I suppose it should be comforting to know that The Washington Post is an equal-opportunity influence purchaser.

Unfortunately, it isn't.

It makes me wonder how much they contributed to the campaign.

Papers like the Washington Post don't have a large number of subscribers and it's doubtful that they make big huge bucks with advertisers. The effectiveness of papers like the Post is that they get quoted by right wing media like Fox "News", Rush Limbow, and the Sludge report so that their propoganda can be called "legitimate reporting." You are correct, Brad. Without the backing of huge right wing conglomerates, the WaPo would fall into irrelavancy.

Increasingly, Brad, other than for the Op-Ed contributors to the NYTimes, like Krugman and Herbert, no reason exists to even glance at NYTimes, LATimes, WaPo, ...... .

One only needs to check the markets at Yahoo business and then read sites like Raw Story, truthout, buzzflash, BBC and AP "breaking" items and media releaases (and a local rag for whatever may be happening in one's community).

As to broadcast media: forget-about-it.

Peace.

BE THE BUSH OPPOSITION; 24/7

http://www.velvetrevolut...hpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=82

Nice kick in the ass, Brad. They needed that.

Our reliable news souces are dwindling down to a precious few. I always thought the Wash. Post was a noble news outlet, what with their coverage of the Watergate. Money certainly corrupts...

A timely post on the Washington Post! Just watched a pundit show on PBS tonight which included a Washington Post reporter who couldn't contain himself from making glowing remarks about Bush and his speech. They all groveled at the trough commenting how heart felt Bush was about freedom and democracy, and the sincerity of his global freedom agenda. It was absolutely putrid!

Could somebody please inform the world that George DUMBYA Bush doesn't write his speeches and come up with all these grandiose ideas! That he's surrounded by speech writers, political advisers, and media consultants who are paid to draft speeches, dream up policy, and hold his hand! I've watched this man for years flip read speech after speech, and there's a huge disconnect between what he reads and what he is known to think and say without his written crutches.

Yet to listen to the media pundits, well this was our great President delivering a speech of his own words and thoughts, right from the bottom of his heart, as though the corporate puppet actually had one after murdering tens of thousands! They actually pay these people? From PBS, the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post...and whatever other mainstream mush they work for? What an absolute disgrace! Let me on those shows and we'll have some real dialogue!

I have my own insights about the press and power, if you already haven't drawn your own conclusions. The chief media honchos, whether corporate or privately owned, live life large and like to cavort with those in power. They are after all part of the American elite who corrupt editorial policy for their friends in high places, ready to elevate or destroy those chosen to be so, or conceal the truth when it serves the powers that be.

And since poop rolls down hill, reporters are often forced to stay within bounds, first, to not offend their own elite media masters, and second, to trade favors of silence and information in order to maintain inside tracks to the White House, power centers, or other political personalities. In other words, there is an increasing number of them willing to whore their journalistic principles to be tossed a bone every now and then, or in order to keep their jobs, while remaining subservient to their corporate puppet masters, just as politicians do.

So the fact that Rev. Moon & Company or the Washington Post can lavish thousands on the President while being the guardians of public knowledge, truth, and communication, only exemplifies the MEDIA FRAUD aspect of what I described yesterday. The corporate takeover of America where editorial policies are increasingly shaped by fraudulent corporate agendas...not accurate news or analysis, and certainly not conveying the truth or whole truth to WE THE PEOPLE.

Do you see any pundits and mainstream media addressing our questions? Will pundits or the mainstream media sit around and thoroughly discuss, report, or investigate ELECTION FRAUD, WAR FRAUD, ENERGY FRAUD, RELIGIOUS FRAUD, or MEDIA FRAUD, other than as apologists for their own lack of investigation and indepth coverage?

Would sure like to see the "independent" media put on the front page headlines how George Bush & Company are suppressing our ability to have free clean alternative energy that's already available, but totally suppressed or discredited to protect the great global energy con game and the wars that feed from it. If every news story and headline in America would simply run for a week showing how we can now run our cars on water...or become our own power producers with an array of solar panels...what would happen? Well...I guess that would be the end of George & Dick's energy trading buddies, and all their stocks and royalties, and all those municipal bonds and mutual funds tied to utility companies, or our need for profit gauging wars in order to protect dwindling oil supplies or gas routes propping up our fossil fuel addicted economy.

Gee! That's no fun for a news media that profits from being embedded blood sucking whores at the next oil and gas war, or the bottom line of their corporate puppet-masters, many of whom are connected to the Military Industrial Complex or global energy game themselves.

We are living in an age without truth or reason! Replaced by a corporate culture of fraud and corruption that is well on its way to permeate every aspect of our society, from education to religion, from elections to media, from wars to how we will power our future while saving our planet.

We need a new enlightenment...a new political Renaissance! After listening to the mainstream media mush tonight, I know more than ever that we will have to be the media and much more. Because the very media institutions we should be able to depend upon for truth and reason have become, like our corporate owned government, so corrupt they are no longer worth keeping!

Viva la Revolucion!

Freebird

Today's Washington Post had an article that essentially blamed the long security lines on those bad, bad protesters being present.

But, if you noticed the expressions of fear on the Bush/Cheney faces, you would know why there was extra security. They were truly scared. A record amount of security! Rather informative.

Now the question arises: Did they learn that from the Iraqi PM Allawi, who passes out cash to the reporters during his news conferences admittedly to persuade them to do a "good report", or did Allawi learn that from them?

Actually the Allawi situation is more moral than the WaPo action. Here the press is paying just to get a story.

Press prostitutes who pay to be had ... what a pathetic zoo.

It's very hard for people to fully comprehend this media lockdown since they have so little experience with totalitarian control.
It is a complete, total , absolute, waste of energy to expect any truth. It has become an impossibility. These people, whose character was suspect all along, WILL NOT risk their livelihoods, and there is even more serious threat going on than that. They are weak and afraid, caught in paralysis, and should be cast aside as we walk forward. We should be aware, but not feed them in anyway.

The ONLY solution is alternative media, which eventually gains power, as the need for truth bcomes more important. We should put all our energy in that pursuit, and get ready.

Someone who was UnderstandingLife yesterday evening wrote: "As to broadcast media: forget-about-it."

One exception to this wise rule should be mentioned ~~~ in the event of a major disaster, the on-the-scene broadcast media reporters have about 1/2 hour of freedom to report whatever they can find. This is the time for everyone to pop a tape in the VCR and record it all. A huge variety of detailed information will be flowing, as each station turns their stallions loose to lead the viewers into staying tuned. After about 1/2 hour, all channels will be reporting an identical story compiled "from above." At that point, fuggetaboutit.

Example: the Challenger "blow up." It didn't. First slow motion replays showed the space shuttle going off out of the ball of flames, wholly or partially intact. This was totally edited out within half an hour. All that was shown to the public was a huge fireball filling their TV screen. "Nothing could've survived that. At least they died quickly," was the desired public reaction. In fact, the shuttle, which had gliding capability, glided or crash landed in shallow water off the coast of Florida. The Florida coroner sued the Federal govt for taking the bodies out of his jurisdiction. NASA employees today will tell you, "There was a rumor going around here that some of those astronauts died of drowning." Also, as far back as the Robert Kennedy assassination, this was the case. Several gunmen were seen by eye witnesses and their information put on live TV for the first 45 minutes following the shooting. Then, huge change of tone, as the "official" story starts rolling from every single channel, never mentioning the several witnesses who had just been telling the world what they saw. I was in college then, and it opened my eyes while it ended my faith in official TV news coverage.

BBC did a survey maybe 10 years ago. They presented a story (exactly same story) in 3 media: newspaper, radio and TV. They followed up by testing the hearers/readers/viewers of the story, to see how well they could discern truth from falsehood in the story. Those watching TV could discern it about 50% of the time (i.e., could NOT discern truth, since this is 50-50). Those hearing the radio, 68%. Newspaper, 75%. Print is the most important media for ascertaining truth in reporting.
~~~

It was mentioned in the previous blog 1/21/05 "DUBYA's 2nd Inaugural" by LGM #114
that WKVT-AM1490 was now ditching all the right wing radio shows and replacing them with Air America and other left-wing shows, as these were more in line with the current "climate" in their area.

For any enterprising person or interested group, now would be the time to go out and start new newspapers whichs directly compete against the WaPo and other like them throughout the country. Apparently, Americans are looking for alternatives to the propaganda newspapers and news stations.

Does anyone know what's going on with Gore's TV station?

What's happened to Bob Woodward? Where did he go? Who is now occupying his body? What happened to his intellect? People exactly like him are to blame for making DUMYA seem "likable" when he's obviously a lying, devious...

I think Gore's T.V station got stuck in a LOCKBOX. Sorry Peggy, I couldn't help myself.

But Seriously, I'm with understandinglife. All the news I need is on the "internets", and the local rag for local news. The MSM is pathetic. The Clint Curtis story doesn't even exist in fine print on any big time newspaper. The mere possibility of vote fraud hardly gets reported as well. And these are important issues.

PBS Frontline did a documentary once about media edits and non-reporting in the news several years ago. It aired only once and I can't even find any transcripts on the show. I wish everybody could have seen it. I was never able to read a newspaper or watch the newscast the same again. According to the documentary, there were responsible journalists in the first Gulf War doing reports on the connection between Bush I, the Saudi Royals, and Desert Storm. It all got trashed when it met with the editorial board. It was a great documentary. If this documentary still exists, I'd make a link to it, but my research skills aren't that great. Maybe Brad or one of you other good patriots could find out where it is.

Peggy, I'm glad you brought up Bob Woodward, and what's happened to him. A good comparison, lets say you have a crooked car dealer in a small town. The owner is on the town council, his wife the head of the PTA. Now enter the small town newspaper. This newspaper keeps up with the car dealers actions on the town council and the news of his wife's actions on the PTA meetins, keeping the public informed so to speak. But, this same car dealer is crooked as a barrel of snakes in his dealings with his customers. Now we know that were not going to hear about the car dealers crooked dealings with his customers because the car dealer buys four pages of advertising in the local paper. But we will hear the great things he and his wife do for the community. So it is with corporate journalism today. The Enron-ization of corporate media by passing money around is just the beginning of MSM reporting the news to suit the folks that the big bucks come from.

PBS Frontline - Fear and Favor in the media. http://www.metrotimes.co...s/cul/18/06/sensing.html
I can't do the links. I've already burned my circuits trying to learn actionscripting.

Sorry, That should be -Fear and Favor in the Newsroom-

http://www.fearandfavor.com/about.html

Another good sight about Fear and Favor In the Newsroom.

Thanks for the links Horkus!! Reading the articles convinced me "Big Brother" of 1984 is among us. Let the Revolution begin.

Pushcat and Horkus - many thanks for the info

You're most welcome. I always enjoy your posts too, as well as all of them. Well, Maybe not all, we do have a troll or two from time to time.

"Peggy, I'm glad you brought up Bob Woodward, and what's happened to him."

I have no links handy, but with a little digging, you can find this info out there in dribs and drabs. Woodward was a "spook" (naval intelligence, I think), at one time. Intelligence agencies plant operatives in the media. It is actually against the law, but that's a minor problem. Great cover, and they can't plant misinformatiom, or real information, that can do harm. Like was done in Watergate. He has said that when "Deep throat" dies he will reveal his identity to the world. I honestly believe there is a good chance that when Woodward dies, there will be a safety deposit box opened somewhere. It will have the name of "Deep Throat " on a piece of paper. The name will be Bob Woodward. I think Bob is just a journalist now.

Should read: "can plant" not "can't plant"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Woodward

The entry for Bob at Wiki says he was a "communications officer" for five years. He never served any time at sea, or on a ship. I believe this is where the speculation comes into play that he may have had other "duties." And he had many sources from which to draw on, if he was a spook. It's just speculation. But if you really knew the truth, someone would have to kill you, as they say. Or just assassinate your character and call you a conspiracy nut, as they do today.

Here is some real "conspiracy nut"stuff about Woodward from Rense.

http://www.rense.com/general52/overthro53.htm

I, for one, choose not to believe or disbelieve anything.

re: LGM comment #21 I remember reading somewhere Woodward was involved with Navel Intelligence. I wish I could remember where I read it so I could post a link.

Peggy & LGM, Found this article on Google. I don't know how accurate it is but it does say he was involved with Naval Intelligence. http://www.webcom.com/ctka/pr196-woodward.html

Good piece. Even the facts about Woodward's time in the navy are a bit murky. this makes people suspicious. I found this and a whole host of other stuff by Googling Bob Woodward and Naval Intelligence.

http://www.davidcogswell...ulette/WoodwardBush.html

I also oneself something would want to find out on this theme. Very attentively I will read every post.