The So Called MSM: Right Wing Tool, Left Wing Tool Or Just Ratings Whores?

[DistressedAmerican]

Poll question: The So Called MSM: Right Wing Tool, Left Wing Tool Or Just Ratings Whores?

I have generally come to the conclusion that for the most part the major players in the news biz report (on balance) whatever the popular ethos of the day is. High ratings, they suck up to one side or the other, low ratings, they butcher them. It sells.

Of course there is always these folks. Not much question there.



However I know there are a range of thoughts.

So what do you say?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. I liked the ratings whores, BUT,

it also has to do with corporate owners and puppet masters

[TallahasseeGrannie]

3. You nailed it. Bottom line" profit

[shance]

8. The bottom line is more about power than it is about profit.

Profit's important but they also have a very tangible agenda of keeping their "own" peeps in power as well. Its very exclusive.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. I guess it ties up into a nice tight little knot

Power and profit

[bryant69]

12. Yeah but, what do those corporate owners and "puppet masters" want?

Are they simply in it for "Let's do whatever President Bush wants?" Or do they have their own agendas?

I would argue that the Media tends to have a strong corporate bias, particularly when it comes to FCC and labor issues. So the right wing view will prevail in anything involving corporations or labor. But in other arenas the corporate owners and "puppet master's influence is a lot more scatter shot.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. probably a bit of both

The corporate leaders know where the bread is buttered. But, they also know that power is an end of its own. They seek to monopolize the media because it serves so many purposes.

Just look at the sad state of affairs previously known as broadcast radio. RIP.

Information is power, controlling the information is empowering.

Blogs, internet sites, and even blackberries and instant messaging threaten them, but they don't know just how much.

They are tied to Bush only as a matter of convenience. I do not doubt that some of them have drunk the koolaid, but always, profits come first. No, second. Power comes first.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

2. Ratings Whores.

Just look at Tweety. One day he's kissing Bush's ass, the next, he's attempting to KICK Bush's ass.

Right now the M$M just tries to tell the American public what it WANTS to hear, not what it needs to hear.

Oh, Edward R. Murrow, WHERE have you gone?

:( :(

[DistressedAmerican]

6. Funny, You Nailed The Face In My Head While Writing.

People here are schizo about Tweety reflecting his schizo approach. To some degree he plays a hell of a lot of devil's advocate which some here also get angry about. But, that is a decent journalistic tactic in my book as long as you always take an adversarial position.

Just watch, when he interviews repugs around here, they cheer him. When a dem comes up they grill him like a traitor. I respect that more than a full time right of frankly left talking point regurgitator. Those are the real evil ones, IMO.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

9. Yes, I agree that there are definitely people worse than Tweety.

May I casually throw out Ann Coulter's name? Or Michelle Malkin's?

:mad::mad:

[jedr]

10. Reagan destroyed the News when he;

when he did away with the FCC laws that required a station to preform a certain amount of public service on the air waves. It had already started to become "All about selling soap" prior to that , but from then on it was all about ratings....So now with the advent of Fox "News"
what spin would you like to hear? Edward R. Murrow is spinning also ...in his grave. When you think of the power that man had , isn't it wonderful that he used it for good instead of greed.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

13. Yes, it is.

Murrow is a hero.

[wellst0nev0ter]

16. If They Are Ratings Whores, Donohue Would Still Have A Show

On MSNBC, since he was the highest rated show on that channel. Unfortonenatey, Bush declared war and the suits decided it wasn't prudent to have an anti-war liberal undermining the will of our Chimp.

The whole sad episode here.

[ClassWarrior]

4. Right wing tool, ratings whore, what's the difference?

It's all about gimme, gimme, gimme!

NGU.

[PatrioticLeftie]

5. One and Three n/t

[shance]

7. Tools of the CIA/Military Industrial Complex.

That is more accurate. I guess you could include the Corporate structure as well.

Its certainly larger than Republicans or Democrats.

[DistressedAmerican]

15. Bigger Sample?