2016 Postmortem

Nanjeanne

(4,969 posts) Sun Apr 3, 2016, 07:34 AM Apr 2016

20 Years of Media Consolidation Has Not a Been Good For Democracy

Fascinating article by Michael Corcoran about the disastrous results of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that Bill Clinton signed and how it is manifested in the bias of reporting now in the primaries. AND GUESS WHO STOOD AGAINST IT?

But now is a good time to discuss our growing media crises. Twenty years ago last month, President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The act, signed into law on February 8, 1996, was “essentially bought and paid for by corporate media lobbies,” as Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) described it, and radically “opened the floodgates on mergers.”

SNIP

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is not merely a regrettable part of history. It serves as a stern warning about what is at stake in the future. In a media world that is going through a massive transformation, media companies have dramatically increased efforts to wield influence in Washington, with a massive lobbying presence and a steady dose of campaign donations to politicians in both parties — with the goal of allowing more consolidation, and privatizing and commodifying the internet.

SNIP

When President Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act into law, he did so with great fanfare. The bill, which was lobbied for in great numbers by the communications and media industry, was sadly a bipartisan misadventure — only 3 percent of Congress voted against the bill: five senators and 16 members of the House, including then-Rep. Bernie Sanders.

Anyone interested in the future of real journalism should read this. And once again, Bernie Sanders had the right judgement and stood on the right side of history.

On Bill Moyers via Alternet http://billmoyers.com/story/twenty-years-of-media-consolidation-has-not-been-good-for-our-democracy/#.VwD8vhYlO9M.twitter

5 replies

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Highlight:

20 Years of Media Consolidation Has Not a Been Good For Democracy (Original Post) Nanjeanne Apr 2016 OP

R&K! DINO Clinton1 allowed banks AND media to monopolize & consolidate & damage our country. RiverLover Apr 2016 #1

Yes, I don't see how our corporate media today is any different from the state media of valerief Apr 2016 #2

Nothing Clinton did was worse that the Telecommunications Act. Worse than DOMA. On par with Bluenorthwest Apr 2016 #3

Shadows of Liberty is a must see docu about this Nanjeanne Apr 2016 #4

Ben Bagdikian called it the ''Media Monopoly'' Octafish Apr 2016 #5

RiverLover

(7,830 posts)

1. R&K! DINO Clinton1 allowed banks AND media to monopolize & consolidate & damage our country.

Reply to Nanjeanne (Original post)

Sun Apr 3, 2016, 07:56 AM

Apr 2016

I think breaking up Big Media may be more important than breaking up big banks. The level of propaganda is extraordinary.

But undoing both of Clinton1's republican policies is critical.

valerief

(53,235 posts)

2. Yes, I don't see how our corporate media today is any different from the state media of

Reply to RiverLover (Reply #1)

Sun Apr 3, 2016, 08:16 AM

Apr 2016

the old USSR. The message of a few rich people to exploit the masses is the same--hate and serve, hate and serve.

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)

3. Nothing Clinton did was worse that the Telecommunications Act. Worse than DOMA. On par with

Reply to Nanjeanne (Original post)

Sun Apr 3, 2016, 08:24 AM

Apr 2016

the destruction of the welfare system. Very bad medicine. Very.

Nanjeanne

(4,969 posts)

4. Shadows of Liberty is a must see docu about this

Reply to Nanjeanne (Original post)

Sun Apr 3, 2016, 10:07 AM

Apr 2016

From their website:

Shadows of Liberty reveals the extraordinary truth behind the news media: censorship, cover-ups and corporate control.

Filmmaker Jean-Philippe Tremblay takes a journey through the darker corridors of the US media, where global conglomerates call the shots. For decades, their overwhelming influence has distorted news journalism and compromised its values.

In highly revealing stories, renowned journalists, activists and academics give insider accounts of a broken media system. Controversial news reports are suppressed, people are censored for speaking out, and lives are shattered as the arena for public expression is turned into a private profit zone.

Tracing the story of media manipulation through the years, Shadows of Liberty poses a crucial question: why have we let a handful of powerful corporations write the news? Media reform is urgent and freedom of the press is fundamental

http://shadowsofliberty.org/

Octafish

(55,745 posts)

5. Ben Bagdikian called it the ''Media Monopoly''

Reply to Nanjeanne (Original post)

Sun Apr 3, 2016, 11:11 AM

Apr 2016

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Media/MediaMonopoly_Bagdikian.html

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