The media is KILLING us, folks :( [View All]

[garybeck]

I've been trying to make inroads in my local Democratic party. I've been trying to talk to them about the problems with the election.

I finally got the head of our region to listen. He checked out my website (solarbus) and read some articles and got back to me, expressing openness to further discussion.

His one question was, that it seemed like all the articles are on unknown websites. He asked me to show him some articles or reference some reporting on the "regular" media, this are his words:

"What I could not find was any reliable news source (by which I have a fairly common and somewhat broad definition I think: major newspaper, magazine, respected columnist, NPR...even a respected politician) which comes close to corroborating your thesis that American Democracy is dead, that the last election was stolen. Maybe I missed it -- send me what you consider the best, most credible citations, and I will read them.

But I haven't seen it yet."

So I replied with a long explanation of what is going on with the media. I talked about the recent conference in St. Louis and Bill Moyers speech. I talked about Conyers conference on the Media. I mentioned the huge story about the downing street memo and how the media has been silent on it. I mentioned how the Republicans have taken over PBS and NPR by appointing a new CEO and replacing the board of directors. I gave him lots of links to read.

Then I gave him a few links to some mainstream articles about the election. I told him about Lampley. I told him about Koehler. I showed him the article where Teresa Kerry said she doubts the election results. I eagerly awaited his reply.

Then reality hit.

The media is killing us folks. That's what it really comes down to. Read what he said:

"Gary – I feared that your argument might boil down to this fundamental distrust of the mainstream news media. I can’t go there with you. I have worked for such entities (the boston globe) and have many friends who work for other respected publications. These institutions are far from perfect and not devoid of the corporate manipulation you fear… Your sense, however, that they are all now “nothing more than a voice of those in power” goes way, way, way too far. There are hundreds if not thousands of reporters around the country who would love nothing more than to make their careers – Woodward Bernstein style -- exposing the Bush theivery of the last couple elections.

When one of them does, maybe I will be able to join you. Until then I don’t think we are going to see this issue the same way."

This is our problem. People still believe the media, even Democrats. I think this is at least part of the reason even the elected officials are not doing anything about the election. They watch the news too. This is depressing.

I'm not giving up on this no matter what. I'm going to continue to try to poke holes in the media blockade through the use of the internet and other tools we have. But this last dose of reality is a bummer. Is nothing ever going to happen until Tom Brokaw says so?