Monday, January 10, 2005

Pyongyang on the Potomac

Ocassional MediaChannel commentator Nancy Snow gives Jaimes Rainey her view on the Armstrong Williams case: "There is a declining public trust in the media as a system, and I think this is a really troublesome ethical issue . . . It could become a larger issue if the public across the board says that all these media celebrities need to be more forthcoming about what they are getting paid to say." And this more alarming view from our friends at The Leader:
"The term ‘state-run media’ is normally associated with nations that control and censor its media outlets such as China and North Korea. Hopefully that term will not apply to outlets in the United States, but recent actions by the Bush administration should make all of us stand up and take notice."
PUNDIT PAYOLA: "This happens all the time," Williams tells David Corn on the set of Fox News. "There are others." Other conservative commentators accept money from the Bush administration? Corn asks Williams for names. "I'm not going to defend myself that way," he says.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have little doubt since 2000 and the lack of responsible journalism since that under-reported theft of the presidency, and now with the ongoing Bush & Co. propoganda, and especially the theft again in 2004, that media is nothing more than State-run. I no longer watch, listen to, or read any so-called public medias. Their journalists are nothing more than political puppets and stooges and have failed both the general population and themselves. America is invaded, occupied, and controlled -- and don't get it yet.

Anonymous said...

The press and media have been controlled by powers that be ever since 1992 the democrats have never received fair coverage.. It is not by accident the way to control is to have POWER.. Am i the only one that has noticed after the alleged faked guard records on CBS not only did Dan Rather go but bush guard records did also

MISSION ACCOMPOLISHED

Steve J. said...

Another angle on "payola."I live in Tucson and I've noticed that some of the right-wing radio shows have few if any local or national ads (esp. Bennett's "Morning in America")but they have a lot of PSAs. As I understand it, PSAs do not generate any income so my question is, where is the money coming from?

Steve

Anonymous said...

Is a commentary accepting money for coverage he likely agrees with. The truth is that a lot of our daily news comes not from investigative reporting but from company and organization press releases. News organizations are often starved for money. Investigative journalism is expensive.

Right now you see this in action, particularly because of media consolidation. Newspapers are rapidly dropping their own cartoonists who are familiar with their coverage area's attitudes in favor of nationally synidicated cartoonists.

The newspapers we knew from high school have now become little more than corporate media sharing the entertainment, not serious news dollar. Why should we expect TV and radio programs to be different. For years now the products in movies are usually determined not by the artist director but by payments for product placement. Whether an actor drinks Coke or Pepsi in a movie depends on who was willing to pay the most for product placement. It even extends to the subscriptions. Most newspapers will negotiate a better price with you if you call subscription services to drop your subscription. Their stated price is a guide that is interpreted to maintain the maximum number of paid subscribers to support their ad rates.

The only question you need ask is what percentage of a commentator's stories are driven by revenue decisions and not gut choices? The American public today is lead by the nose. If you want real news and comments, get them from Canada.

Anonymous said...

I am very encouraged by this web site and the comments I read. I grew up in Franco's Spain and have been amazed since my arrival to the US in 1979 that the US citizens around me thought they had a free press. The propaganda in the news media wa apparent already then and has got worse over time. Wake up USA!