“The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.” ~Tommy Smothers
All to often we refer to the media as the “Mainstream” media or as the “Corporate” media. The right use to refer the media as “Liberal” and as it became apparent that the media was no longer liberal they referred to it as “Lame stream.” Now it should be called the “Censored” media
The modern media, which includes written, visual and spoken, has not been liberal in any of its iterations in my life time. Radio and television has been restricted in what is spoken or visually projected to the public often under the guise of decency.
Since the start of the 20th century (when most of the media entered the second generation ownership) has effectively controlled the news. Only the competitiveness of the industry prevented any form of censorship from making inroads into what we learned from the broadcast or written news.
In 1949 congress put in place the “Fairness Doctrine” that allowed for the free and unencumbered “Airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows, or editorials. The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented.”
This doctrine worked well in keeping the national discussion alive and promoting the democracy that our founding fathers had envisioned. Then along came Ronald Reagan who claimed that government should not intrude into the content of programming notably the journalistic freedom of broadcasters.
Congress made several attempts to reinstate the Fairness doctrine only to have each attempt vetoed by first Reagan and then threatened by Bush1. In 1997 Bill Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act that allowed unfettered Media Consolidation and the start of the demise of a truly free press and growth of the oligarchy driven censorship.
As with any monopoly or cartel the consolidation of industry into a limited ownership group the choices of the consumer disappears. This is due to the lack of any real competition. In the media it becomes the silencing of the opposition. It is censorship under the guise of profits. As the ownership of our media become smaller the amount of censorship grows as evident to what is not talked about in the news or on the opinion shows.
Yes it is censorship when the media manipulate the election process by reporting only on the candidates they want in the news. When those candidates are perceived to create untold profits; when they ignore the John Kasichs, Bernie Sanders as viable candidates.
It is censorship when they do not talk about the Trans Pacific Partnership (SHAFTA) trade deal.
It is censorship when they present discounted facts about Obama care.
It is censorship when they do not report the inconsistency between the deaths at the hands of the police between whites and blacks. And to offer a narrative that the deceased was at fault.
It is censorship to hide from the public the fight over net neutrality.
It is censorship when a news opinion host can’t talk about the issues that matter to the public or belong in the public discourse.
Yes it is censorship.
Censorship does not have to be imposed by a despot, or a government trying to control its citizens. Censorship comes from a lack of competition in the media. A group of owners (only four) control 90% of the media and decide not what is best for you and I or even the country, but only what is profitable for them.
Maybe we should start referring to the media as the censored media rather than the corporate or mainstream media. After all they are censoring our democracy.
“The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.”
~Tommy Smothers