There’s a category of media criticism we’ve often called “Seen and Not Heard.” It’s usually a protest that’s covered via a photo and caption, with no accompanying story to inform readers about what seems like an important issue.
I came across this today in the Washington Post (9/16/11)–the caption headline (not pictured here) is “Nurses Rally for a Tax”:
A little more reporting on what they’re talking about would have informed readers about an issue the Post probably doesn’t spend much time discussing. (Read this paper by Dean Baker about the $150 billion a speculation tax could raise every year–you’d think deficit-obsessed media would rally around this, right?) With any luck that article would include a better headline than “Nurses Rally for a Tax.”
In fact this Rally was held in cities across the nation….I believe there were 2000 of them that day. I attended one in San Diego. Obviously, any progressive event, anywhere, is not being covered by the conservative owed media. But our numbers are growing and there may come a time when we can’t be ignored any longer…at least I hope so!
The objective of the corporate-stream media (be it conservative or so-called liberal) is to FORM AND MANUFACTURE OPINION, NOT TO INFORM. As everyday people’s struggles and movements grow, the omissions and distortions of and by the corporate-stream media become increasingly irrelevant.
Onward…
Larry Pinkney
Editorial Board Member & Columnist
THE BLACK COMMENTATOR
&
Associate Editor
INTREPID REPORT
Seems as if the only rallies the media covers/shows are Tea Potty Rallies. Sickening and shameful. We now know who they’re working for…corporate America.
What?! Thousands of nurses protesting the need for single payer and health care for all? I thought Obama had already given us a spectacular, mind-blowing, historic, health care “change.” So, then, why the demonstrations, by nurses no less? No wonder nearly no one knows this took place across the country. These demonstrating nurses would give the lie to Obama’s self-congratulating pretenses. What he gave us is a “deal,” not “change.” He offered the insurance companies 100 bucks, if they would give the sick, a dimes worth of hope. Who wouldn’t take such an offer? You can do more damage, while you do a tiny bit of good. In fact, that’s the way corporate America prefers it. Make no substantive changes for the poor and middle classes, but offer them crumbs of “change,” for which they’ll be infinitely grateful. Just don’t mention that insurance companies that have gotten such largesse from Obama, will demand more, much more, the next time.
That’s right, john p. Here’s hoping a critical mass of folks like the nurses above will finally make both the media and our timid President take notice.
It is long past time to take back the public airwaves!
We can start by forming a Progressive funding block to take back NPR and PBS from
their Corporatism.
Public Radio and TV get the majority of their funding from individual contributors of
which the vast majority are progressives.
It is easy to tell where PBS gets its individual contributions – every time they have
a fund raiser they suddenly trot out Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton and all the panoply of
progressive folk singers.
Of course once the $$$$ are collected programming returns to the control of
the “Petroleum Broadcasting Service” with the panoply of Military Industrial paid
Generals, “centrists” supporting “humanitarian” Wars, peak oil deniers etc etc etc.
The ONLY time I ever actually heard Noam Chomsky’s own voice quoted was a short
snippet when Israel refused to allow him to come speak after he spoke to Palestinians.
Of course Chomsky’s actual speech was not covered.
And amazingly enough last week I even heard “Marketplace” NPR show actually
mention “peak oil”!! But it was only in passing and I had never heard it mentioned before
in many hours of listening….
Soooo….
Instead of individual progressives getting picked off 1 by 1 I suggest we band together
and contribute FIRST to a “TAKE BACK THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES” progressive group which
then applies maximal pressure to end the Corporate/Military censorship of NPR/PBS.
All the letters to Fair and the other news media will never change what is happening in this country. The way I figure it, the only way we will ever get chance is for ALL OF US to descend on Washington and take over the halls of Congress. Means a lot of us will be arrested, however, I do believe it will be a story that even Bill O’R. will have to take seriously.
When Jon Stewart did his rally the crowds were enormous – I’ve never see so many bodies in DC for any rally. It was reported that we were a not so large body of young people. Not so and I have pictures to show that all ages were there.
Somehow, I think they would come back to show Congress that the stakes are high and we the people are very, very unhappy. Of course, the media would call us Kooks but if we stay long enough, they may recant.
Liz..just like a lib to ask the country to descend on Washington to demand??????To demand what Liz?To demand the conservatives don’t kick the Libs the hell out the back door through elections?Not the way that works love.When Obama and his socialist revolution came to town we took it.Fought him tooth and nail in the halls of power he thought he owned,and in the people he thought he had won to his side.Soon it will be your team fighting from the outside.
I went to the Stewart rally.It was very funny.I went to Beck.It was very solemn.Beck was far bigger.Seemed ten times as large.Beck had the feeling of a movement.Stewart was a hoot.Like Woodstock,it was a get together to raise hell.Had more fun at Stewart.
By the way i don’t want Medicare for all….i want the same plan Congress has(and their pension)for all.Yeah how does it feel to want right?No money folks.The money tree is bare.Shake it all you want.Or do we go to that bottomless well…THE RICH?HA HA HA HAHA
Why do we allow the theft of the public airways by the corporate plutocracy? I suspect this is the payoff for providing candidates funding. Consistent distortions, that would make autocrats envious, seems the only product of the main stream media. Obama can direct the FCC to actually work for the public good.
Jerry S Says
“Obama can direct”?Obama can order?Obama can rule”?Not on our(tea party) watch sir.Freedom of speech is not up for interpretation or discussion.There are a million things I disagree with in the template of the left.Or in Corporate involvement.But by God I would never move to silence one word of it.It is the bedrock we are built on.To think of making the FCC more of a political arm of the president than it already is.I shudder at the notion.Im sure if the left could of controlled the content of Rush ,or Bill O ,or Beck ,or Hannity or FOX it would of solved all their problems.Thank God for that rag called the constitution.
Go Nurses!! Outstanding idea!!
A grass-root movement is already on the way…we just don’t hear or know about it, because the Corporate infested Media, refuses to acknowledge and report the Rallies,…thousands of College Educated Students who are in debt and can’t find any work,( because there isn’t any)….has been protesting about Corporate Greed and raping of American Economy by these same corporations, who live on Gov’t. Welfare Funding , out source their jobs overseas, give outrageously bonuses to their CEO’S, and threaten to lay off workers if the Gov’t tax them….(..what a fiasco! )…..you can only poke that 500 lb tiger with a stick for so long…..before it turns on you!….and soon the people will say, “That’s enough!”
Blustar
Look our little minds of mush have been educated by liberal professors for the most part.That they are so confused is not surprising.That they are going to protests is not.I loved protests when I was in school.Great way to meet girls.
This idea that any corporation that is successful(i.e creating jobs,paying taxes,creating goods and services)should be the primary target of everything that is wrong with America is an illusion.Lets look at the “ghost army”of entrepreneurs that will never be.There is where the blame lies.All those college grads never even imagining starting a business because lets face it,it is too hard these days.Amazing really.Since they all believe corporations pay no taxes you would think it would be the way to go.Of course reality is a different thing.So they yell because they actually thought they would walk out into a golden job.I mean it is their right….right?They should all do as Mrs Obama said(and believe me this does not apply to her daughters)Become social workers and community activists.
Corp greed?What is the average tax rate of corporations?35%…..highest in the world.
Raping the American economy?Pray tell what does that mean?Not running a charity.Using the government provided tax shelters as a reward for their investment?
Government welfare?Listen sonny jim,your lot has been in charge and had a super majority for years.They did nothingWHAT government are you talking about?Shipping jobs overseas?
Lower the corporate tax rate so we can compete.
Bonuses to CEOs……..Except for government stym.money that is none of your damn business.
Lay off workers if taxes raise?Remember an old business axiom.Corporations never really get taxed.They simply pass the cost on to workers and customers.That is the way it works.It is not charity.
THE PEOPLE?Let me tell you the people are turning on the government.That would be Obama.November hence you will see that.
“College is the only time in your life you are right about everything.”One of my profs in Harvard told me that.It is a very communal time.I understand that time.But look to your president and VP.Have they ever given to charity ?NO.To paint this in a way that WE should all be charitable by allowing government to tax at any level they damn please is just a loosing game.Because we can not trust government with our wealth.Have they not proven that in the last 3 years- more so than in the history en total of this country?
He will not have the numbers of college kids this time around.You can quote me.They may be beefing,but they are not all gonna buy this class warfare
incoherent troll is incoherency trolling
Incoherent fiscal pedophiles are incoherently trolling
I’m not a republican or a conservative….they’re the one’s ruining our children’s future…
Well certainly the Dems are not the only ones spending our children’s future into Oblivion.I would argue they are the worst of the two in the spending dept.But anyone who is still spending is to blame.
At least two thirds of our entire national debt was created during three presidencies…reagan, bush 41 and bush 43…..
half of this year’s budget deficit is caused by tax revenues being too low….
A Reader
The fact that Obama spent more than every president from Washington to Bush in his first 18 months seems to of slipped your mind.If his healthcare goes through we are in the stratosphere.Reagan said his greatest failure was not turning off the Dem spending(as well as his own).No matter how much money he made, it was never enough.Bush also was plagued by dem spending(as well as his own).Newt of course forced Clinton to do things no Dem has ever done.It worked to a degree.
.As far as tax revenues……you could tax everyone at 100% ;then times it by five, and it would not touch this problem.The day the Rs took over the house has seen a huge downturn in proposed spending.And thats good.BUT……Im willing to let by gone’s be by gone’s(are you?).We start anew.And we STOP SPENDING.We can agree on that.Now here is something we will butt heads over.But really soon it will be our time to bat, so if our methods work…be man enough to admit it.We will explode the economy by making this country thee most hospitable country to business ever seen.That means recreating wealth.Cutting through mandates and regulations.Lowering corp taxes.Simplifying the tax codes.Shrinking government and weakening its hold.This is where we are going.Better buckle up
“The fact that Obama spent more than every president from Washington to Bush in his first 18 months seems to of slipped your mind.”
It never slipped my mind for a very simple reason…it didn’t happen…why do you keep trotting out the same old bullshit….
Contrary to Republican claims, “The Democratic Congress” did not bust Reagan’s budgets. In fact, for the first six years, Congress was not Democratic, it was half and half, and the Republican Senate had just as much say, even though the budget bill starts in the House. On top of that, Reagan got the Southern Democrats to vote with him and so he controlled the House. But none of this matters because over Reagan’s 8 years, Congress approved slightly smaller budgets than he requested .
So why do conservatives repeat this lie so often? Silly question, isn’t it.
What actually busted the budgets: Reagan’s tax cuts for the rich.
Dick and A reader…….Im watching Netanyahu’s speech at the UN.Fantastic!Hope Obama is listening.
As far as Reagan goes remember something.The president preposes, and the Congress disposes.Reagan never spent a cent .The Congress did.Find me one Dem that voted against any spending preposed by Reagan outside military.And remember “Reagan” spent as the economy exploded.Bush spent with a proper economy.Obama spends with nothing going the other way.We are talking apples and oranges.Listen to Newt on the subject of Reagan. Also there is any number of good books on the subject.
Nice that FAIR’s resident troll loves the speech his president, Netanyahu, is giving.
It was a great speech to an idiot US president who simply is too slow to comprehend