“I mean, we are a profit-driven industry. And if you want the most eyeballs, you have to go with the thing that people are most talking about. But if you’re trying to do a quality program, then maybe you have got to go with Iraq and Iran.”
—Politico‘s Julie Mason, explaining the amount of coverage of Anthony Weiner (CNN, 6/19/11)
UPDATE:
Jim Romenesko reports that Gannett will be laying off 700 employees:
That’s about 2 percent of the workforce, according to Gannett US Community Publishing division president Bob Dickey. ‘The economic recovery is not happening as quickly or favorably as we had hoped and continues to impact our U.S. community media organizations,’ he says in a memo that’s posted below. ‘Publishers will notify people today and we will make every effort to reach everyone by end of day.’ In March it was disclosed that Gannett CEO Craig Dubow received a $1.25 million cash bonus and had his salary doubled.
The item about those executive salaries is headlined:
Gannett paid CEO Dubow $9.4 million in 2010– double his 2009 pay
And the others aren’t doing too bad either:
* Chief Financial Officer Paul Saleh: $2.9 million; includes a $225,000 bonus, after joining GCI last November.
* U.S. newspapers president Bob Dickey: $3.4 million, including $600,000 bonus. (His total 2009 pay: $1.9 million.)
* USA Today Publisher Dave Hunke: $2.5 million, including $375,000 bonus. (Total 2009: $1.9 million.)
* Broadcasting President Dave Lougee: $2.2 million, including $450,000 bonus. (Total 2009: $1.3 million.)
The abrogation of journalistic responsibility is abhorrent enough in its own right, but this is not simply about “giving the public what it wants”, is it?
The mainstream media creates, then feeds the appetite for drek, doesn’t it? The market is manufactured, then supplied.
And besides the profit gleaned, it serves the elite goal of presenting distracting circuses to the masses, doesn’t it?
And the less bread, the more circuses.
It’s all about national security. Just like in WWII, “Loose penises sink ships.” Or lips. Or something like that.
Profits do tend to matter, but unfortunately profit has taken priority over honest actual reporting. Glenn, did you study anatomy under Pablo Picasso?
The money is always the story. And the money is the lack of story too. There’s a lot of profit-driven silence…
Gannett = Just another corporate media crapola! Totally worthless!
AND the press missed the real story.The story of Anthony’s “Weiner”is not the story.It is the quick silver capacity of our leaders to LIE! We saw it most famously with Clinton under oath.I remember Rumsfeld before Congress flippantly saying “EVERYBODY LIES”.Well my question was ..how about you?Look our lowest possible standard for these men at the top of the gov wrung has got to be truthfulness.We argue to the right and the left who is right and who is dead wrong.If we must take it for granted that those handing us the information who profess to passionately believe in their platforms are proven liars, who may be lying……..we are sunk. Believe me I am not naive.I understand politics is full of fudging the truth.Or better put manipulating the truth.But when we catch a bold face liar…yes a BOLD FACED LIAR- we must act swiftly to remove this cancer.And the content of the lie does not matter.It has got to be the mark upon the forehead.In west point if you even know a cheater and do not turn him in you are expelled.No recourse.Our political class must adopt a stronger code.Or the question will stand.
Mr Weiner in these years you have wielded great power and influence.What else have you been lying about?
Well, Jesus Christ, look who’s talking about lying, will ya?
I have said openly Tim that i believe in free men. Men not under a governments thumb. Men not serfs.I believe in individual freedoms.A free market. Capitalism. And the constitution.I have not lied about anything. You are a socialist.Not a liar as far as I can see.But wrong.Wrong wrong wrong even if you are well meaning.By calling people liars you try to stem allowing them a voice.If i were you i would do the same.In the arena of ideas you are loosing. Redistribution of other peoples money is your battle cry.Your flag should be a thieving skull and cross bones.
The only free people in a capitalistic system are people with capital. No capital, no freedom. And how does one amass capital? On the backs of other people’s labor. Or should I say, the “redistribution of other people’s” …value? There are no millionaires where there is no one to take advantage of. Check out the nearest desert island. No one to harvest your coconuts for you? How many can you harvest? All of them? Are you free yet?
Doug check out the nearest desert island.No one to harvest my coconuts for me>i do it myself!Start making a little coin selling them at a floating coconut stand.Sell 30 a week!Soon two natives come who dont have any income and work for me.Now i harvest 130 a week and everybody gets paid.Soon all their friends who don’t have work come.I invest in seven more pontoone floating stands.Now im selling a 130 a day.I hire a guy to replant my trees that blow down.I have a tour through my plant.I build a resort.Tons of people working for me.I stop working 14 hours a day and hire a CEO.Everybody comes to my island.I pay a ton in taxes but have a great life.360 people work in my company….Happy mikes coconut resort.
Doug westendorp works for the Dem government.Raises my taxes through the roof because after all my freedom and success has drawn a bulls eye on my back(in his eyes).He raises my taxes.Stirs everybody up and they unionize.Mandates my healthcare beyond what i can afford………….Mike quits and retires to another desert island or just kicks everybody off his and dreams about what freedom means.
The end…….goodnight Dougy
Ever since television news was placed under Entertainment with the networks it has been a race to the bottom.
Doug – The real story is – Weiner did nothing illegal – just immoral. Clinton might have lied under oath but it had nothing to do with his job or Whitewater – it was a witch hunt by Ken Starr and others who never accepted Clinton as President. How about a couple of Senators who were not only charged with sexual misconduct – but conduct that was illegal. Where was the outcry from the right? How come Vitter is still in office and Craig was never forced to resign?
My apologies to Doug – I meant to address Michael E in my comments
Well Merryt first Im not so sure Weiner did not break the law.Laws against sending pornographic material over the tex ways are not yet in my bank of knowledge.But i would uess they exist.That aside he lied to us and many of his colleagues.We are well rid of him.Clinton also broke the law.He lied under oath before Congress and a judge.He was disbarred .You or i would spend a good stint in jail for such an offense.The nature of the lie is completely irrelevant.He did not go to jail because he was simply too big to fail.As nixon was.
As far as vitter he is a sham and a hypocrite.He has little real support.He should go…period!Craig….i still dont claim to understand that whole ta- do.But he does seem a squirrely creepy character with weak watery eyes that do not fill me with any great confidence on the truth meter.If he is not being railroaded… and where there is smoke there is fire ….then he too should step down as he too would be a liar.I have no tolerance for these embarrassments.
Apologies accepted on the part of all of us, Merryt–yeah, I presume to speak for the sane here, at least this one time.