Moyers defends PBS, takes aim at `radical right'

[UpInArms]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11655375.htm

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com)

ST. LOUIS - (KRT) - Bill Moyers denounced on Sunday the right wing and top officials at the White House, saying they are trying to silence their critics by controlling the news media.

He also took aim at reporters who become little more than willing government "stenographers." And he said the public increasingly is content with just enough news to confirm its own biases.

Moyers spoke in St. Louis at a conference on media reform. His reports have appeared on the Public Broadcasting System since the 1970s. He was an aide to President Lyndon Johnson and is a former newspaper publisher.

Moyers said those in power - government officials and their allies in the media - mean to stay there by punishing journalists "who tell the stories that make princes and priests uncomfortable."

Moyers described those officials as "obsessed with control" of the media. He said they are using the government "to threaten and intimidate."

...more...

[stellanoir]

1. Moyers is a Southern Baptist

with a conscience. I was so saddened when he quit NOW.

Hope he keeps speaking out.

Didn't want to register for that site but truly want to hear more.

Thanks for posting.

[tech3149]

5. I know how you feel

It was a real heartbreaker when he left NOW, but if you lissten to his whole speech he said early on that he is considering coming back to the media stage if he can find an outlet. I heard parts on the KPFA feed(they kept interrupting for fund raising) and more on Laura Flanders show. I consider him as one of the greatest patriots of our time.

[UpInArms]

7. use bugmenot

www.bugmenot.com

never register if you don't want to :)

[Carla in Ca]

19. FreePress has the audio and video

I copied it to itunes and made a CD of it to pass around. He is fabulous!

<http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=70>


Also, there is a great diary from Butterfly at DKos including C-SPAN email and phone numbers to get the speech re-aired. Go and make your voice heard!
<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/15/163430/675>

[0007]

27. Thank you Carla for thinking of us that missed watching

Bill Moyers.

[AmBlue]

20. Thanks!! It worked...

I'll be using that a lot.

[SoCalDem]

17. I doubt that he "quit" NOW..

I think that PBS was preparing to knock it down to 30 minutes for a while now, and they probably pressured him to alter his format..They PUSHED him out..

and event though he is an outspoken advocate for REALITY and truth, he now has a much smaller microphone, and at his age, may have diminished stamina to start all over somewhere else.. The "plan" was probably to just marginalize him enough, so that his audience would have to seek him out, and to keep him away from the public stage, as much as possible..

We should have hour long shows all over the place, with real news and information.. There is NOT a deficit of people (as we are led to believe)...

If Don Imus' radio slime-fest can be televised EVERY DAY, why not offer a Majority Report or Franken or any number of others as well?

Why is Donahue frozen out??
Why is Tavis Smiley only a 1/2 hr late night on PBS?
Why are there a zillion "money shows" with smiley happy talk, and not ONE single show about labor issues??

Why do "liberal" hosts usually have a "minder" who keeps them "in check", yet rightwingers like Joe the Killer, are solo acts??

Why is Limbaugh blasted out at military bases??

No answers here... just something to think about :)

[yorkiemommie1]

33. i emailed KCET

and told them I would be boycotting because of their right wing push and because of Moyers and got response that Moyers 'retired'. I don't believe it.

Neither do I believe the response I got from Macy's that their screens in their women's depts. are showing FoxNews ( but NO other news outlets ) as a public service.

such thinly veiled excuses from RW shills

[blm]

2. Someone called me a conspiracist for saying the media is being controlled

by BushInc and his fascist cronies who need a manipulated public to cover up their incompetence, their crimes, and their fascist agenda.

How thick must a skull be to think BushInc isn't controlling most of the media in this country?

[Cha]

8. Pretty damn

thick!

[PennyLane]

23. But Wait A Minute!

Aren't these the same media outlets the Right accuses of being too
liberal??? :dunce:

[gorbal]

30. Actually, I wonder how much is controlled by the MEDIA

I remember what they did to Dean during the campaign.They have a lot more power than people give them credit for. They are the reason Bush "seems" to be in office.. He should be kissing their cooperate owned behinds, not vise-versa.

[blm]

34. Are you kidding? GE makes billions more off their defense contracts than

they do off their networks. The networks have just become part of the Public Relations Dept. of BushInc and its war policy.

[sam sarrha]

3. I heard it, he ripped the Fascists a Drive thru AssHole..so elequent too

http://www.indybay.org/print.php?id=1719333

[realFedUp]

4. uncomfortable princes and priests....

history's seen these before.

[lfairban]

6. Don't register. Goggle!

I found this link to the article:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/11655375.htm

[lfairban]

9. My favorite lines:

"Without a trace of irony, the powers that be have appropriated the news speak vernacular of George Orwell's `1984,' giving us a program, no child will be left behind, while cutting funds for educating disadvantaged children.

"They give us legislation calling for clear skies and healthy forests" while "turning over public lands to the energy industry."

[stillcool]

10. my eyes smiled at this one...

"I always knew Nixon would be back," Moyers said. "I just didn't know that this time he would ask to be chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting."]

[atommom]

11. "The public increasingly is content with just enough news to confirm its

own biases." That is a huge piece of the problem.

[DeepModem Mom]

12. So few are willing to speak out like this --

thank goodness for Moyers.

[ninkasi]

13. Bill Moyers is a national treasure

I hope he's able to get another show. He speaks the truth eloquently and forcefully, and we need many, many more like him to educate the ones who vote for neocons, thinking only of their tax cuts.

This country is in great peril, and Moyers recognizes this fact. Please, Bill, keep speaking out. And stay safe.

[Daphne08]

41. Ditto. That's all I can say!

:) I LOVE Bill Moyers!

[Imperialism Inc.]

14. Powerful stuff!

It is rare to hear someone speak the truth in public anymore. So nice to hear it now and again, lest we forget what it sounds like.

"An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda is less inclined to put up a fight - ask questions and be skeptical."

[ecoalex]

16. Democracy Now !

Moyers needs to be on Democracy Now with his documentaries.

PBS is being purged.

[MaineDem]

43. It's on Democracy Now! now

Directv Channel 375.

He's terrific!

[ailsagirl]

48. It has been on CPSAN and CSPAN2 as well... n/t

[young_at_heart]

15. Bill Moyers is a class act!!

He is the reason we purchased TIVO. Our PBS station buried NOW on Sundays at 2pm and we were always busy then. We sure miss him! It's still on at that time but only for 1/2 hr. It's the only "real" news we can get anymore....except for The Daily Show.

[Imagevision]

18. Mpyer's story should remain front paged!!

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11...

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com )

ST. LOUIS - (KRT) - Bill Moyers denounced on Sunday the right wing and top officials at the White House, saying they are trying to silence their critics by controlling the news media.

He also took aim at reporters who become little more than willing government "stenographers." And he said the public increasingly is content with just enough news to confirm its own biases.

Moyers spoke in St. Louis at a conference on media reform. His reports have appeared on the Public Broadcasting System since the 1970s. He was an aide to President Lyndon Johnson and is a former newspaper publisher.

Moyers said those in power - government officials and their allies in the media - mean to stay there by punishing journalists "who tell the stories that make princes and priests uncomfortable."

Moyers described those officials as "obsessed with control" of the media. He said they are using the government "to threaten and intimidate."

[AmBlue]

22. How do we vote this for Front Page???

This needs to be SEEN by everyone...

[AmBlue]

21. Sing it, Bill!!!

The truth sounds so sweet to my weary ears........

:kick:

[housewolf]

24. Here's where you can listen to his speech

See the links on the right-hand side of the page, scroll down some


http://www.cctvcambridge.org/freepress/index.shtml



There are many other links to great speeches from the National Conference of Media Reform that was held this past weekend, too

[w4rma]

25. I find it interesting that someone set off a fire alarm during his speech.

Nearly drowning out his ending and knocking everyone there off balance.

Bill Moyers is *very* well respected. He should *definitely* stay out of small planes.

[Griffy]

47. It was an accident, I was there.. Moyers just paused...

then raised his voice and continued.. almost everyone remained still... we were all determined to hear him!

This is a REVOLUTION underway!

that was the energy there...

[Swamp Rat]

26. kick

[xchrom]

28. kick indeed.

[acmejack]

29. Bill Moyers is a great man

My admiration of him knows no bounds. I, too, miss him from the cast of NOW. I won't even start on what has been done to them...

[bettyellen]

31. just enough news to confirm its own biases.

ouch. sounds exactly right.

[Truth__Seeker]

36. That is the line of the 21st Century

[spooky3]

32. The truest lines in the story:

"In contrast to the conservative mantra that public television routinely features the voices of establishment critics," he said, alternative voices on public television are rare and usually drowned out by government and corporate views."

[demo dutch]

35. So why don't the media people that agree with Moyers get together

and take action!!!!

[IChing]

37. The speech needs to be on the front page for all newspapers

simply the best speech on the media from one source

[Spazito]

38. I just watched him on CSPAN, he is a TRUE patriot!

Please, Bill, do leave the rocking chair and get back on air, you are desperately needed, the US public must hear the truth!

[ArmchairMeme]

40. Moyers on CSpan today

Great message and should be seen/heard by all people.

[redqueen]

42. Hi Armchair Meme...

welcome to DU! :hi:

[Spazito]

45. Welcome to DU, ArmchairMeme!

You are absolutely right, it needs to be seen and heard!

[newyawker99]

46. Hi ArmchairMeme!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[IChing]

39. "An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed

only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda is less inclined to put up a fight - ask questions and be skeptical."

[Algorem]

44. heard a little of Democracy Now today,they were playing(part of?) it,

and have a rush transcript and more I guess, http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/16/1329245

"Monday, May 16th, 2005
Bill Moyers Responds to CPB's Tomlinson Charges of Liberal Bias: "We Were Getting it Right, But Not Right Wing"

Listen to Segment || Download Show mp3
Watch 128k stream Watch 256k stream Read Transcript
Help Printer-friendly version Email to a friend Purchase Video/CD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In his first public address since leaving PBS six months ago, journalist Bill Moyers responds to charges by Kenneth Tomlinson - the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting - of liberal bias and revelations that Tomlinson hired a consultant to monitor the political content of Moyers' PBS show "Now." We spend the hour playing an excerpt of Moyers' closing address at the National Conference on Media Reform in St. Louis, Missouri.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 2,000 people converged in St. Louis Missouri this weekend for the second-ever National Conference on Media Reform. Few issues were discussed as much as the future of public broadcasting in this country.
The conference was held amid accusations that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been largely taken over by conservatives who are influencing programming and hiring decisions.

In April, the CBP board did not renew the contract of its chief executive, Kathleen Cox. Board Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson tapped Ken Ferree -- a former top aide to Michael Powell at the Federal Communications Commission - to be her temporary replacement..."

[burrowowl]

49. Kick! Kick! for Bill Moyers!

I hope he comes back regularly, I was so sad when he 'retired' from NOW.