The American press is in a crisis....

[kentuck]

It's a crisis because our democracy cannot survive without a strong press. Now controlled by mostly corporate interests, there is little reason to inform or to protect the "little" guy. As those in power lie, steal, and cheat, the "press" turns the other way. As our nation is attacked because of incompetence as much as anything, the press "covers" for those that should be held accountable and brought to justice. They promote the lies of those in power as we preemptively invade other countries. They cover-up for politicians as they "steal" one election after another. As our young people die in an unprovoked and unnecessary war, they give us "breaking news" of the Scott Peterson trial. The press is in a crisis and so is our nation. Who will tell the people?

[skylarmae]

1. who will tell the people? Especially when 'kill the messenger' is usually

their collective cry!!

[ladjf]

2. They are nothing but propaganda instruments for the regime.

[InvisibleBallots]

3. we are the press now, not them

American survived before TV "News" and we'll survive after it. We have a bunch of decent newspapers, but the real action is right here, online. Who really cares what the Corporate Whores say? Their audience is shrinking every day.

[blondeatlast]

18. Most americans get their news from the cable networks.

It's not as simple as taking the internet; we are up against an efficient, studied, and well maintained machine.

[knowbody0]

4. perception is everything

peterson was to provide the little guy with a diversion so horrific, to numb the senses. take the attention away from abu ghraib, the carnage etc..and the beat goes on. sigh

[Greybnk48]

9. peterson trial was even more

this trial got so much attention because the msm knew their was a potentially huge story here. the wingnuts were hoping to get a jury to deem a fetus as a full-fledged person and therefore a 1st degree murder charge against peterson for the death of the fetus. You can figure out what the fallout would have been for Roe v Wade. why do you think the media kept refering to the fetus a "baby Connor"?

And I agree that it was a diversion as well, but more sinister than you state.

[kentuck]

11. Good point....

Thanks!

[knowbody0]

12. connecting the dots. thank you. horrific

[Pithy Cherub]

5. The American public is in the crisis. It was created

by a media determined to be the lowest common denominator of information (stories must be simple, simple, simple)and the highest potential profits. The media has been infiltrated by the best and brightest (and really mean that in the most ironic way)that are focused on EPS, ROI, distribution channels, et al. This has not resulted in a contribution to the public good but in concentration of wealth, power and information in the hands of a very few. The resentment of bloggers is growing by these corporatists. It is interfering with access, revenue and marketshare.

Media moron is now redundant! The media made that statement possible and they do not care about something like reputation or responsibility.

[Cheswick2.0]

6. What I want to know is...............

Where are the men and women who remember when the media was different? Where are those who worked in Pre-"Broadcast News" hell and remember what it was like to investigate a story and tell the facts? They are all older and richer. They can afford to risk their jobs to do the right thing... where are they? Are they all waiting for a cushy book deal before they spill their guts about what has happened to their industry? Isn't there one brave person who will stand up for our democracy?

[Quakerfriend]

7. What I cannot believe is

how gullible the general population is. We need a TV commercial that advertises the blogs. Puts it out there: "Do you want some real news?" sort of thing. Honestly, I watched just because I didn't know about the blogs for several years- even tho they made me mad as hell----Tweetie, Wolfie, and all the rest. :bounce:

[ewagner]

21. Great idea!!!

I would be willing to contribute to a DU FUNDRAISER for the sole purpose of buying advertising time on CNN, MSNBC and in an IN YOUR FACE move purchase advertising on Fox!!!

Man wouldn't that be great?!?!?!?!?!? :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[leftofthedial]

8. crisis?

hell it is dead and rotting

it will take an effort I can't even imagine to purge the remnants, clean the stench out of the space the media once filled, and rebuild the whole thing from scratch.

The ultimate oxymoron? American journalist.

[blm]

10. This is the reason for GOP rule. The corporate media IS their tool

that enables their reign.

The GOP owns most of the media and most of the voting machines. They will use that advantage to control this nation's money and the resources of the world.

[blondeatlast]

19. That isn't all they own.

The media is letting them write their stories even.

Please, please, read "The Republican Noise Machine."

[hatrack]

13. It's not in crisis, it's been intubated for years

The mechanical hissing of the respirator is what passes for journalistm these days.

[magellan]

14. The people won't listen

Bush Loyalists are being told what the truth is by their leader and won't have the "liberal" media arguing with them. Few others pay enough attention to suspect they're being fed entertainment to distract them from half-truths and omissions. Even if we saw a Ukraine moment, where some respected anchor or reporter refused to go along with the game anymore and said so on air, the Reichwing would applaud their exit and the rest of the country would shrug it off.

The only way out of the MSM debacle is to wrest control of them away from their corporate paymasters...but seeing as this has been going on for decades (read up on George Seldes) and only gotten worse, there isn't much hope of seeing a nationally respected free press any time soon.

[grasswire]

15. you might want to read this article

http://niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=0039

Titled "Mr. President, Will You Answer the Question?" written by WaPo's Dan Froomkin.

And be sure to read the comments at the bottom of the page; some are from people who have been on the inside.

[gratuitous]

16. Naw, the crisis has been resolved

And the Fourth Estate has chosen toadying over reporting, money over the truth, and their own comfort over strenuous obligations that, should they be discharged, might get them disinvited to all the kewl kids' parties.

The consciences have been seared over, as with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:2), and they can't distinguish right from wrong anymore. It's all an endless parade of "Well, one side says torture is absolutely wrong, but the other side says sometimes it's necessary and even required. We can't tell who might be right or wrong, and we're certainly not going to settle this issue anytime soon. On our next program, one rainbow-haired nutjob will defend gay marriage and bestiality against a panel of four shouters who will dominate the time we've allotted."

[blondeatlast]

17. Required DU reading, IMHO, especially if the death of an

objective press scares you like it does me--"The Republican Noise Machine."

It's far more thatn just "corporatism," it's an all out war on free thought and the lazy press lets them get away with it.

We MUST form an organized effort to fight this, because the Radical Right won't stop--and they have oodles of bucks and talent for decades to come.

[killbotfactory]

20. They only care about money and ratings

The only way we can get them to reform is through organized boycotts.