Dissecting the US Mainstream Media

The absence of real investigative journalism and the pattern of blackout by our mainstream media are known universally and seem to have been accepted as a fact of life.

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For me, the importance and impact of the current state of our mainstream media go beyond my own personal take or direct experience. This happens to be a central issue for our organization, NSWBC, and its 150+ whistleblower members. We have yet to announce it (call it a dreaded un-pleasantry if you will), but our organization has suspended all its congressional activities. We did so in spring 2007, a few months after the new majority took over. So what have we been doing, advocating? In a nutshell, we’ve been advising those who may be in the process of disclosure, to do so, if they can, anonymously, and directly, by making the criminal and or wrongdoing cases and the supporting documents/sources public. As many of you already know, case after case, filing with IG offices, and briefing the appropriate congressional committees, has proven to be futile. In fact, considering all the latest on the true-workings of our ‘real’ congress, approaching them with whistleblower cases involving law enforcement and intelligence agencies would be a true mockery…

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Okay, back to the media. How does the media fit into this? Well, we, the NSWBC, are in the position where we are asked to provide guidance to potential and current whistleblowers on ‘who’ or ‘where’ to go to disclose. Based on my experience and knowledge of ‘who-is-who’ in the MSM sector, based on cumulative direct experiences of our current members, and based on advice by a few trusted experts in this sector, to say we have a very short list would be an understatement. Let me put it this way: we provide them with a fairly extensive list of ‘No-No’ people in the MSM ;-)

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I know many of you want to stop me right here and say, ‘but there’s the internet! There are these fairly visible alternative news sources and forums on the net they should go and offer the info to…’ I will get to that and address the pros and cons of it later. But the majority of whistleblowers or those in the process of decision making on disclosure are weary and skeptical of the blogosphere landscape. Again, let’s keep that thought, since we’ll be discussing it soon.

http://123realchange.blogspot.com/2009/05/dissecting-us-mainstream-media.html

investigative journalist and who is a propaganda operative. Journalism, like our checks and balances of government doesn't seem to be functioning properly as a fourth estate.

A majority of our media is corporate-owned...a small, inclusive club where the "news" is a division of a larger entity. It's long detached from Main Street and the "mainstream". It attempts to define "mainstream" in their mold and hide their own agendas in those definitions. It's an insulated culture...exclusive of those who of the corporate mindset and protective of the status quo. This is why we see the same old faces, read the same old columnists and get the same old spin...it's a beauracracy unto itself...a very provincial one.

You can see how insular it is in their dealing with the blogs and independent media. The oorporate media through "deregulation" had thought they were the ultimate gatekeepers in information and communications. Their scribes got fat on ther own bylines rather than speaking truth to power or asking tough questions. News was something to be sold...entertainment, ratings and ego...and manipulated. The rushpublicans learned this lesson and were able to infiltrate and play these scribes...badgering them as being too "librul" when they wrote what wasn't "conventional wisdom" or giving them "access" when they toed the line. It was moving up to the big shows and getting more face time when you pleased the corporate view of things and shut out or ridiculed if you weren't one of them.

The charm of the internet is how diverse and uncontrolled it is. It's unfiltered...good and bad. It's up to the individual to determine rather than some producer or corporate manager.

instead of relying on accuracy and truthfulness. While bloggers can gives us the truth (I am one), they will seldom be backed up by anything else and the public is left to become suspect about any reporting that may be truthful that they refuse to believe. And while a blogger may give the truth a lot of the time, they can be fooled into discounting something of importance concerning someone they like.

One thing I enjoy about blogs is that I can play editor...pick and choose what I want to read, and in many cases, can investigate further. This reminds me of the underground press of the late 60's and early 70's...it opened your eyes and then it was up to the individual to weigh the information. The blogs are the underground papers on steroids as there are so many perspectives along with the instant feedback of the readers. We see here on DU how quick a story can appear, become the flavor of the moment...and in the end the readers come away with a wide selection of sources and opinions.

As one who worked in "the media", I've seen some very dedicated journalists...the "starving artists" if you will of on the local level who live by accuracy...can't/won't let opinion enter into how they report. But that's at the bottom end of the corporate culture and many have been jetisoned in the cost cutting and consolidations. What's left are the elite and the entrenched. Accuracy becomes less of a virtue as rank and security does...and we see it play out on our teevee screens.

As a "60's child", I've always questioned...no matter who it is....left or right. The more one experiences, the better one can understand what truth is. Or at least the truth they believe things to be.

I also like your analogy of blogs as underground newspapers on steroids. They are also instant newspapers as well.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=liberal+media+myth&aq=f&oq=

Project Censored:

http://www.projectcensored.org/

MSM remains the propaganda outlet of choice. There is TOO much information on the web for the average person who is not googlng political matters.

or "trusted" media.

Newest entry:

http://123realchange.blogspot.com/2009/05/dissecting-us-mainstream-media_14.html

Are we back to those days in the 70's with the CIA and the media or is it all Pentagon this time?