What's it gonna take to force GE to divest media holdings?

[Joe Fields]

There is such a transparent conflict of interest. I grew up in a time when the media was untouchable. How I miss those times. It is a known fact that the public, by and large CAN be spoonfed what certain entities want them to hear, and be brainwashed into believing it. I am 50 years old, not naiive, well read, try to keep up on issues and find it nearly impossible anymore to believe ANYTHING I hear from any news source that is not independent. How sad.

But I am not wise in the ways of activism.

What would it take people?

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. Ya got a bunch a' gooood questions there, JF.

I agree media is ground zero for people trying to save true participatory democracy in this country.

Time was... media was "neutral"; in some sectors, sympathetic even.

No more. Media now reflects the interest of the moneyed class.... and really we shouldn't be surprised; this would seem to be the natural order of things. As Engel(?) famously said... "freedom of the press belongs to the people who own the presses."

No simple solutions here. Economic boycotts seem to make media nervous.... but only the RW seems interested in that as a tactic. ( Might be one reason that they are on such a winning streak.)

Beyond that... connect to mediamatters.org and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. Like minded souls dwell therein.

[HawkerHurricane]

2. Nuclear weapons.

I mean, they have thier own...

[WePurrsevere]

3. Although I would prefer to see the media independant of corps, GE has

a very long history with TV and radio with WGY and WRGB being among the "firsts" back in the late 20's/early 30's. (both were and are out of Schenectady, NY which years ago was very much a GE company town and where I grew up & even got to be on TV a few times as a child) Considering this history I'd say getting GE out of the media would be difficult at best... although nothing that a whole lot of money couldn't buy much as with most corp media outlets.

Just a thought but again considering GE's very long history with the media I have to wonder if even back years ago the media was as untouchable as we thought. I'm close to your age and my husband is the same age as you... there was at least the feeling that the media was unbiased and reporting the truth. I remember when "journalistic integrity" used to be taught in journalism classes... lately I wonder if it still is but I suppose if a company wants a "toe the line" reporter there are plenty of hungry writers out there waiting to take the job from a journalist who's a bit more of a real reporter.

[Nevernose]

4. Ever see the Ronald Reagan GE commercial?

I saw it in a sociology class video a few years back. Hilarious stuff, as they then explained their invovlement in the nuclear weapons industry and cut to images of SDI initiative programs. Hilarious, and a reminder that we're more fucked up now than ever before, we were hardly ever perfect.

[derby378]

5. GE hungry. GE eat competition now. BUUUURP!!!

Hey, I'm just sayin'...