As I watched the situation disintegrate in Iraq, it was interesting that I found that information, not from CNN, MSNBC or FOX(Pravda)News, but from the BBC. The mainstream media in this country focused on the Presidential race like it was a football game. Clinton gains a first down but is called for off-sides. Obama gets called for a late hit. Ew, that'll cost him. Oh no, Hillary fumbles the ball and turns the ball over to Obama.
That kind of thinking and effort seems to be par for the course for our so-called liberal media, which more resemble a propaganda network for the regime in power. I hate to say it, but I can only find reliable information about the war in Iraq and Afganistan by watching the BBC, listening to NPR and watching Frontline on PBS. And that reality is truly embarrassing and alarming.
Kudos, BTW, for the PBS Frontline documentary "Bush At War I,II." The fact that such deep analysis didn't occur on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN or FOX, is an indictment to the degree of complicity our press has in the disasters that Cheney/Bush has imposed upon us. Our press has let us down in the past, and continues to do so. We have a press that is nationalistic in it's focus and seeks to gain ratings by telling Americans what they want to hear. We have commercialized the press to the point that their reporting is gauged for viewership rather than accuracy and relevancy. This truly alarms me. The American people continue to be misled, misinformed and given the party line, not a true assessment of what is going on in the world.
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4 comments:
I've noticed the same thing - that the only consistent coverage of Iraq these days is the BBC. And we're surprised that only 28% of Americans can guess approximately how many of our soldiers have died there.
Very valid assessment. There is no actual reporting about the candidates- I've yet to see a news source delve into voting records, and give accurate portrayals of the candidate's accomplishments. They're reporting opinion on the race in lieu of information about the contestants.
Insightful.
Thanks for visiting VOU and Saltwater. The situation in Iraq is complicated and disconcerting, and it has really troubled me that we Americans tend to be so uniformed about the issues most pressing to our soldiers and their likelihood of getting out of that quagmire.
I'm also concerned with the lack of depth of mainstream media coverage. It may be that I can do nothing about it. But I don't have to like it. Perhaps me and other bloggers can atleast shame these weakminded fools to do their jobs.
Your comment rings a familiar note. I've quit watching the news (except where they report how the S&P and the Dow performed on any given day).
I've often wondered how generally dumb people on all sides of the political spectrum have to listen to the news and think they're getting actual news. I'll be curious to watch over the next few elections cycles how the media influences the elections. This cycle is a good start.
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