Carl says that Bush & Co. were masters at avoiding responsibility, but, of course,
their bullying of the press is a key part of their success.
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929
I think there's a certain stiffening of the resistance among liberal elements in the media. Foremost among them is Bill Moyer's blistering response to Kenneth Tomlinson:
An excerpt from http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0516-34.htm:
As everyone knows, Mr. Tomlinson also put up a considerable sum of money, reportedly over five million dollars, for a new weekly broadcast featuring Paul Gigot and the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal. Gigot is a smart journalist, a sharp editor, and a fine fellow. I had him on NOW several times and even proposed that he become a regular contributor. The conversation of democracy -- remember? All stripes.
But I confess to some puzzlement that the Wall Street Journal, which in the past editorialized to cut PBS off the public tap, is now being subsidized by American taxpayers although its parent company, Dow Jones, had revenues in just the first quarter of this year of 400 million dollars.
I thought public television was supposed to be an alternative to commercial media, not a funder of it.
But in this weird deal, you get a glimpse of the kind of programming Mr. Tomlinson apparently seems to prefer. Alone of the big major newspapers, the Wall Street Journal, has no op-ed page where different opinions can compete with its right- wing editorials. The Journal�s PBS broadcast is just as homogenous �right- wingers talking to each other. Why not $5 million to put the editors of The Nation on PBS? Or Amy Goodman�s �Democracy Now!� You balance right-wing talk with left-wing talk.
===
I also heard Craig Crawford, an MSNBC analyst, touting his soon to be released new book "Attack the Messenger: How Politicians Turn You against the Media" on the Don Imus show this morning. From the publisher's website:
Craig Crawford has seen it all up close and personal, and he is disturbed by what he sees. When politicians turn the public against the media, everyone loses-especially unbiased and courageous news reporting. When veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas is banished from her front row post, as she has been in the current administration-the American public is denied the chance to consider her pointed questions, even if they go unanswered. Worse, when traditional reporters and media are displaced, the pundits and alternative media take over. Rush, the O'Reilly Factor, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart, and the bloggers have their place in American politics, and the 2004 elections showed the incredible power of the Internet. These media, however, are a different breed, as Crawford points out-they serve a purpose, but at a cost. They become "opinion merchants," bartering outrageous assertions for audience appeal with little attention to the truth. These days, the truth is hard to find. If the press is not believed-or believable-because politicians have turned the public against it, then the press it not free, but under the thumbs of politicians. Without a free press, there is no democracy. That, says Craig Crawford, is where we find ourselves today. If you don't like the news, attack the messenger, and it will go away. Going, going, gone.
Imus, who has been on the warpath against Newsweek, was trying to goad Crawford into attacking the newsweekly for "undermining our boys in uniform". He stood his ground and made the excellent point that nobody challenged the item until after 11 days of rioting and demonstrations. If there had been no violence, there would have never been a "correction". Apparently Crawford has a chapter on the faux populist radio host in his book, something I am looking forward to. I hope that he gets nailed, but with Imus's power, I sort of doubt that will happen.
--
www.marxmail.org
