Do you really think BushCo owns the media?

[FreedomAngel82]

Sometimes I have mixed feelings on if they really do. It's plainly obvious that somebody owns the media (all you have to do is watch and they run the same stories except for the few like Olbermann). Why do you think they let Galloway go on all the news networks? From watching the hearing yesterday it was plainly obvious that they weren't prepared for his testimony. They thought it would be a piece of cake and they would be through with this. Rove takes orders from somebody but who does he take orders from? Malloy mentioned this on his program: the memo is starting to get around and was about to be in Newsweek so they had to do something to get rid of it so what better way to get rid of this destraction then what they did? Karl Rove isn't the genious people make him out to be. I think he's just dirty and good at doing trick's. Someone has to give him the idea's and orders and his job is to figure out how to get it done. Of course I could be way out of line but just some thoughts from me. :shrug: What do you think?

[SeveneightyWhoa]

1. Who thinks "BushCo" "owns" the media?

Figuratively speaking, yes.

But literally? Why would you even think the government literally owns the media? Do some research.

[Protagoras]

2. No. On this one I'm with Chomsky.

Bush and the Media both serve a higher master. The Corporations. The media may be more indirect in it's support, but in the end they are both bought and paid for. Bush doesn't tell the media what to print...Bush just advances causes that the top layers of the media are also paid (or pressured) to advance. It ends up making them uneasy bedfellows. I'm sure that there are idealistic forces in the media that would love to pummel Bushco..but when the checks come out, they've got to put up to get paid.

It's a huge and often unconscious but rabid system. Greed at its best...semi codified and psuedo-philosophicaly justified by a hodge podge of rationalizations about capitolism. But it all ends up being For the rich, by the Rich.

[Pam-Moby]

5. I agree with you. n/t

[FreedomAngel82]

6. True but

remember in the "Outfoxed" documentary they told fox gets memo's from the White House on what to talk about on the show and every program on that network talks about the same thing. So who tells them to send those memo's? I do think corporations are a huge part in it but who tells who to send the memo's?

[Celeborn Skywalker]

14. I think Fox is a different animal than the rest of the corporate media

Fox is an outright propaganda tool of the republicans and pushes hard right social conservatism much more than the other MSM. The rest of the MSM, I believe, is serving coroporations but not as directly and outright as Fox.

[Protagoras]

22. Love Outfoxed. Also loved Manufacturing Consent

and The Corporation...and Unequal Protection, and a few dozen other books and documentaries...something is certainly rotten in our current setup.


I think there is a difference between being controlled by Bushco (though I'm sure that is what Bushco would like) and simply following the herd...and taking the path of least resistance.

The WH is willing to push out daily bullet point memos. MSM saves money and bucks a lot less of the system if they just advance it. Quite often this helps them pave the way for their own profits...or the profits of their parent companies...because if they play nice...Bushco deregulates their airline subsidiary or whatever. It isn't about the MSM being profitable in itself. It's about the MSM providing a service to their parent company. The form of "Public Service and Journalism" that they use is largely PR at this point. Though there are some good people out there who still believe in the Public Good and speaking truth to power (they never recovered from their liberal education I guess).

Helen Thomas is my goddess.

[Melodybe]

16. Agreed.

Who owns the media, well GE, Rupert Murdoch, the Saudi's own Aol/Time/Warner, and Viacom.

Nine companies own over 95% of everything you are exposed to. Repealing the telecommunications act of 1996 is the only way to fix the problem.

We should totally do a million against the media march.

[AndyTiedye]

20. "The Corporations" Only Do What Their Directors Tell Them To Do

A corporation only does what its directors and management make it do.
Blaming it all on "The Corporations" allows those people to evade
responsibility for their actions.

Good businesses are run by good people. They give honest value
for the money and are a pleasure to do business with. We all know
a few businesses like that.

If it was just about what was good for business or good for "the rich",
they'd want someone as much as possible like Bill Clinton in the White
House. Biggest economic boom of all time, record budget surpluses,
a lot of people becoming rich, a lot of rich people becoming filthy
rich.

The problem is that some corporations are run by robber barons.
They want it all.
They typically try to corner whatever market they are in, by fair means or (more often) foul.
They buy the media if they can, they buy the government if they can.
They can and they have.

It isn't capitalism anymore when somebody buys the government.

[Protagoras]

21. We aren't in disagreement...just a different semantic use

of the same idea I think.

I believe Corporatism (I.E. Control by The Corporations) is something which does take on a life of its own. But part of that is a flaw in the design that lets unchecked Greed control the direction of the process. YES it's largely because INDIVIDUALS are insulated inside The Corporation...I wouldn't actually stop at the Board of Director and CEO...a groupthink develops there...and spreads.

But yes...certainly...we'd stem a lot of the abuses if we removed the rediculous protections that are afforded to people inside Corporations and held them legally accountable. And I'd advocate we do so at a level far far beyond anything they could imagine. I'd say stealing a billion dollars is murder. If you bankrupt your company...drive a whole portion of a city into destitution, that results in a huge increase in poverty, crime, depression, drug use, domestic violence, etc. I'd say you get to share the profits up? You share the responsibility on down. Ken Lay would get Life in the Pen (Because I don't support the death penalty).

[Erika]

3. You better believe it

If anyone chose to post against Bush, the venom would be there from the WH. Which is interesting because most of Americans chose not to go into Iraq without world opinion approving. Bush shut down those avenues completely and chose to go for it. We're still paying for that stupid decision in both lives and our standard of living. But his good donors buds have never been more profitable and they exude exhilaration. As the coffins still march home.

[Swamp Rat]

4. The plutocracy does - Dumbya is just the figurehead

[Erika]

9. The real story

Our kids dying. See www.icasualties.org To Bush, they are only coffins in a plane. Jenna and Barbara, of course, don't wish to involve themselves as do George P or Nicole. They have other priorities, just like Cheney. Let someone else do the dying is their motto.

[AndyTiedye]

7. Rove is No Genius

but as long as the media does whatever he tells them to,
he doesn't need to be.

The media will continue to do the Repubs' bidding as long as
it continues to be owned by right wingers who support PNAC and
the theocracy.

Unfortunately, even George Soros hasn't got enough money to buy a network.
Actually, I doubt that the current owners would knowingly sell to
Democrats at any price, because of the enormous power that control
of a television network confers.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Very true

I don't think Rove is a genius either. He's just dirty and good at bullying people. Ever watch "Bush's Brain"? More proof to me he takes his orders from someone and then he bosses other people who boss other people etc.

[Erika]

12. The only time I saw Bush act as boss

is when he called a reporter an asshole when he thought the mike was off. Such a Christian. How many years do we have to put up with this elitist creep?

[Skittles]

11. I get sick of hearing what a supposed "genius" Rove is

that bastard has no conscience whatsoever and that allows him to do things a decent person would never consider doing.

[Melodybe]

19. here here

[Skittles]

10. no, corporations own the media

and corporations suck up to bush inc

[seabeyond]

13. i am with you. if they did, olderman wouldnt be around

but they repugs sure have learned how to manipulate the media. and with all the opinionated talking heads, instead of news presenters, it leaves a lot of room for manipulation and emotion, instead of fact. throw in incompetent, not actually taking the time to do the research on stories, yet suppose to have an opinion, they grab the talking points the repugs have made so available.

media talking heads really turned during clinton time

i think another factor was copying the limbaughs and the easy one liners republicans like so well. again doesnt take as much work, and gets them the ratings

[AP]

15. The Media loves Republicans. They excoriate Democrats for the smallest

of offenses, then turn a blind eye to truly dangerous and undemocratic and anti- and un-consitutional behavior by Republicans, and then hope that nobody notices the huge difference in treatment by endorsing the Democrats every fourth November.

[LuPeRcALiO]

17. yes, obviously

Not directly -- that wouldn't be "democratic," and we know how the GOP loves democracy.

But effectively and very perniciously. Latest hostile takeover: CBP.

[leftofthedial]

18. no. they serve the same masters--the capitalists

[Hugin]

23. Yes.

If anyone disagrees I'd welcome the opportunity to be
proven wrong.

[Bridget Burke]

24. Not exactly.

As others have pointed out, they both are beholden to Corporations.

Generally, the media are happy to serve their masters--who are big contributors to Bush & Co.

But the regime's obvious attacks--on CBS or on Newsweek--may make some of the media have troubling thoughts.

[tnlefty]

25. If you haven't read Into the Buzzsaw, please get a copy and do

read it. Corporate greed and what is good for corporations is what drives the "news" that is put before us.

[guajira]

26. *Bush MANIPULATES The Media

Thanks to CBS - no more Alabama Guard story.

Thanks to Newsweek - *B not cause of the world hating US, Newsweek is to blame!!

Plame story?? - Novak should be in jail, but he isn't!

Jeff Gannon?? - No story there!

WMD's and lies about Saddam being connected to 9-11? - MSM could have exposed *B, but they didn't!! Unfortunately neither did the Democrats!!

And on, and on, and on....

Dems are sitting back and waiting for the idiot to "hang himself", but instead he's getting more and more passes for his war crimes and other scandalous behavior.