Time to retire the phrase “Liberal media”

So-called, “Liberal media” is dead. It was a slow, but mostly, quiet death.

(Mourners mourned independently.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, it wasn’t Liberal media.  Just facts not to the liking of the right wing, (largely corporations).  Thus the cry, “Liberal Media” was born to combat those daring to print or air unpopular truths about corporations or government.

It should be noted, however, when people say “media is biased” they mean journalism:  It should also be noted they are wrong.

Media replaced journalism:  It’s all about those ad revenues, baby!

Les Moonves couldn’t have been more specific.  

(The public is immaterial.)

Media has no accountability to the public.  Only to shareholders. Trump is a media created candidate.

There is a solution.  If you’re pressed for time, it’s comedians.  Hit Control F, and type “Comedians.”  It’s near the end.

But before doing so, realize Media spends no time denying they created the laughing stock candidate of the world, aka:  Mr. Bluster.

P.S.  It’s worse than anyone imagined

 

How we lost journalism

By and large, Americans didn’t realize how good they had it when they had the Fairness Doctrine. 

Americans didn’t realize the editorial department could rail against news coverage in their very own pages.

Once upon a time Americans had rich – and by rich, I mean the ability to be fully informed, in rich detail, by one TV news station. This was made possible via the FCC which mandated the “Fairness Doctrine”  –  which deemed both sides of an issue must be aired so the listening and viewing public could hear, hopefully the best each side had to offer, then decide for themselves how they thought about an issue.  At the time television news stations took the trouble to locate the most informed on a subject.  (That time has long since, passed.)

 The FCC also deemed rich guys who owned newspapers, couldn’t own TV stations.

Henry Luce….came along, and eventually, Time Magazine as Luce became more interested in the “middle class.” Now known as the “new poor.”

Unfortunately, along came President Ronald Reagan and the campaign to end the Fairness Doctrine as the enemy of free speech, began.  Reagan killed the Fairness Doctrine by a Veto.

Reagan was followed by George W. Bush.  Or, as Molly Ivins called him;  Shrub.  

 

Bush killed the attempted return of the Fairness Doctrine.  

President Obama has expressed zero interest in a revival.    

One last thing about the Fairness Doctrine.

 

Chuck Todd assured me the Fairness Doctrine isn’t coming back.

Since Tim Russert’s death, our best days are behind us

Americans trusted Tim Russert.  Tim did his research for Meet the Press; and although the questions were tough, Tim treated everyone fairly.  Guests showed up knowing their seat at the Sunday table was a hot seat.  But they showed up because they also knew Tim was fair.  

The public was keenly aware Tim was on our side.   We trusted him.  So when Tim died, so young, so suddenly, Americans dropped everything and watched all coverage.  Some were so upset, they simply got in their cars and drove to Washington.  At Tim’s funeral, President Obama sat next to his John McCain.

So far, no one has replaced Tim.

Sexism in coverage – blatant and subtle

Probably the best take on media sexism is Think Progress on Hillary Clinton; one of the most complex women of our time.  Madame Secretary is also the most qualified candidate.  No one with credibility says anything else.  

But seriously,  how many people have seen this poster of Madame Secretary?

The problem is the same.  Media employs a lot of people with no credibility, as pundits.

The pundit list is long, and seemingly endless.  My favorite, and by favorite I mean “most reprehensible” is FOX,  the Rupert Murdoch owned corporation that employed fake CIA agent Wayne Simmons to assassinate the character of Nancy Pelosi – prior to his arrest.  Or convicted felon, Dinesh De’Souza.  The standard for FOX is simple.  All that’s needed is a willingness to say anything.  (No claim is too outrageous.)

Which is separate from qualified journalists such as David Sirota, who loathes Hillary Clinton and gears his coverage accordingly.  Or columnist, Ron Fournier; a man so toxic it just seemed more healthy to drop his Twitter account.

So we have to find our own.  Lucky for me, I found Houston firecracker, Propane Jane!

Thanks Twitter!

Yet the sexist cracks are also from sudden Democrat, Bernie Sanders.  Bernie’s “She gave speeches for money” while overlooking people give speeches all the time for money, then vote against the donors.  

Sexist media also makes no mention of this.  Bernie claims he’s not been paid for a single speech to Wall Street.  Which begs the question, why would anyone pay to hear the same speech Bernie’s given for 40 years…minus a plan?  

Sexist media asks no questions.

So Bernie’s ridiculous response, as well as the below, is simply not addressed.

So with that in mind, now seems as good time as any to mention Ronald Reagan adored Margaret Thatcher!

But we have problems.  Although the murder rate is up in California, the state with the highest population in the nation, amazingly, the safety of women isn’t even on the Platform for the California Democratic Party.  Even after this.  How crazy is that?

Women count.

We know California’s tech crowd is uber-misogynyistic. How else to describe people like Steve Westly, who was one of a band of Silicon Valley CEO types who worked together to protect a guy who was filmed beating his girlfriend over 100 times.  (It was San Francisco, so Probation.)

Perhaps American women and decent men, could borrow a page from Iceland’s history.

Be the voting block of our best choice

What’s the solution?

As media shows no signs of responsibility to the public, the public can opt for the most potent recourse.  Comedians.  

Jon Stewart, John Oliver.  To a lesser extent, the Jimmys.   Fallon and Kimmel.  

Hannibal Buress

Because when all else failed, it was a comedian Hannibel Buress who brought down Bill Cosby.

As women do things differently, and this is a different campaign, my secret wish is Hillary’s campaign hires comedians to warm up the crowd.  

Then when Hillary comes out, she and the comedian can chat a bit, before Hillary speaks to serious topics.  Am told Hillary is warm and funny in real life, so why not?

Here’s a few to start. Nina Bargiel,  @SlackMistress  or Keith Lyle,  @FunnyKeithLyle or Evan J. Kessler @EvanJKessler  – along with my hope they forward their CVs and clips to the DNC.

Best for last  – Click here for trailer of the almost finished, documentary of Molly Ivins.

 

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