NPR has been conquered by the GOP

I stopped watching television media several years ago, just as an attempt to control my blood pressure. I realized that the 24-hour news cycle had no choice but to bring people on to tell people what to think of the news rather than just report the news. So, much like my avoidance of all commercials, I avoid all television media. More to the point, I get 99% of my news from the internet.

The other 1% has come from NPR. I have grown a bit leery of it recently, but I have been trying to give it a chance.

Today, that ends. Let me tell you why.

I was listening to All Things Considered as I was driving home today.

Listen to it here

Not surprisingly, the first subject was about Senator Obama's speech on race. The liberal pundit went first, and I was struck about how unimpressive his points were concerning the point and power of the speech.

This was nothing, though, compared to what the conservative pundit said. He said the following about what the speech was:

...[An]Eloquent articulation of the liberal position of race relations in America.

I was shocked. I suppose that it was naive for me to be so, but I couldn't believe it. The absolute gall of anyone to describe that speech as merely how liberals see the serious issues of race in this controversy is outrageous. Even worse, he completely distorted Senator Obama's words and said that his message to white people was essentially that, yeah, I know you are angry and resentful, but you are just going to have to put up with it.

This man actually said that the speech was nothing but an explanation of his liberal policy for how white people are just going to have to put up with affirmative action and busing. This made me sick; literally sick to my stomach.

Then it got worse.

A few minutes later, the host asked the conservative pundit his opinion on Senator McCain's terrible Iran gaffe this week. The conservative pundit actually said that it was not a gaffe at all, that there were ties between Iran and Al-Qaeda.

This scares the heck out of me. It would appear that the conservatives are trying to tie Iran to the extremist group as they did more than five years ago with Saddam Hussein.

The worst part of this is that the liberal pundit was allowed no rebuttal. None. Nada. He wasn't even given the opportunity to speak at all. So no one contradicted these lies, not even the host.

The level of evil that the GOP and its pundits have risen to is truly frightening, and the incredible reach that they have is breathtaking.

I will never listen to NPR again.

What makes it so terrible, though, is that I have no idea how to combat this. It feels like what has happened throughout the last 8 years is happening all over again. How do you combat the corporate media, with all its might against you? When those who speak the truth are constantly pushed aside for those who lie, what can you do? When even NPR has become the voice of the GOP, I feel like everything is hopeless.

Now, let me say that I know that there will be those who say that I am a worry troll, but this is not my intention. I just feel so betrayed by NPR. I can't get this feeling out of my head and my heart.

I know there are going to be those that say I can fight back by donating to the DNC and to Senator Obama's campaign or Senator Clinton's campaign. I know there are those who will say that I can work hard by getting people to vote in the primary for whichever candidate I support. That I can volunteer as much time as possible to help out.

I have done all of this and will continue to do so. But, this does not help the pain in my heart right now. The worst part is that I know that most of these conservative pundits do not actually mean this. They are just trying to rile up their base because they know it is easier to do this than to have to deal with the issues. It is easier to do this than to have to admit they were and are wrong.

I think this is also why the liberal pundits are often not as powerful as the conservative pundits. The conservative pundits, for the most part, have a very serious agenda. They want to rile up their base, so, they craft very specific talking points to accomplish this. These talking points are destructive bullets that overpower the loftier liberal discussions and goals of trying to move this country forward.

The reason why the Democratic Party has such a hard time is that they are constantly on the defense, trying to fight back against these talking points. Unfortunately, it takes time to fight back against them, and by then it is too late.

I am at my wits end.

Update: Thanks to all of you that have generously given links to sites like Democracy Now. I have always been hesitant to go to too many opinionated sites. In the past, I have always stuck with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to make me feel better. Unfortunately, I am finding that they just aren't enough. I will try the sites you folks have generously suggested.

•  I dunno

  Sometimes it's hard to feel like I am surrounded by such despicable people.

  by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:38:50 PM PDT

  •  I heard that wingnut liar too

    If I were the guy in the liberal seat I would have said "Those are lies".

    The Republicans have been manipulating Americans with appeals to homophobia and racism since Nixon's southern strategy was conjured up.

    Hate and war and fetuses are the Republican platform.

    Meanwhile, they lie cheat and steal from the American people while talking about patriotism and freedom.

    NPR's "All Things Considered" is pablum but I can't pick up Amy Goodman this far south.

    by FishOutofWater on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:53:05 PM PDT

    •  I wish

      I wish that that is what the liberal pundits and the DNC would start doing. Just start saying "that's a lie," and make the GOP try and explain why it isn't. It's quick, to the point, and puts the conservatives on the defensive.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:18:44 PM PDT

  •  The issue is...

    Are you going to give money to your local NPR station the next time there is a pledge drive, or are you going to call them and tell them the local Pacifica station in your area will be getting your money from now on because they have abdicated their responsibility to be journalists?

    by Rico on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:32:21 PM PDT

    •  I'm confused

      I thought Pacifica only broadcasts in major cities. I know they have an online site, but how would this help me in fighting the local NPR broadcast?

      If I am wrong, please let me know. I would love to have another local radio station to listen to.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:42:00 PM PDT

•  there were ties between Iran and Al-Qaeda.

  That's what the Wall Street Journal and Washington Times hacks were trying to pull on Iraq Veterans Against the War earlier this week.

  "Balance" in the face of these lies is absurd. NPR needs to just start telling the truth.

  by HeavyJ on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:38:51 PM PDT

  •  Indeed

    The idea that you must allow someone to lie just because of the ridiculous idea that you are not being fair if you do not is hurting this country.

    This is why so many do not believe in evolution. This is why so many do not believe climate change is anthropomorphic. This is why so many believe that Saddam Hussein was tied to what happened on 9/11.

    It is the worst kind of journalism.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:44:26 PM PDT

  •  The only "proof" they had of this was an

    article written by right-wing Likudnik, Fred Kagan, the creator of Bush's "surge" policy. Nuf' said.

    by Hornito on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:11:33 PM PDT

    •  It is a vicious cycle

      Much like the way they use Meet the Press.

      Or, I should say, much like the way Meet the Press lets them use it.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:19:54 PM PDT

•  Sliding downhill

  NPR has been sliding and on Obama they slid all the way. They are part of the problem as well and I stopped listening to them.

  by kiki236 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:40:17 PM PDT

  •  The most depressing part...

    ...is that yesterday they had a wonderful sort of roundtable discussion about Senator Obama's speech the likes of which I have seen or heard nowhere else.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:41:33 PM PDT

  •  NPR = Now Praise Republicans

    NPR has been "fair and balanced" for years now. Listening to All things Considered one can feel the eyes of the GOP on the back of their necks.

    by frandor55 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:52:07 PM PDT

•  Nice, polite republicans. NPR. n/t

  by Gordon20024 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:41:35 PM PDT

•  Is Journalism Dead? w/poll

  Just a future idea for diary.

  by gabbardd on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:43:27 PM PDT

  •  Well, I do not quite believe so

    There are still some scrappy journalists out there.

    I also would be far too depressed to write how it is nearly dead.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:45:50 PM PDT

  •  Maybe have Pacifica folks or Amy Goodman write it

    journalism is not dead. but NPR essentially is.

    by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:33:48 PM PDT

•  The jig is up...

  I'm filled with sadness...immense sadness.  Because so many of us worked so hard.  We tried so hard.  

  But America is too dumb, ugly, and mean-spirited to get it.

  We will look back on this week as the week that Obama was destroyed by the media.

  by Izaak Walton on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:47:42 PM PDT

  •  I don't think so! You give too little credit to..

    Obama.

    by Hornito on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:00:40 PM PDT

    •  oh...I give enormous credit to Obama...

      But, the full force of the government is now against him.  Someone was caught snooping in on his passport files.

      by Izaak Walton on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:05:39 PM PDT

      •  Link?

        by Hornito on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:14:48 PM PDT

        •  Here's the link...

          NPR: Politics Roundtable: Race, Documents, Mideast Gaffe

          by Recovering MSMer on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:23:47 PM PDT

          •  I suppose I'm glad I turned it before then eom

            by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:29:46 PM PDT

    •  I said the same to my husband earlier today

      He was telling me that he thinks the media is trying to "Howard Dean him." My husband is still extremely bitter for what happened to Howard Dean in 2004.

      I told him that the media is trying, but, surprisingly, Senator Obama is still standing. I am beginning to believe that he can make it.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:07:13 PM PDT

  •  this is news to you?

    It has been a target of the religious right and their ilk at least since Rummy Ronnie

    by tony the American Mutt on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:19:29 PM PDT

•  Let me say this

  I don't care who you are or where you're from- NPR is not only the most trusted news source in America (by poll. Take that CNN) it is the best news source in America. Its credibility, dedication to fairness, censorship of most celebrity news, and coverage of topics like growing environmental issues in Iceland and the public school system in DC is something you won't find anywhere else, except, um...PBS. This is no reason to not listen to the closest thing there is to responsible and fair news. So they invited a right-wing wacko. I've listened to pieces on ATC that I though were right-leaning and some even left-leaning. I say, turn off CNN, and if you want the definition of what news should be, listen to NPR

  by Pelcan on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:48:24 PM PDT

  •  Well I haven't watched CNN in nearly a decade

    I don't watch television media at all, as I wrote. I don't read newspapers. I get all my news via Fark.com, the BBC.co.uk, PBS.org and here. I also cross-reference everything I read via google searches for primary sources.

    Also, most of the news I read has very little opinion to it. Bill Moyers' program and this site are the only ones I take the time to listen to opinions. As such, I find I spend more time doing independent research on what I read here and at PBS.org.

    I also think it is misleading to just say that NPR is the most balanced media outlet, with the exception of PBS, and I must therefore suck it up and listen to it. Being the most balanced is not good enough when it is so very unbalanced.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:58:58 PM PDT

  •  NPR is balanced.

    That's about it.

    If you want accuracy and reality, turn to:
    Democracy Now
    Charlie Rose
    Frontline
    Bill Moyers

    by otheruser on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:08:54 PM PDT

    •  That is not the meaning of balanced

      It is not balanced just because the side that lies gets time to spew their lies, in my humble opinion.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:17:05 PM PDT

    •  Balance and journalism are not the same thing...

      Balance is airing two opposing views without any regard to their validity - journalism is the act of researching the statements to highlight and lift up the statement grounded in reality.

      by Rico on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:36:14 PM PDT

      •  I tip my cap to thee

        I will use your definition from now on.

        by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:43:43 PM PDT

  •  Try the BBC instead...

    saying that they're better than CNN is not good enough, when someone spouts lies on the air then they have to be called on it, to do any less is not journalism, it becomes simply reporting lies. (Note: I gave up on NPR long ago.)

    by ORDem on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:12:01 PM PDT

    •  BBC is great

      I have been going to the BBC for nearly half my life. There were times in my life living overseas where the BBC was all I had.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:15:36 PM PDT

•  Democracy Now!/Pacifica Radio

  The cure for what ails you.  Available by podcast also.

  by Spirit of Fighting Bob on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:48:49 PM PDT

  •  I read the Democracy Now Rush Transcripts

    It saves time and gives me real news I can't get on the radio.

    by FishOutofWater on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:54:37 PM PDT

  •  Also, Ian Masters on Pacifica Radio. nt

    by Birdman on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:58:07 PM PDT

•  I stopped about one year ago

  they allow the right wing nuts to come on, and say things that are not true... we all are allowed our oppinions, but not our own "truth" facts are scarce, and I just got too frustrated to listen. NO MORE! Even the comedy shows are very "subdued" no nasty jokes about the pres and vice-pres...

  End of NPR, together with so many things we used to cherrish.

  by GUGA on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:50:43 PM PDT

•  The War in Iraq brings a lot of jobs to the

  Arsenal.....that is what a reporter from WVIK Public radio Rock Island, IL  told me yesterday after a press conference.  We had just finished a press conference on the horrifying costs of the Iraq war, I got pulled into a conversation with a reporter from the local Public Radio Station. I made a point about the cost of the war and how it was destroying our economy and he seriously and almost bitterly barked at me. "Well the war bring a lot of jobs to the Arsenal."  My jaw dropped...excuse me do you really think that the slight increase in employment at our local Arsenal is worth the staggering cost, to our entire country, of the war?  He was not interested in hearing my point of view.
  I have stopped listening to most programming on NPR.  I still like WBUR , but the guests are now clearly skewed to the right of center.
  It seemed like almost overnight after the last Funding scare they more clearly to right of center or did not have programs about the pressing issue of the day, just fluff.

  It's sad.

  by Rachel Griffiths on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:53:04 PM PDT

  •  It feels like there is a disconnect

    So many in the media who are pushing the conservative agenda honestly do not appear to even realize how they are hurting this country by doing so.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:09:44 PM PDT

•  Pelcan: Follow the money.....

  Or in the case of NPR, follow the budget monies.  One question:  Just who has been contolling the purse strings and policy making since 1994?  NPR needs to make ends meet too, and they will do tings that might just upset others as myself.  I have been listening to public radio, and watching public television (and donating money at their fund drives) for over 30 years, and I have seen a change in their political bent in the past few years.

  Money talks, and ...well, you know the rest.

  by LamontCranston on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:54:15 PM PDT

•  As I was reading this diary

  and comments, NPR's All Things Considered in the background, my radio knows no other station, I heard Daniel "Old enough to have known Moses personally" Schorr give a fair, at worst, pro Obama at best, commentary followed by four LTE listener comments. The first was not friendly to the good Senator, the final three were music to my ears. I know no better voice in the MSM.

  by DaNang65 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:54:49 PM PDT

•  yeah, it is sad that NPR was taken over...BUT

  Hope springs eternal ...and with a new administration...one of reason for all mankind...we will have new rules & regs for NPR...no more of this "balanced" crap where balanced is a word meaning fiction.

  by leema on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:56:29 PM PDT

•  I just heard that same guy!!!

  I too was shocked by what he said about McCain's being "right" about his Al-Qaeda/Iran remarks. What I said before snapping off the radio is unprintable. But it was ugly. I couldn't believe I was listening to NPR!!!

  by collardgreens on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:58:26 PM PDT

  •  All the radical, rightwing Likudniks like....

    Joe Lieberman ,Fred Kagan (who came up with this AQ/Iran meme), Bill Kistol, and all the rest, are war-mongering as hard as their little hearts and brains will let them (with a big assist from the MSM allies). Add in people like the guy on NPR, the AEI, AIPAC, and Heritage, and we've got pretty much the same actors pushing for war with Iran, as we had with Iraq. And Cheney says, "So?".

    Far as I am concerned, they are ALL traitors, who should be asked only one question, "Sisal, poly, or hemp?".

    by Hornito on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:09:16 PM PDT

  •  Yeah

    I almost broke the knob on my radio because I slammed it so hard. I know how you feel.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:10:58 PM PDT

•  How to combat this

  Democracy Now w/ Amy Goodman

  by badger1968 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 04:58:27 PM PDT

  •  another combat strategy: BE THE MEDIA!

    by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:35:13 PM PDT

    •  In my experience

      Most people are not interested in listening to me since I am not on television.

      I can, on occasion, get someone to sit down and listen. Unfortunately, true journalism requires people to understand nuance and context. Most Americans I have met have no interest in these concepts.

      by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:46:37 PM PDT

•  I have noticed how one host on "Morning

  Edition" allows the Republican "talking points" person to have the last word as well as have more minutes. On a recent morning show, I was aghast that the host did not ask the Republican any follow-up questions but did ask the Democrat questions as if the Democrat's statements had no validity.

  I do feel that Tom Ashbrook with his "On Point" show had a good discussion on Obama's speech yesterday. I also read the comments on his site last night until I got sick of reading the Republican's criticism. I think more Republicans take the time to respond to NPR. Usually they criticize without any substance. And then I just go on and not add my viewpoint to their garbage.

  I also like Diane Rehm and feel she often asks good questions. She is always respectful of every caller no matter their opinion.

  by paige on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:10:17 PM PDT

  •  She is wonderful

    I love how she will actually butt in and call someone on their lies. She goes out of her way to be truly fair, and I love her.

    Honestly, I usually do not listen to All Things Considered. I am usually busy at the time it comes on, so it was just luck that I happened to be driving home today at the time it airs here.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:13:45 PM PDT

  •  C-Span

    I have noticed a similar trend on C-Span. I had to stop watching the call-in shows on the two channels because the crazy extremists were the majority of the callers.

    Although, I did find the expressions on the faces of the people having to listen and then respond to the crazy people a bit amusing.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:59:26 PM PDT

•  You could have at least

  identified the guests: The Weekly Standard's Matthew Continetti and the Brookings Institution's E.J. Dionne Jr.

  Dionne DID rebut some of Continetti's claims about Obama's speech, that all Obama offered was a standard liberal prescription for racial issues. Dionne jumped right on that and pointed out that he said so much more than that. (Almost every commentary has noted how nuanced the speech was.) Continetti's response was a feeble one, something like Obama PROMISES an inclusive agenda but really only offers divisive affirmative action programs.

  However,you're right about the direction NPR's taken. It has apparently had a spine-ectomy - worrying about where their money is coming from, and having Bush appointees head up the Corp for Public Broadcasting. Still as Pelcan notes it reports on issues almost completely ignored by other broadcast media and covers them in more depth. Too bad it doesn't know how to stand up to dissemblers.

  by Recovering MSMer on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:17:16 PM PDT

  •  My apologies

    It was not my intention to say that on the part of the Senator Obama discussion that there was no back and forth.

    I did not give the names because:

    1. I do not believe that the names were too very important. Who the man was does not make him any less wrong.

    2. I did not know either of them. I do not usually listen to pundits.

    However, I do not feel that the rebuttal was very good. It did not address the most important aspect: there is no liberal race position.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:27:42 PM PDT

•  NPR dried up and blew away years ago . . .

  when it was taken over by Voice of America alums. One of them just left but the damage he did to the organization, like the damage from Bush to the entire country, will take many years (if ever) to correct.

  I worked for many years for the local NPR outlet and finally quit when I began to be censored. Bob Edwards left about the same time. I can't listen to them any more.

  NPR is now a corporate funded anachronism. Much more balanced and mature information is available all over the web for those who are willing to do a little work to get it.

  Now back to our regularly scheduled pledge break . . .

  by grayster on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:21:53 PM PDT

•  Try this too

  Common Dreams

  It's a collection of progressive opinion and news, updated daily. You'll recognize many of the voices on the site.

  by Positronicus on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:29:32 PM PDT

•  NPR not as p'gressive as thought? Thats not news!

  not really news at all. NPR is just as entrenched and co-opted as most of the rest of the MSM... you need to look a bit farther out, I feel, to find news and reporting that is most akin to the views often expressed here on dailykos...

  by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:32:45 PM PDT

  •  The thing is...

    I am not interested in only listening to Progressive opinions. I have no problem listening to all opinions if they are based in truth and reality.

    It is possible to be a conservative and not be insane.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:49:48 PM PDT

    •  for the record...

      i also am not interested in hearing just one side of the story, but the thing is, with the amount of media consolidation and corporate control of our media these days (thanks bill clinton!) it is almost exclusively in the "progressive" media outlets that you can find truly balanced portrayals of issues and balanced inclusion of guests and voices.

      cnn, and almost all of the national media, does not give you TRULY all sides of the story. and, in fact, the biggest threat they pose is by the exclusion of stories and perspectives that might lead to a questioning of their authority as "mainstream" media outlets...

      by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:27:11 PM PDT

      •  This concerns me a great deal

        The conglomeraton of media news is very distressing. I am also worried about the fact that, right now, only the Progressives in this country are, as you wrote, telling the most unbiased news. In fact, I agree with you that the exclusion of news is the worst part.

        Unfortunately, as you no doubt already know, any time I venture outside where I already go, what I find is just absurd. I can only manage to watch more than clips of Olbermann's show, and even that makes me uncomfortable sometimes because he will occasionally have on pundits that are clearly nuts.

        My main concern is wondering how long this will last. It is never a good thing when only one side in this country is talking in a rational manner. I fear that soon those of us in it will be unable to recognize if we have lost our minds as well.

        by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 10:11:15 PM PDT

•  why arent Media Issues bigger in P'gressive Blog?

  something i continue to wonder... as someone who is really worried about further concentration and homogenization of our nations media, i am often REALLY bemused when bigger media activism stories fly COMPLETELY under the radar of most of the "progressive" blogs I frequent...

  by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:37:56 PM PDT

  •  One of my biggest fears

    I think people on sites like this forget that the majority of Americans still get their news, primarily, from television.

    Since, to my knowledge, all of television news is owned by about three companies, all of whom share pretty much the same interest, most Americans are being misinformed.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:52:10 PM PDT

•  ONE MORE TIME.. The CPB The CORPORATION

  for public Broadcasting is now owned and operated by corporate donors and a Bush (corpy) appointee.

  Memo to staff who want to keep working: Intelligent design is back, kill the trial lawyer candidate and now bash the the black kid without looking racist ourselves.

  It's not left and right it's up controlling down.

  The grassroots/netroots cannot be allowed to believe they have any power.

  I was raised on TV and radio (since the mid 50's) and i'm telling you there is a pattern.

  So far CNN is the slickest, have black talking heads lead the charge (somebody see if Shelby Steele is free). Blitzer will cooperate, Dobbs is on board but somebody better get to Kaferty (Jack actually tried to point out all the media drum beat on the Wright BS last night, but Donna Brazille quickly covered the media's butt).

  I know it sounds all tinfoil hat, and i'm not saying it's a Star Chamber-911 Truth type conspiracy. It's more like a privilege class acting in their own self interest (which is how they get to be a privilege class). They will let Clinton win (restores the illusion of democracy).

  And, NO, the the rank and file Clinton supporters are not "in on it" they just want their girl to win, they're just going to get a little help is all.

  "The Speech" was too good and too inspiring. Normal humans in a natural environment would not be doing too Barack what they are doing to him now if they were not being subtly prodded

  by geez53 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:43:55 PM PDT

  •  From everything I have read about them...

    ...CNN scares me the most. I get the sense that the majority of America actually trusts CNN. The clips I have seen from that network, and the transcripts I have read are unbelievable. They seem to outright lie more than Fox does these days.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:54:58 PM PDT

    •  The MSM news departments profoundly changed

      after the introduction of CNN. They spawned a whole new business model: Make money off the news. To make money in TV(from ad space), you have to compete in the same ratings wars as soap operas and sitcoms. That is when it started morphing into infotainment.

      by geez53 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 06:53:51 PM PDT

      •  It's hard to let go of CNN

        The first time I ever watched CNN was when the Wall came down. I was actually living in Germany at the time, and CNN was aired on AFN for several hours, rather than the usual 30 minutes a night. The coverage was great then because it just felt like a worldwide celebration. Of course, I was 13 at the time and did not realize that it could be turned around and used for evil as well.

        The last time I watched CNN was the 2000 Republican primaries. I haven't missed it since. I didn't even watch it on 9/11, the one day I gave up my television media strike.

        by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 07:04:21 PM PDT

        •  no it's not.

          you seem affluent enough to be one of the lucky ones with reliable enough internet access...

          by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:29:47 PM PDT

          •  I wasn't referring to myself

            I really just meant the country. CNN has become an institution. Sort of like the NY Times was up until the last couple of years ago, and still is for so many. Also, it is much, much easier depending on CNN to give you the news for 30 minutes a day than to go through the two to three hours I spend on the internet nearly every other day.

            I also have an advantage. As an outsider, seeing clips and reading transcripts, I can see how far CNN has tilted reality. But, it has been my experience that from the inside of anything it is very difficult to notice the changes something can make over time.

            by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:36:38 PM PDT

•  i also just want to say: thanks clinton for '96

  telecommunication act! that one REALLY fucked us over...

  it is also one of the reasons i will not be voting for hillary if she is the nominee, as she has not only done nothing to distance herself from this corp. sellout of a media perspective, but as actually played into it enough...

  by another cascadian on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 09:29:00 PM PDT

  •  Ugh!

    It is so weird to think that this act and the banking deregulation have probably been some of the most harmful things to happen to this country in the last seventy years, and we cannot lay them at the feet of the current president.

    by moviemeister76 on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 10:13:31 PM PDT