the soi-disant Powers That Be in exchange for access and freebies until that all-important book deal comes through.
Jeremy Scahill on Blackwater:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080421/scahill
diamondmc @ 10:
So true, unfortunately. The MSM, as a "hole", is irresponsbile and sickening. I have
given up totally on any and all TV media outlets; they ALL suck
and do not report indepth on any newsworthy events..It's profit and entertainment.
Thank goodness we have the Internet and a few, very few, alternative news sources.
As far as I am concerned, all the MSM belongs(and have earned) the garbage heap
along w/the other shit disposed of there.
ohio progressive (typical non-typical white person) @ 68:
I'm hoping they are waiting for the new Democratic Administration and a much bigger majority in both the House and Senate to bring all these jackasses to court and jail. Right now if the Dems were to bring up impeachment and contempt of congress and other investigation findings to action the Republicans are able to stop it in a heartbeat. Just wait. It's hard but let's see where we are in one year.
No. 44 @ 67:
How often do you ride your horse into the loco weed?
the yoo thing's only been in the news for a couple days
Ruthless People @ 66:
How about "Insanity amongst rethugs shows no signs of being in its last throes."?
ysbaddaden @ 71:
How about clean freaks who like to bowl?
They could call them the Tidy Bowl.
I wanted to thank you for the "Rhetoric" definition yesterday.
The MSM (CIA) is simply playing a brilliant game of propaganda with the American people.
It's right out of "The Wizard of Oz" playbook. Your tax dollars being used against you. Ha! Brilliant!!!
"Don't pay any attention to that man behind the screen! (The TRUTH) I am the great and powerful Wizard of Oz!!!" (MSM/CIA).
All we need is for "Toto" to pull back the curtain. Crooks and Liars is Toto. Informationclearinghouse is Toto. Globalresearch is Toto. Whatreallyhappened and YouTube are Toto. Glenn Greenwald is definitely Toto!! etc. etc. etc. Various posters on all these sites are Toto when they give us their insights and links.
I fear that the day we lose the Internet will be the day Toto dies. (I really do hope I'm wrong...but folks just can't seem to get off these pages and into big halls to organize mano a womano....which is what will ultimately need to be done if we are to set our ship of state back onto it's proper Constitutional course.)
If we turn anymore corners in Iraq we'll be spinning in circles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9xu4BlpSJ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyxlaib9UF0
The MSM has been in the business of dumbing down Americans for the past 25+ years. Media is now in the hands of a few corporations and the news divisions of these networks are expected to make money. Raygun's deregulation played a big part and when repugs took congress in 94 it became an all-out propaganda system. The Democrats have not had power, or at least not enough power to roll any of this back. I'm not really defending Democrats here because I say whether you have the power for change is one thing but you always have a voice and they have been complicit in their silence. There is always a remedy for this but not without Congress recognizing the problem and the American people demanding a remedy. Unfortunately, like every other problem we face in America and there are so many, complaining seems to be the only thing we do.
Captain Kangaroo @ 79:
I wanted to thank you for the "Rhetoric" definition yesterday.
The abuse of the term chaps my chaps, chap.
lucid fiction @ 65:
Why are we waiting for someone else to start. I wrote this last year.
http://myfightfordemocracy.blogspot.com/2007/07/new-declaration-of-indep...
Abbybwood @ 80:
And the American public is asleep in the poppies. When they do wake from their slumbers, all they can manage is to passively accept the bulshit coming out of media Oz.
Go Toto!
John Waters does a great monologue where he tells of his childhood worship of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Think outside the box!
ohio progressive (typical non-typical white person) @ 31: