Transcript The People and the Press

The People and the Press
A Presentation by David Steiner
For my culminating study
I chose to examine the
Relationship between
American society
And the news media.
When I read or watch the
news these days, I feel as
though 99 percent of what
I’m getting is either
entertainment or
propaganda.
1800s america
For as simple as we’d like to think times were back then, the 1800s were
politically charged, and so were the newspapers of the day. In fact, early
papers were heavily funded by government subsidies. American newspapers
of that period were by and large puppets of parties and administrations.
Commercialization of the News Changed Things
When selling ad space replaced government subsidies, the papers ceased
being “party organs.” I chose this portion of a 1917 paper because it is
thought by some that objectivity in the news began after World War I.
Aww, the NEWS? I want Bugs Bunny!!!
Newsreels were a great way to catch a few headlines. They played in
theaters, along with cartoons and featured attraction pictures. In many
ways, they resembled the 15-minute newscaps on modern television.
Respectable Reporting
• In 1937, Edward R. Murrow began his career.
CBS assigned him to cover the events of World
War II.
• He later went on to produce his own television
show, called See It Now. He was often looked
to as a role model for his integrity and
straight-forward style.
• His exposure of J. McCarthy as a zealous
fanatic in the 50s broke the senator’s hold on
the nation.
Some feel the news never broke
from the days of government
control, or at least political bias.
“It’s a little bit me…and it’s a little bit you, too”
--------- The Monkees
Nobody can agree on whether the media today are biased toward the
left or the right. The author of the book on the left says it’s to the right,
while the gent who penned the piece on the right claims it’s to the left.
But as Eric Alterman said in his book, “You’re only a liberal as the man
who owns you.” Details to follow, starting with the next slide.
One Small Setback for TV News, One
Giant Leap Into The Abyss For Mankind
Tabloid tycoon Rupert Murdoch changed
the face of television news.
Fox presents fluff and right-wing
propaganda and calls it news.
OK, All Bashing on Rupert
and The Republicans aside,
Houston, We Have A
Problem…
Not all the blame can be put in one
place. True, Rupert Murdoch sweettalked the FCC into lifting the ban on
owning both a newspaper and a
television station. Also true, that he
set the ball in motion toward giving us
fluff for the news by instructing Fox
affiliates to air segments of A Current
Affair AS news stories. Undeniable,
that The Fox News Channel engages in
“fear and smear” tactics to the benefit
of the republican party.
BUT……
None of this would be going on if it
wasn’t making millions for Murdoch.
Moreover……
Nobody would be following his lead if
it wasn’t universally profitable.
• The people are the biggest
part of the problem.
• We seem to like our tabloid
fluff. Ratings prove it’s
preferred over actual news
in far too many
households.
• We also like to choose our
news sources based on
bias. We want to hear what
we want to hear, period.
The Media Give Us What We’ll Buy.
WE decide what sells.
SEX sells
FEAR sells
Some of what sells is serving to divide us from a nation united
into a series of special interest groups at war with one another.
Political Propaganda Sells
Religious Propaganda Sells
Many people have speculated as to how and why
we came to prefer the newsreel and television
headline newscasts over more substantial sources
and fact-intensive content.
Those of us who do seek out real
information tend to turn to the internet,
and to National Public Radio.
But even we have to filter some of what
we take in from our sources.
Too many of us have forgotten
how to think for ourselves.
Too many of us have grown so lazy
that we refuse to even try.
This might be evil …
But
THIS IS THE ENEMY!
Copyright Infringements
Bluegrass Music
Ricky Scaggs
________________________________________
Star Wars Imperial March
Metallica
________________________________________
Dramatic Music
From The Motion Picture
Monty Python & The Holy Grail
________________________________________
And and and and and
Rush Limbaugh as himself on the Excellence In Babbling
Network
“It is correct, because I SAY it is correct!”
(Hey, I never said I wasn’t biased!)