Seymour Hersh Slams Pathetic US Media

[Indy]

[Mr.Bill]

The TP succeeds because it has a TON of money, and many rich backers, while OWS had little money.. Also while the TP isn't the MSM darling, they don't nearly go after the TP the way Fox and the conservative talking heads ripped OWS daily..

Last year I actually heard Fox lead stories about OWS they would start off not by saying OWS, but by describing them as that 'movement of unemployed kids who want the government to take care of them'... I don't ever remember CBS leading off one of their stories about the TP as those far right wing religious nuts who hate Obama..

[Indy]

[Mr.Bill]

OWS was leaderless and never really stated a specific or set of goal(s)...That hurt them..

But lets be honest.. In politics today you can't do sh1t, you can't get elected to sh1t, or influence sh1t without money.. And OWS had no money..

[Spider]

@ OP

I think he's being overly idealistic.

The media is a for-profit industry. Their purpose is to make money, and infotainment seems to be quite profitable. If there was some way to do this for motives entirely divorced from $$$, then we'd probably be onto something.

We just need to remember who their target demo is when we analyze how things are reported. Like when Fox starts doing their thing...just remember that they are talking to elderly hillbillies. Not the more educated public.

Its why Jon Stewart's crew dismantles them so easily as a matter of simple daily routine. They are directed at the opposite demo.

[Indy]

Well I can add my theory to that: and that is, what by definition makes a "story" (when thinking in terms of say, drama)?

Conflict.

So what news has become is simply reporting the latest conflict between left vs. right because that's "entertaining." Think about it: they literally split the screen on most cable shows so you can have Left person vs. Right person (true fact: often they do this even if both people are in the same studio!).

Then they sit back and... you can't even say referee, because a referee can call fouls or enforce rules. They spectate.

Couple that with the "You must present both views no matter who's lying" mantra that the media adopted (which is anti-journalism) and here you are.

The journalists/hosts are really just hosting a gossip show. And hopefully the guests will fight, just like Real Housewives of D.C.!

What's so odd is that actually reporting on the wrongdoing of leaders would be totally watchable and as I've mentioned, on a local level, that's what they do (here at least). Governors, congresspeople--our papers go after them all, regardless of party, and often these are lead stories.

Yet nationally that vanishes. So weird.

BTW you ought to read what the foreign papers around the world are saying about this. They're not going the "They're both at fault" tu quoque route.

[The Dharma Bum]

[Mr.Bill]

There's always been bias in the media..

But it's worse now simply because of the quantity.. Cable News now is 24/7...Internet can be accessed anytime.. Lots and lots of opportunity to slant your news or flat out lie.

[Indy]

Actually Dharma you're right, your description is better.

[Spider]

Panem et circenses, as Suzanne Collins might have pointed out.