Bill Moyers: "The Media Doesn't Allow Complicated Thought To Be Articulated"

Bill Moyers: "The Media Doesn't Allow Complicated Thought To Be Articulated"

(some snippets)

AMY GOODMAN: What did you think of the ABC debate in Pennsylvania with the news anchors going for the first forty-five minutes—really going at Obama around issues, everything from pastors to pins, lapel pins?

BILL MOYERS: I thought it was a great exercise in irrelevance. Going back to one of your earlier questions, we never really—we rarely probe these candidates on what they would do about the fundamental systemic issues facing America. It has become a horse race in the media and on the campaign. That’s inevitable in some respects. But I was really sad to see our craft reduced to that kind of petty and parochial concerns. These debates, moderated and mediated by the press, have really become about the press. The Sunday morning talk shows are all about themselves. They’re not really about what’s happening—they’re not trying to help the people in Dubuque or Dallas or Des Moines get an understanding of the candidates.

....................

AMY GOODMAN: Why do you think these candidates, the leading candidates of the Democratic supposedly opposition party, do not call for an immediate end to the war, do not call for single-payer healthcare?

BILL MOYERS: Because the media doesn’t allow complicated thought to be articulated in ways that enlighten instead of misinform people.

AMY GOODMAN: Is it money in politics?

BILL MOYERS: Oh, it’s who, the big winners in all this money that’s being spent? Obama outspent Clinton three-to-one, and that was all in television ads. It’s the industry that doesn’t want to reform that benefits from the ads. Yes, it’s money in politics, and it’s the triumph of ambition for self over ambition for the country. You know, Mrs. Clinton has a very serious issue to wrestle with in the next seventy-two hours. Is this race about the country, or is it about the Clintons? And ambition and power and particularly the appetite to see the first woman, who happens to be the first wife of a former president, the Adams tradition, the Roosevelt tradition—I mean, that takes over.

much more at:
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/5/7/broadcasting_legend_bill_moyers_on_the

Shouldn't you be ordering the FBI to dig up dirt on rival politicians like you did while working for LBJ during the election of 1964?

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/contents/church/contents_church_reports_book3.htm

There are programs on TV where complex thought and consideration of complex issues are articulated and encouraged. Charlie Rose, for example.

The problem is 99% of Americans would rather watch American Idol than Charlie Rose. It's not that the media are stifling better programming. They are in business to make money. Even PBS has to fund its operations from donations from viewers who find value in the programming - and corps that either see some mission value in supporting PBS or want to associate their image with PBS for PR reasons.

It's not being stifled. It's being ignored. I think Bill is a bit of an elite. (Some of my best friends are elites.)

Marcuse, Chomsky, Ed Herman, Harlan Ellison, Mark Crispin Miller, David Brock, Eric Alterman...just to name a few who've contributed to this crucial subject.

. . the articulation of complex ideas. Not whether media is used to shape opinion.

include American Idol as "media".

...although I'm sure you'd disagree.

The refusal ("inability") of sound-bite teevee to "articulate complex ideas" is not separate and cannot be separated from its ability to shape opinion. In fact, the two are almost certainly related and explain the state of this country and its media. Please read some Chomsky or other suggestions in posts above. Or just use common sense.

he had to find a shorthand way to say what Moyers said, just to get through the filter :-).

arendt

The nefarious "sound bite" mentality is the result, with the public mind being programmed with jingoistic, chauvinistic slogan chanting.

"Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it's from Neptune." ~ Chomsky

. . my qualifications. I am amused by the many "intellectuals" who keep popping up on the internet.

This is nothing but a sneering contest, which you started.

arendt

I made a comment, a personal opinion, about Chomsky's understanding of the operation of the human mind. He publishes his beliefs on that matter and others - which allows me to read his words and come to that conclusion. Thus, my opinion.

You, OTOH, know nothing about me yet feel qualified to insult me - based on that opinion, which you obviously disagree with.

That's what aroused your emotions - and caused you start of the "sneering contest".

And what's up with the virtual black-face?

Just becuase they mock your post doesn't mean they held any emotional attachment to it.

You seem to be reflecting.

Read Chomsky much?

Oh, the irony.

since they are ultimately limited in what they can do by what will sell.

The other half of the blame belongs to the viewers, who demand pap and nonsense, and who tune out subjects that require more than two consecutive thoughts to understand.


"Next up on Deep Philosophy - the Meaning of Life! But first, a word from our sponsors..."

Think of all the people you know that criticize teevee news vs. the much fewer number of folks that are satisfied with it.

The media is only partly to blame, though. The other colluders are the two political parties that run the government and the entities that fund them The centers of political power have an easy way too get out their "message", aka, propaganda. A vigorous media is not in their interest.

"American Idol"

The enthusiasm with which people participate in that show, and the incredible amounts of time that large numbers of people voluntarily spend watching it and talking about it, vs. talking about things that will have a real impact on their lives, is part of the problem. Priorities are all out of whack across the board, from the top to the bottom.

and tune out any conflicting evidence.

I won't mention any names, but they meet once a week all over the world.

;)

to hear this on Howard Stern's stations.

Gives us:

Ice Road Truckers,

Ax Men,

UFO Detectives,

Mysterious Monsters,

The Lost Books of Nostradamus

At least they're off that 10 year long WWII program they ran from June 1st 1991- May 22nd 2001... You'd think that nothing else ever happened in the history of the world.

What came first the chicken or the egg? But Americans weren't always this stupid. I blame both the media and the populace as a whole.

They had a channel called "History Television".

Real, honest-to-goodness history programming. We seriously considered moving there.

Once he was able to articulate what was going on in Iraq, in forums like Jim Lehrer show, radio shows on NPR, etc. People started to get it.

oh well.

The one that requires a complete absent of thought in order to take seriously?

Someone dares speak tough about the atrocious media.