Equivoconomy

My first statement on my blog

2007-04-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

The State of the Press

Nowadays, news reporters are more interested in asking questions than getting answers.

During interviews, they ask questions, but do not give time for their guests to answer them. They constantly interrupt and ask questions not to find facts and to draw conclusions from those facts, but to get their own perspective and agenda across to their audience. Wasn't there a time when new reporters were objective? Wasn't there a time when news itself was objective? After 9/11, everything has spin. News stories and headlines are carefully selected depending on the party affiliation of the source. Reporters make their opinions known before they even ask questions to their guests in order to bias their audience. They are rude and disrespectful, and when their guests are finally getting their points across, the reporters announce that they "unfortunately" have run out of time.

I have come to the conclusion that the following factors are responsible for the current state of the media.

1. Huge, profit-seeking conglomerates, with agendas, control the media.
2. Shift of the media towards infotainment.
3. The short attention span of Americans, who have little interest in politics.
4. No accountability.
5. 9/11

First, profit-seeking firms do not care about getting the truth out to Americans. All they care about is getting the largest audience possible for their television station. I think news agency used to feel bound by duty to the American people that they give honest, fact-based reports. Unfortunately, that sense of responsibility has vanished, at least with respect to television. Newspapers are reliable for the most part, but unfortunately they are slowly disappearing... or at least their readership is. Without that sense of responsibility, news agencies can push the line as far as it can go without them getting into trouble. Consequently, the people who own those conglomerates can insert their agenda into the news, and we get stations who whole-heartedly swing to one side of the aisle and end up lying to their audience... cough cough Fox News. Sorry, that's a bit unfair. Fox News isn't the only one... but it certainly is the biggest offender.

Secondly, people now turn to the news not to be informed, but to be entertained. Therefore, we end up having huge amounts of time dedicated to things like "When we come back, find out why doctors are now saying that too much of a good thing can actually be good. Yes that's right, eating more chocolate may lead to a longer life." or "She's at it again. Britney went back to the hair salon, and you're not going to believe what she did. It's all coming up, after the break." Now I completely made those headlines up, but you can imagine hearing those things on any given day... along with about 20 minutes/hour of weather as filler. Why is it tolerated and accepted for news about the Iraq war to be followed by gossip about Ben Affleck, with a not so clever transition in between?
It's because the news is now meant to entertain, and sadly, John McCain isn't one of the most scintillating personalities out there. This also makes it possible for reporters to be offensive and disrespectful to their guests and to make their opinions known... because it's good entertainment to see someone getting grilled on TV. Of course this means that the reporter can never be wrong and the guest can never be right... but who cares when it's all in the spirit of entertainment? Can you sense my sarcasm?

Thirdly, short sound bytes, constant cutaways, enormous, colorful, and constantly moving graphics, a ticker, multiple windows, and glamorous sets are now necessary in order to keep Americans paying attention. At least from the point of view of the news agencies, all Americans have ADD. If they allow someone to speak for too long or do not have that many things going on on the screen, then their audience will lose interest and change the channel. Since these are profit-seeking firms, the ad revenue that they receive from the news (yes the news is no longer a public service but a way for generating ad revenue) depends on ratings. Now, I have a hard time watching CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News without getting an epileptic seizure.

Next, what is the punishment for those who lie? Yes, Dan Rather made a huge mistake, but he is definitely a good man worthy of a tremendous amount of respect. At least he admitted that he made a mistake. I think this type of mistake pails in comparison to the crime of spinning the truth with no accountability whatsoever; making a false statement and admitting you did so is no where near as bad as consciously spinning the truth. So many Americans get their news only through television, making it essential for the news to be honest and genuine. When they have political discussions on the air and people flat out lie, then what are the consequences? For example, McCain announces that it is safe to walk around Iraq unarmed (preposterous!), and John Bolton flat out lies to Jon Stewart when he appears on the Daily Show. When this happens, what can be done? Inconsistencies can be pointed out. People can write about it on their blogs and act as fact checkers. But then people just hear that they lied, hear that what they say is complete bullshit, and then life goes on. People forget that anything ever happened. There is no punishment or accountability. The most seriously offenses are made by those in our government. George Bush, and even more so, Tony Snow, offer complete bullshit to reporters. If the war is going badly, they say it isn't. If mistakes are made, they say they weren't. If Americans are not happy with the decisions of this government, then they say that they are, or will be, or that it doesn't matter. How do you counter such irrationality. If you say that the war is going badly in Iraq (which it obviously is) and they say it isn't.. what can you say to that? How do you counter such an argument? When they have the power, all that matters is what they believe, not what you believe. It's the same sort of thing when Ahmadinejad announces that the Holocaust never happened. How do you counter such an irrational statement? There is nothing you can say other than open your eyes, see for yourself, and admit what you see. In some sense, the people in our government hope that after hearing a false statement over and over again, that Americans will soak it up to the point that they will actually begin to believe it for themselves. For a quick example, remember when John Kerry was called a flip-flopper? Yeah you know.. a flip-flopper.. someone who believes one thing, receives more facts about it, thinks for a time, and changes his mind. Horrible right? Well, the man who invented the term Matthew Dowd admits that Kerry was right:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/washington/01adviser.html?ex=1176004800&en=f6d6586ef54b81af&ei=5065&partner=MYWAY

Of course there is nothing wrong with changing one's mind. But apparently, you are able to fool a voter into believing something that isn't true. There is no accountability to deter such use of underhanded tactics.

5. The tipping point was 9/11. Before the terrorist attacks, the news looked a whole lot different. Sometimes, I think that the major 24 hour news networks had one long news story that day that somehow never finished. When the twin towers were burning, people wanted to see footage, hear the news from reporters, and read up-to-date information on the ticker that the reporters already said or hadn't had the time to get to yet. That is the first time (that I can remember) that the news looked the way that it does now. Because of the tragedy on 9/11, people from all over the world tuned in to hear the news, and the news networks received huge rating. =They realized that these graphics and editing techniques can hold people's attention and gain ratings. Thus, it made no sense for the news to go back to the way that it was.

The question is, can it ever go back?

Ann Coulter uses slur to describe John Edwards @ CPAC

2007-03-03T13:44:00.001-08:00

Atheists Attacked in America

2007-02-07T12:14:00.001-08:00

2007-01-28T23:17:00.001-08:00

O'Hare Leaked News Broadcast Footage

2007-01-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Tara Reid Countdowns to 2007 in Chicago with Efren Ramirez

2007-01-02T19:40:00.001-08:00

Anchor Choking on Live TV..MSNBC

2006-12-29T17:32:00.001-08:00

Rumsfeld_Hands

2006-12-20T11:31:00.001-08:00

What the F*ck is Cheney Smoking?

2006-12-20T11:29:00.001-08:00

Tony Snow Plays Dumb About Silencing Critics

2006-12-20T11:27:00.001-08:00

Colin Powell

2006-12-18T11:22:00.001-08:00

U.S. forces losing in Iraq, Powell says.

"There really are no additional troops" to send, Powell said, adding that he agreed with those who say that the U.S. Army is "about broken."

"We are losing — we haven't lost — and this is the time, now, to start to put in place the kinds of strategies that will turn this situation around," Powell said on CBS-TV.

Cheney: Rumsfeld ‘Is the Finest Secretary of Defense This Nation Has Ever Had’

2006-12-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

From 12/15/2006, Rumsfeld's Farewell Ceremony

Click to see the video:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/12/15/cheney-rumsfeld-best-ever/

Transcript: In his regard for our people in uniform, in his unwavering strength through unprecedented challenges, in his example of leadership and patriotic service, I believe the record speaks for itself: Don Rumsfeld is the finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had.

From Link:
"Today, Vice President Dick Cheney spoke at a ceremony honoring outoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Cheney, himself a former Defense Secretary under George H. W. Bush, said Rumsfeld was the "finest Secretary of Defense this nation has ever had." Cheney and Rumsfeld have been close political allies for decades. In 1969, Rumsfeld hired Cheney to “his first job in the federal government” as an assistant at the Office of Economic Opportuntiy. Five years later, Rumsfeld became White House Chief of Staff and made Cheney his deputy."

Tony Snow Continues to Dodge Iraq Casualty Numbers

2006-12-17T15:09:00.001-08:00

McCain gives gays rights to 'enter into contracts'

2006-12-17T14:56:00.001-08:00

I think someone here is a flip-flopper if you ask me.

T-shirt magic

2006-12-17T09:05:00.001-08:00

Totally irrelevant.. but I love it.

Laura Bush Defends Her Husband Over Iraq Policy

2006-12-15T12:28:00.001-08:00

Interview with Laura Bush

Tony Snow apologizes

2006-12-15T12:22:00.001-08:00

Is it genuine?

Keith Olbermann on Tony

2006-12-14T20:11:00.001-08:00

Tony Snow says "I don't know" again and again and again and again and again.........

Tony Snow 12/11/06

2006-12-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

From: http://rncnyc2004.blogspot.com/2006/12/press-briefing-tony-snow-121106-video.html

Q Okay. Republican Senator Gordon Smith, last week, said, "Our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day, it's absurd. It may even be criminal," and that he can no longer support this. What is your reaction to a Republican senator saying that what's going on right now in Iraq is criminal?

MR. SNOW: Well, we dispute the "criminal" part, obviously, and at the same time, understand the senator's concern. We share the concern about not doing well enough fast enough. But do not assume that people are simply being blown up. They are on missions. And as General Corelli said last week, "There's not an engagement our people have lost, but it is still important to continue the work of building greater capability and capacity on the part of the Iraqi government and helping them out." People on both sides are going to have disagreements, much as Joe Lieberman, formerly a Democrat, apparently run out of his party for disagreeing with what was seen as orthodoxy at that time, but Gordon --

Q Republican Senator Smith is challenging the strategy. What he basically said yesterday, as well, was, when you do the same thing over and over again without a clear strategy for victory, that is dereliction, that is deeply immoral. Such is the dispute. He's saying what the President is doing is immoral.

MR. SNOW: Well, then we disagree.

Q Tony, first of all, the --

Q You're just going to blow it off? A Republican senator is saying the President's policy may be criminal and it's immoral, and you're just saying, we just disagree?

MR. SNOW: And what would you like me to say? Should I do duels at 10 paces?

Q Don't you think you should answer for that? You're saying -- you've said from this podium over and over that the strategy is a victory, right? And you have a Republican senator is saying there is no clear strategy, that you don't have a strategy.

MR. SNOW: Well, let's let Senator Smith hear what the President has to say. We understand that this is a time where politics are emotional in the wake of an election. And you know what? Senator Smith is entitled to his opinion. But I'm not sure exactly what you would like --

Q Well, how about answering the central thrust about the strategy, not about, like, politics --

MR. SNOW: Okay, the strategy is pretty simple. If you take a look, for instance -- if you take a look at the Baker-Hamilton commission report, what do they talk about? They talk about building greater capability on the part of the Iraqis so that you can have an Iraqi government that governs itself, sustains itself, defends itself, who's ally in the war on terror is a democracy. I don't think it's immoral to be a democracy. I don't think it's immoral to have a state that is able to stand up and defend itself against acts of terror. I don't think it's immoral to defend the Iraqi people against acts of terrorism aimed at Muslims.

Q The Senator is not saying that's immoral. He's saying that the U.S. -- he's saying, of course democracy is a great goal --

MR. SNOW: You know what, Ed? Ed, I'll tell you what. You're engaging in an argument and you're trying to fill in the gaps in a --

Q It's not an argument. It's a Republican senator saying it, not me. It's a Republican senator saying it, and he's not --

MR. SNOW: Then tell me exactly what --

Q -- of course he's in favor of democracy.

MR. SNOW: Tell me --

Q Are you saying Republican Senator Smith is not in favor of democracy?

MR. SNOW: Well, I don't know. You just said he said it's immoral; when I listed the elements of the policy, you said that's not what he was talking about. So please tell me what he was talking about.

Q He's saying that day after day, that now U.S. soldiers are patrolling the same streets, that they're caught up in the middle of a civil war -- not about the government there --

MR. SNOW: Okay, here's what's immoral: the killing of American soldiers. We agree. Jim.

Q All right, no --

MR. SNOW: Look, you're trying to engage me in a debate, the particulars of which I apparently am unaware and can't find.

Farewell Douchebags

2006-12-13T10:46:00.001-08:00

Bill Maher's Montage.

Jon Stewart Says Goodbye to the 109th Congress

2006-12-13T10:43:00.001-08:00

Santorum: "The american media seems to be very focused and spends a lot of time talking about how poorly things are going in Iraq. They report daily, not just recently, but repeatedly for the past three years, daily, the body count in Iraq. It is the lead and has been virtually every single day for three years."

Here is the whole speech:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1750445/posts

Snow on TDS

2006-12-12T15:30:00.001-08:00

Tony Snow on Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz

2006-12-12T15:27:00.001-08:00

Gates Confirmation Highlights

2006-12-11T22:55:00.001-08:00

"Are we winning the war in Iraq" "No sir."

Fox News Edits a Democrat to Make Him Look Worse

2006-12-11T22:36:00.001-08:00

This is how Fox News responds to the Wexler interview.

Wexler Interview

2006-12-11T22:31:00.001-08:00

This is from a while back. Stephen Colbert interviews Congressman Wexler (D) who answers the question "I like cocaine because..."

White House Press Briefing by Tony Snow (12-04-2006)

2006-12-11T22:11:00.001-08:00


http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061204-6.html This is the whole conference if you want to see it. So ridiculous.

Tony Snow Calls David Gregory Partisan

2006-12-11T21:58:00.001-08:00

Tony Snow at his finest.

The Beginning

2006-12-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

There are things shown on TV that no one should miss...