The Danger of the Mainstream Media

[edgray]

I don't think any society will ever progress until mainstream media is abolished.

Ron Paul, getting the brunt of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZuWeO5qEk8

 

[edgray]

For kicks, Tony Benn sticking it to the BBC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E21MdXe3BOQ

 

[Accountable]

Abolished?? You can't be cereal. Flesh that idea out for me, because I don't think you're talking censorship .... are you??

 

[edgray]

nope, not censorship, anyone can say what they want.

it would simply mean the large corporations couldn't have such a monopoly on broadcasting. Too much power for too few people.

 

[Accountable]

MONOpoly means only one large corporation has the power. We've only a few in the US (no idea what your situation is) but, economically, they are in competition with each other.

 

[edgray]

MONOpoly means only one large corporation has the power. We've only a few in the US (no idea what your situation is) but, economically, they are in competition with each other.

I understand the term monopoly. The monopoly refers to the rich elite that own and dictate the propaganda for their own agendas.

 

[Alien Allen]

The media won that election

Ron Paul was demonized by the media

Obama was their Anointed One

 

[edgray]

The media won that election

Ron Paul was demonized by the media

Obama was their Anointed One

:thumbup

it's too much power in too few hands. way too much.

 

[Alien Allen]

:thumbup

it's too much power in too few hands. way too much.

That is how almost everything goes now a days

There used to be small grocery stores, small pharmaices, small hardware stores, etc

Now they have been run out of business by the big boys.

One of the few mom and pop things left are the party stores. And they are all owned and run by Arabs around here. Same with gas stations

 

[Accountable]

I don't disagree that there are evil things going on, but what do ya'll propose we do about it? What does abolish mean in this context?

 

[Meirionnydd]

MONOpoly means only one large corporation has the power. We've only a few in the US (no idea what your situation is) but, economically, they are in competition with each other.

I think in the United States all the media outlets are owned by five corporations. I wouldn't exactly call that a monolopy, but they hold such a tight grip on the market that it would be almost impossible for any new company to make headway into the industry.

And, you know Edgary, there's always independant media. But not everyone reads that so it can't really shape public opinion and be very influentual.

 

[Accountable]

I think in the United States all the media outlets are owned by five corporations. I wouldn't exactly call that a monolopy, but they hold such a tight grip on the market that it would be almost impossible for any new company to make headway into the industry.

And, you know Edgary, there's always independant media. But not everyone reads that so it can't really shape public opinion and be very influentual.

I just had to check. I was floored at how many companies there are, but yes, only 6 real owners.

https://www.freepress.net/resources/ownership

eta: There used to be only 3 major networks and nobody thought Fox had a prayer. Same thing with IBM vs Microsoft.

Not saying I like what's going on, but it's not hopeless.

 

[Kyle B]

Almost all the radio stations in the country are owned by one company as well.

 

[Alien Allen]

I just had to check. I was floored at how many companies there are, but yes, only 6 real owners.

https://www.freepress.net/resources/ownership

eta: There used to be only 3 major networks and nobody thought Fox had a prayer. Same thing with IBM vs Microsoft.

Not saying I like what's going on, but it's not hopeless.

.............> :thumbup

But it will be over if the left ever got the fairness doctrine back

What an oxymoron that law was

 

[Accountable]

Almost all the radio stations in the country are owned by one company as well.

You're right. Clear Channel is about 7 times larger than the number 2.

.............> :thumbup

But it will be over if the left ever got the fairness doctrine back

What an oxymoron that law was

That's kinda what I was getting at when I asked Ed to flesh his idea out. Making laws requiring "fair & balanced" only beg for catastrophe.

 

[edgray]

I honestly don't know the how's, but we can all see the need, right?

From my experience, those who find their news online through independent media sources generally use a combination of several sites to verify what they're reading and to construct a better view of things. I've asked you all here a few times and you've all said as much.

Those that get their news solely via the MSM TV channels probably would stick to one channel. Ok, that was a guess, but I remember the days where I did own a TV and that was pretty much all I did....

 

[Peter Parka]

I'd like to see the media held more responsible for the crap they cause. The tabloids are best avoided right now, stirring up racial hatred over a bloody game by keep banging on about Nazi's and the war and using terms like hun and fritz ect. Ffs, I thought there were supposed to be laws in this country against this sort of thing? If England get knocked out on Sunday and the thick Sun reading yobs smash a load of German pubs up, the Sun will be the first to hypocritically condemn them.

 

[Accountable]

I honestly don't know the how's, but we can all see the need, right?

Do you imagine it happening through legislation, social upheaval, or something else?

 

[Minor Axis]

MONOpoly means only one large corporation has the power. We've only a few in the US (no idea what your situation is) but, economically, they are in competition with each other.

I believe there has been a lot of consolidation in media corporations. In essence this is bad, as Ed said, you have a few vs many voices controlling the conversation. NewsCorp is the prime example of how this is bad...

 

[edgray]

Do you imagine it happening through legislation, social upheaval, or something else?

I have no idea though it would be better surely coming as a decision from the people... though it's a chicken and egg thing, you'd need the mainstream media to inform them to take that decision to abolish the mainstream media... hmmm... can't see that working somehow...

Perhaps maybe legislation, limiting the amount of time each broadcaster has... splitting channels up maybe.... but then who'd trust the govt to do that and not use rules like that for their own agenda...

Ok, need help with this one, any ideas?