I was reading this
http://tinyurl.com/4ep5a post-election media recap from Alterman and McLeary and was struck by this quote;
As Todd Gitlin recently wrote in Mother Jones, "If ever there were a time for unbridled journalism, this would be it: terrorist mayhem, war, corporate scandal, ecological crisis, economic upheaval. Public passion and curiosity have been stoked. But the potential investigators have been, to a considerable degree, otherwise occupied. Historians will someday burrow among the musty artifacts of America's supercharged 24/7 news organizations--TV with its glammed-up sets, its convention skyboxes and satellite feeds; the well-fed correspondents on a first name basis with second-rate sources; the newsmagazines with their gloss, gossip, and fluff--and they will rub their eyes and marvel that a nation possessed of such an enormous industry ostensibly specializing in the gathering and distribution of facts could yet remain so befogged."
Too true.
The aforelinked article directs readers to two very informative reads;
Part 1 - "Think Again: 'Ideas Have Consequences: So Does Money'" found here:
http://tinyurl.com/6rz87
and
Part 2 - "Think Again: Money Matters, Part II" found here: http://tinyurl.com/3kdf7
In one of the 'Think Again' articles the authors mention a study from the NCRP, 'NCRP's Axis of Ideology details the effective philanthropic strategies that 79 conservative foundations have used to support the activities of 350 public policy-oriented right-wing think tanks at the federal, state, and local levels.' Link here: http://www.ncrp.org/Releases/PR-03-12-2004.htm The description explains itself.
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We all know the fix is in at more than just msgop, fox and sinclair. Every time I see a conservative talking head from AEI or HF I keep telling myself how good the conservatives are at getting their message straight and more importantly, getting it out there into the mainstream. Journalists don't even have to do the necessary legwork to get quotable sources. They're either lined up or are making calls directly to the broadcasters, offering their time and/or moral expertise. Of course such organized propaganda costs a lot of money. The above articles shed some light on how the right is a tightly woven net of wealth and power.
Admittedly the left/Liberal movement has similar think tanks and its own web of influence but it always helps to understand how the opposition operates with what seems like surgigal skill.
Framing the message(s) is one thing. Defining, creating and airing it won't come cheap.