What in the world can we do about the media?

[kevinhnc]

I'm sooooo tired of hearing every single day yet another example of right-wing media bias. "Poll, Bush widens lead 50-45" and yet "Poll showing race to close to call, Kerry 51-44". This is ridiculous!

My last USNEWS and World Report had 4-5 stories about the "Kerry campaign flailing, struggling to regain its footing", and the Bush campaign "joking with reporters, very relaxed." I had to throw the piece of junk in the trash after just a few minutes.

One story against Bush, and CBS gets a CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION!

Why weren't there investigations into any anti-Clinton or anti-Gore stories? Why hasn't FOX NEWS ever been investigated?

What can we do? We need a media task force. We need to push for the break up of the current media conglomerates.

We need to organize. The corporate media is nothing but a propaganda machine.

The question is what are we going to do about it?

[Blecht]

1. This first step is ...

Stop giving them your money!

"My last USNEWS and World Report had ..."

[kevinhnc]

3. It was a free subscription using FF miles

Trust me, I am not renewing and giving them actual money....

[Blecht]

10. You count as a subscriber

and are therefore contributing to their circulation numbers, which allows them to charge more for advertising.

You are supporting them.

Edit: Damn r key ...

[kevinhnc]

17. Youre being quite unfair

I took this FREE subscription before I even read one and knew how right wing they were. I am not supporting them.

I've already written to them many times complaining of their bias, and informed them I would not renew my subscription.

Drop it!

[havocmom]

2. Personally, ignore what they try to convince you of.

Politically, prove how controlled by the power elite they are to the rest of population.

[FizzFuzz]

22. yes, but how?

Just one example, on a local level, I wrote to the paper here about their dishonest coverage of the March for Women's Lives, back in March. Got some friends to write in their protest too. Nothing ever got published. It was disgusting; they hid the story on the third page with a postage stamp sized picture, while the front page of that Thursday edition was a top-half page story about how hard it is to be a Christian Evangelist (with LARGE photo of state-approved, Lord-praising, fertile young white couple with babies) VOMIT!! :puke: Their "coverage" of the march also included extensive quotes from a "Pro Lifer" (in quotes because their pro life efforts kill women), who didn't actually attend but had some skewed opinions to share about the "baby-killers".

anyway, that's old news now, but its a perfect example---if the corporation question ignores cogent critique, ignores reality, thumbs their noses at attempts to hold them to standards...shit, then what?

[havocmom]

25. Internet; send links to info far and wide

Flyers: lots of good sites where you can download and print. Leave them around where people tend to spend time, especially people who may not have a place to get info, Laundromats, car wash waiting areas, leave them in bus stations, put them up on bulletin boards.

Don't sell word of mouth and simple means too short. This whole surge of dissent basically started that way. We all know the media didn't start it!

Voices with podiums help. Try to enlist people with high profiles to speak up. Look how much Howard Dean did with the stage of his run in the primaries! He made it OK and cool to dis the prez! Gave America back it's vocal cords, he did! Inform and motivate others to speak up and out. The surge of voices gets noticed.

Just don't wring you hands and lament that we can't win if the media is controlled by the opposition. We are winning despite the opposition control of the media! Just last night, word got out FAST that many local CBS affiliates were not showing 60 Minutes. The video came up on the web and all sorts of patriots were getting that info, with links to the sites, out so the censorship would fail to block the information.

Don't wring your hands. Keep plugging along. Steady pounding of waves will erode the landscape, no matter how tough the landscape looks.

[9119495]

4. Massive letter writing campaigns to their sponsors. Cut their

cash off. It's the only way. The problem is, how do you coordinate it?

[el_gato]

15. Not gonna help, their sponsors support the propaganda

Stop giving them your money.

[calimary]

24. It DOES help. Consider Slimfast and Whoopi Goldberg.

They responded to a tidal wave of hostility.

Well, GUESS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, GUYS?!!?!??!?!

Yep, get off our butts, stop being apathetic, and get to work! Emails don't cost anything. A snail mail letter is better and takes all of a couple of minutes (should NOT be a long letter - nobody'll read it) and a 37-cent stamp. Faxes are quick and easy and more or less free, too. Phone calls take just a minute or so (again, don't stay on the line long and become overbearing to the listener on the other end - just alienates them and screws up your message).

In other words - you're okay with your subject hearing ONLY from the OTHER SIDE then? You're okay with them hearing ONLY ONE SIDE'S POINT OF VIEW? You're okay with them hearing ONLY from the side that does NOT represent you? You can roll over and go back to sleep and assume somebody else will take care of it, or that just magically they'll wake up and see the error of their ways and realize the truth will out, and that's when the wolves rush in and start chewing your arms and legs off. Worked REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAALLL well against the Swift Boat Swifties, now, didn't it?

[berner59]

5. Iraq War...

As long as bad news keeps coming out of there and now the report that delcares it an official disaster...this will start affecting people, I'm convinced. What can Bush say? I blew it, I'm sorry?? He's in a corner and no memo-gate will keep people distracted if we keep seeing our soldiers die for a mistake...

[Kolesar]

6. Alternate paths to the public

Well informed and consciencious people like you are going to have to get the messages to the public through other means. Examples would be to host programs at the library or parks district about global warming or foreign policy. It is going to be tough.

Canvassing neighborhoods to inform people about issues such as pollution is an option. I have been canvassing about power plant emissions and have received positive responses. Only a few people were disinterested or negative. I had no bad moments, either.

[AmerDem]

7. The Media Act has to be inacted

Here is a copy letter fron Pelosi discussing it! As of now the media is all part of the white house and rightwing agenda. This is the beginning of a Fascist state!





July 14, 2004

HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY!


Dear Colleague:

For many years, a federal regulation required TV and radio broadcast stations to present the different sides of an issue in a reasonably balanced way, including giving time to opposing points of view. This “Fariness Doctrine” was repealed in 1987.

But the idea lives on with American listeners and viewers!

A recent poll of likely voters shows overwhelming support for restoring rules requiring fairness and balance on the public airwaves – and this opinion is held across the political and demographic spectrum, including Republicans and conservatives:

· When asked whether television and radio stations that use the public airwaves should be required to present the sides of an issue in a reasonably balanced way – including giving time to opposing points of view – fully 77 percent say that they should, and only 17 percent say that they should not.

· Despite being told that the Fairness Doctrine was repealed during the Reagan administration, 74 percent of conservatives and 71 percent of Republicans say that television and radio stations should be required to present the sides of an issue in a reasonably balanced way.

The people are right. We urge you to support H.R.4710, The MEDIA ACT (Meaningful Expression of Democracy in America Act), to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine and bring back balanced broadcasting. Should you want to cosponsor this legislation, please contact Sherrye Henry (Slaughter office) at 5-3685 or [email protected].


Sincerely,


Nancy Pelosi Member of Congress

Louise M. Slaughter
Member of Congress

[MsTryska]

9. Wow.....

I had no idea we ever even had a fairness doctrine. Of course it got repealed before i was even cognizant of politics, but it certainly explains why the news is so much wierder these days.

[Crunchy Frog]

14. And I hadn't even realized

until fairly recently that we no longer had the fairness doctrine. I can remember listening to talk radio and wondering how they could be getting away with it and not be breaking the law.

Kind of ironic isn't it.

[MsTryska]

18. Yeah.....no wonder so many right-wingers

think the reagan years were the best years?


why didn't the press kick up a fight about the fairness doctrine? i would think they would have gone kicking and screaming....

[mhr]

8. Step One - Turn Off Your TV, Step Two - Get Relatives To Turn Off TV,

Step Three - Get Neighbors To Turn Off TV

[americanstranger]

11. Turn. It. Off.

http://web.takebackthemedia.com/geeklog/public_html/article.php?story=20040916070023934

-as

[MsTryska]

12. So what about Campaigning for Cable Shows to start

shedding light on this?


I seriously was thinking about sending emails off to the Daily Show and Bill Maher asking them to do pieces on media bias in general.


I know those shows are small in the grand scheme of things, but they might be able to generate a buzz which could then be picked up by mavericks elsewhere and become a mantra.


I was half thinking of sending Dan Rather an email like that, but i wonder whether it would get panned for putting him even further between a rock and a hard place.

Maybe MTV news too? Maybe we could get them to do a news-piece on it? int he name of educating the youth?

[leftofthedial]

13. as for the neocon propagandists, line 'em up and shoot 'em

for the traitors they are

reinstate the fairness doctrine

require licenses for "journalists" and regulate them like doctors or attorneys.

reinstate regulation of the media--break up the corporate conglomerates; restrict the number of media outlets any one entity can own or control

[the Kelly Gang]

16. every Dem should stop buying their crap and subscribe to

unbiased outlets..come on 50 million people could send the bastards broke

[cthrumatrix]

19. could not agree more... "just say no" to cable crap media whores

[Karenina]

20. TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS!

:evilgrin:

[PeaceProgProsp]

21. Sign up to phone bank and canvass at your local Demo HQ

If you want to bypass the media and connect directly with people, your local Democratic Party has a list of all the people we're trying to reach.

Sign up and have dialogues with them directly.

[AndyTiedye]

23. WHO OWNS THE NEWS?

I had bumper stickers made up that say

"WHO OWNS THE NEWS?"

pm me if you want one.
If you want a bunch, order from makestickers.com, as I did.

If the DU "store" wants to pick it up and make 'WHO OWNS THE NEWS?' stickers,
that's fine with me.