Finding a way around Right-wing News Control

MEDIA CRITICISM:

Finding a way around Right-wing News Control

by Marc Cherbonnier

The objective of scripted news is to reinforce what is said over and over to make it more a "fact." But what if such "facts" are lies, what then? That is called brainwashing. They are brainwashing you.

Given that "news" from commercial outlets is focused ever more on increasing numbers of listeners to reap greater profit from ads, their "news" has changed to become something else. Witness the rumor-driven and repetitive soap operas of Gary Condit, Elian Gonzales, Richard Jewel, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski, OJ Simpson, etc. Commercial news with its distortions, in the opinion of many of us, should more accurately be called "Ad-News" (which might also stand for ad-nauseam news). Ad-News doesn't have time for real news, like the genocide of a million people in Rwanda. Instead, commercial networks would rather gossip endlessly about 'that stain' on Monica's blue dress.

Right-wing Media Dominance

Ad-News is also politically right-wing warped. That orientation is not so much explained by the popularity of right-wing content (there's nothing else broadcast to compare it with!) as it is by the outright change in media ownership and/or editorial control. This change-over from predominantly left-wing to right-wing news-anchors and talk-show hosts--and guests, too--is now protected by Republican-controlled House and Senate Communication oversight committees and by the FCC itself, since committee and FCC approvals are required for media ownership changes.

The sentiments of said Republican "leadership" was recently proven by their ignoring what should have been overwhelming citizen letter-writing and opinion polls against greater ownership by media conglomerates. Instead, Republicans approved what their media "campaign donation friends" paid them for. With this change, predominantly right-wing conglomerates (Time Warner, Viacom, GE & Microsoft, Clear Channel, and News Corp.) can own more networks and broadcast their special ad-news (and primitive evangelical programming) into more cities.

Scripting the News

You may have also noticed there has been increasing similarity between Ad-News programs on a given day, even down to their saying exactly the same phrases on a topic. That's because many celebrity pundits read the same scripts--or talking points--as supplied to them from the RNC and the Heritage Foundation. (The DNC puts scripts out too, but they are ignored because the media are who they are.) "The Daily Howler," a remarkable website by Bob Somerby (from here in Baltimore, another unheralded celebrity in our midst), provides excellent coverage of this now-standard practice among the the Washington press corp. [See this "Howler" as an illustrative example]

The objective of scripted news is to reinforce what is said over and over to make it more a "fact." But what if such "facts" are lies, what then? That is called brainwashing. They are brainwashing you.

It's time to bring back Fairness Doctrine principles!

"This can't be," you may exclaim. "What of the Fairness Doctrine?" Well, there used to be one. The FCC's Fairness Doctrine was enforced (by a committee of presidential appointees) from 1949 until 1987 to require broadcasters, as a condition of getting their licenses from the FCC, to cover controversial issues in their community, and to do so by offering some balancing views. It did not require equal time for opposing views. It merely prevented a station from day after day presenting a single view without airing opposing views (like today's Fox News Channel). Reagan appointed some friends to the Fairness Doctrine enforcement committee, and, in 1987, they voted to disband themselves, saying the rapid expansion in cable and satellite networks would naturally ensure all viewpoints would be aired. Obviously that assumption has been proven wrong.

De-fanging PBS

It gets worse. During the '90s the Republican-led congress reduced public-funding of PBS, forcing it to compete with commercial networks for corporate advertising to survive. This has caused editorial 'softening' of PBS news coverage to avoid losing current or potential corporate ad sponsors. [Ref. F.A.I.R. Exposes Advertiser Influence]

Finding a way around Right-wing Censorship

In frustration to the tightening web of news control, and to circumvent congressional and FCC disapproval, Al Gore recently tried to acquire French-owned Vivendi Universal. Its value was its trained and ready staff of professionals and (limited) cable outlets. But last week Al's deal stalled (and perhaps failed) because a financial backer dropped out. [Ref. Gore TV Deal Is Stalled At The 11th Hour; Major Investor Pulls Out]

Al may not have been thinking about using PBS to carry his network's news programming, but perhaps he should. PBS news hasn't yet become as bad as Ad-News. Therefore, since the non-right are handicapped in obtaining media ownership, PBS--though editorially muted to compete for ad sponsors--is perhaps the only broadcast outlet possible for expanding journalistically professional news, a.k.a. Real News.

It would appear possible that a professional group, perhaps international, could be organized and dedicated to the production of a 24-7 suite of Real-News programs to rival the warped Ad-News outlets. The Real-News programs could be syndicated singly or as a group to public broadcasting systems world-wide, as the content quality merits.

There is no reason to presume Real-News would have lower ratings than Ad-News. Real-News is not inherently more boring than Ad-News: quite the opposite, it could be riveting if the awesome raw detail of what is actually happening were revealed--like CNN was in the very beginning. And further, for discussion programs, you could really spice things up with attractive non-gas-bag celebrities and appearances by academics and other professionals long denied access to presenting ideas directly to the public. It could be a thrilling venue if done right.

Addendum re. sustaining revenue (4/14): Ideally, advertising on Real-News should be infrequent, entertaining and educational infomercials.

Copyright © 2004 The Baltimore Chronicle. All rights reserved.

Republication or redistribution of Baltimore Chronicle content is expressly prohibited without their prior written consent.

This story was published on April 13, 2004.

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