Where's Bernie?
The day after Bernie Sanders SWEPT three primaries, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington, there was not a mention of it on NBC Evening News.
All corporate news media has started covering the election as if it is a two candidate race. With Clinton at 1,243 pledged delegates and Bernie Sanders at 975 and most of the more conservative states out of the way with California looming in the distance, it most definitely is not. Heck, with Trump at 736 and Cruz at 463 and a panicking RNC, it is not.
Both of these races have a very strong chance of going into their respective conventions without a clear cut candidate. But you wouldn't be able to tell it by corporate news coverage.
When the ‘super-delegate (a system which shouldn't exist) lead’ is discussed, it is thrown out as an insurmountable number. There is no mention that traditionally, the super-delegates will switch to whoever wins the most pledged delegates.
Donald Trump is clearly playing the corporate 'infotainment' media for all it's worth. They bite and bite hard at any of his endless, exhausting, outrageous comments and then pound the incident du jour over and over again during the news cycle, pushing out all other meaningful election coverage.
Trump's transparent and brazen bullying has laid part of the problem bare. Every time he threatens the media by saying he, their ratings cow, won't show up for an event, the corporate news media, whose primary obligation is to ratings, trembles and shakes.
In short, there is NOTHING fair or equitable about corporate news media's coverage of the presidential primaries, one of the most important news events there is in America.
How is this possible?
How and why do they do this? Because they can. Historically, the News has been meant to create a better informed citizen and stand as the Fifth Estate, providing a much needed, inquisitive voice for the people against the possible abuses of the State. And it did, more of less, for the first 38 years of television and radio news media's existence. That era was swept away by Ronald Reagan, when he unilaterally and against great public outcry not to do so, delegislated the Constitutionally upheld, Fairness Doctrine.
The Fairness Doctrine provided guidelines for the news to be factually truthful and that varying opinions in news commentary could be heard. The decline in the quality, equability and truthfulness of corporate news media can be charted by the removal of the guidelines.
With that decline we have also seen a rise in extremism as the News is used as a propaganda tool.
http://www.autostraddle.com/this-is-how-fox-news-brainwashes-its-viewers-our-in-depth-investigation-of-the-propaganda-cycle-297107/
Corporate news media has justifiably lost it's validity and standing as a protector of the best interests of the American citizen. It might yet be able to regain that position by the reinstatement of The Fairness Doctrine.
Fairness Doctrine Facts:
The Fairness Doctrine, was implemented in 1949 and set sound guidelines for honest, equitable and balanced presentation of broadcast news and editorial. Citing that the purpose of news media should be to create a better informed citizenry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine
It was the law of the land for 38 years.
It was upheld as constitutional in 1969 by the Supreme Court of the United States, Red Lion Broadcasting Co. vs. FCC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lion_Broadcasting_Co._v._FCC
The Fairness Doctrine allowed a great deal of freedom for the broadcasters to conform with the guidelines so there wouldn't be a chilling effect on their presentation and practices of news/editorial broadcasting.
It gave journalists an ethical and legislative support for advocating the coverage of news stories that may not be popular with some in the power elite but were in the best interests of the American public.
It was deregulated by Ronald Reagan, against great public outcry not to do so, in 1987.
Congress passed a bill to make the Fairness Doctrine law shortly afterward. That bill was vetoed by President Reagan. The advent of cable news networks providing diverse newscasting options being cited as the reason.
With almost all newscast networks now being owned by an oligopoly of 6 (six) corporations it is necessary to ensure that all issues are presented truthfully, in a fair and even light and that opposing views on the issues have a chance to be represented.
Recent studies have shown a marked lack of trust in the truth and accuracy of all corporate news media.
Recent studies have also shown that that lack of trust is well founded with none of the major corporate news media outlets scoring high in 'truthfulness'.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/jan/29/punditfact-checks-cable-news-channels/
The American people's interest in and reliance on corporate news media is at an unprecedented low.
There have been congressional efforts to revive the 'Fairness Doctrine'. What they need is a demonstration from the American people that they will not stop until the Fairness Doctrine is reinstated and the news media providers are held accountable for their responsibility to the American people.
GO TO: 'Bring Back the Fairness Doctrine' on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/BringBackTheFairnessDoctrine/
SIGN AND SHARE the PETITION to BRING BACK THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE!!!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/2/23/1366410/-Petition-Re-institute-the-Fairness-Doctrine-and-Require-Fairness-and-Accuracy-in-Broadcasting