not to echo the Dotard, and we must stand up to his dictatorial rhetoric at every step. It may be one thing to say our press, as it is, is all we’ve got, and we have to protect it. that’s fine, but we also have to realize that what we’ve got actually sucks, and is FAR from being a free press. FAR from being a press that gives free voice to the people, and let’s people stand up to corruption and corporate interest. the media and the press in fact ARE the corporate corruption. the media and the press have been taken over, and have become, giant corporate multi-headed hydra. our media is not exactly free, and is not exactly the friend of the people. And democrats and republicans alike, had a hand in making that mess possible. it would serve democrats well to look in the mirror and put the blame where it belongs, when it reflects badly on them, as well as the repubs.
Twenty years ago last month, President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The act, signed into law on February 8, 1996, was “essentially bought and paid for by corporate media lobbies,” as Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) described it, and radically “opened the floodgates on mergers.” billmoyers.com/...
elections matter, but that’s not where things end. we must continue to put pressure on politicians, of whatever party or camp. we can’t follow or defend any politician, acting like blind cultist true-believers, because the consequences are too great.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is not merely a regrettable part of history. It serves as a stern warning about what is at stake in the future. In a media world that is going through a massive transformation, media companies have dramatically increased efforts to wield influence in Washington, with a massive lobbying presence and a steady dose of campaign donations to politicians in both parties — with the goal of allowing more consolidation, and privatizing and commodifying the internet.
yes, republicans started it all… but we can’t forget that there is plenty of blame to go all around for both parties!
What is most revealing when analyzing the donation patterns of these industries in the data from the Center for Responsive Politics — be it cable television, print and periodicals, radio or telecom services — is that Hillary Clinton is, by far, the largest recipient of donations of any candidate in the 2016 election in either party. In fact, of all the top industries that have donated to Clinton, the TV/movies/music category ranks behind only the securities and investments category. (This data is from reports filed on January 31, 2016, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.)
More troubling is that these filings come on the heels of a report from Politico that the Clinton Foundation has received donations, some of them very large, from most of all the major media companies directly: Viacom, News Corporation, Reuters, NBCUniversal, Newsmax, Time Warner, Mort Zuckerman (owner of US News &World Report and the New York Daily News), Comcast, AOL Huffington Post Media and Robert Allbritton (owner of Politico). George Stephanopoulos, one of ABC News’ most visible journalist and a former staffer for President Clinton, has also been under scrutiny for not disclosing a $75,000 donation to the foundation.
billmoyers.com/...
but it goes back even before the Clintons
Even NPR and PBS have become corporate lackies for many years now.
As Brendan Fischer over at the Center for Media and Democracy’s PRWatch points out, the documentary was originally supposed to air on PBS stations nationwide, but its funding was abruptly cut off when, it appears, David Koch was offended.
But why would PBS care if David Koch didn’t like one of their documentaries?
Because, according to Jane Mayer of the New Yorker, David Koch has donated upwards of $23 million to public television. And when you donate $23 million dollars to public television, you get more than just a tote bag or a coffee mug – you get to dictate the on-air programming.
This is the kind of influence and control that we see in mainstream media today too.
Thanks to the giant transnational corporations that own them, mainstream media outlets tailor their programming to appease their corporate backers.
truthout.org/...
So basically the average citizen has no voice. Even “public” broadcasting is a farce, and NPR is basically national propaganda radio, just like the rest of the MSM. We need to get a truly free press and a publicly funded independent voice that is truly and fully free of corporate influence. Otherwise all else is just hot air.
Media reform is the issue that affects all other issues. As the impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has shown, democracy suffers when almost all media in the nation is owned by massive conglomerates. In this reality, no issue the left cares about — the environment, criminal legal reform or health care — will get a fair shake in the national debate.
billmoyers.com/...