Monthly Archive for June, 2008
Page 2 of 3
Historically, it could be argued that all forms of journalism lack objectivity. When mass printings became less cost prohibitive, newspapers were born and were first made available to the affluent. Publishers quickly realized that profit was to be had, not in subscriptions, but in advertising sales. Accordingly, the capturing and keeping the attention of a desirable demographic meant a steady stream of advertising dollars. From the get go, there were a variety of foci for papers from high brow to the sensational which caught the interest of different segments of society.
The editorial shaping of news drew in an audience of like-thinkers. People seek out other people and resources that reiterate their own beliefs. Thus, journalism is inherently biased given its history. And the shift from newspaper to television just made shaping the big story that much more costly and risky. A greater number of eyeballs are requirement to make televised media work (print news survives on a much tighter budget) so a much more common denominator must be found, but there’s still a bias present in terms of what stories are told and from what angle.
Ultimately, media companies are beholden to their advertisers. Yes, companies want to reach consumers, but they’re not going to bring revenue to media conglomerates that are hostile to their industry. Company X isn’t going to support the production of news pieces (via ad coin) that may be detrimental to their own bottom line. So an oil company’s culpability in the destruction of the Amazon or a class action law suit against a big box chain for its systematic discrimination against women probably won’t be the lead news item in print or on TV, The news is colored to balance the ideology of viewers with the bottom line interests of advertisers.
In an election year, I have to wonder how much of the Presidential race we really get to see. As someone who seeks out news media with a very liberal bias, I, no doubt, am only getting one piece of the story. When watching more centrist news nibbles, I wonder where the coverage of McCain’s incessant flip flopping is (his positions seem to change daily based on his audience, and he either is oblivious or doesn’t care the the internet makes stringing his constantly renegotiated positions together a relatively simple feat) or his complete disregard for differences between sects in Iraqi culture (Will Joe Lieberman be McCain’s permanent cultural attache?).
While media harps on whether or not Michelle Obama is proud of her country, few main stream sources seem to point that McCain A) recently commented that it’s sometimes “tough” to be proud of America and B) until he was a POW, he didn’t love America. Seems like those comments, in fairness to Mrs. Obama, should be looped over and over again at prime time for several nights. Haven’t we heard, for what seems like months, that Obama has a problem with women voters, especially angry Clintonistas? And yet he’s taking a 19-point lead with women over McCain. When Republican women are exposed to the no-longer-the-maverick McCain’s anti-feminist and anti-choice positions on abortion, family planning, and pay discrimination in the work place, many reconsider who they plan to vote for in November.
And I’m sure if you have conservative leanings in your media consumption, you could likely list off a variety of Obama gaffes in his own speaking (such as his reference to well more than 50 US states). Wouldn’t it be great to put both candidates on one of the sundry trivia game shows? Senators Obama and McCain, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Joking aside, where is the story coming from? And why? Clinton lost her shot at the primary many weeks before the media began discussing the impossibility of the delegate math. Yet, her constant moving of the candidacy goal posts was accommodated. (A neck and neck, prolonged primary season means more eyes glued to the news and more ad pricing at a premium. McCain is still dubbed a “maverick” despite siding with President Bush’s positions 95% of the time. Obama, as the media would have it, is practically the second coming of Jesus Christ. Who’s controlling the story, and what are the ulterior motives?
Murdoch admitted, sans hesitation, he was behind the New York Post’s endorsement of Barack Obama. It would be naive to think other media conglomerates didn’t experience the same behind the scenes maneuvering. Evidence doesn’t seem to be pointing to a neck and neck nail biter this November, what with Obama’s 15 point bump in a recent poll, but you couldn’t tell by main stream media.
Conspiracy theorists have long conjectured that the “men in dark suits” control the trajectory of the world. I’m more concerned with corporate interests that don’t have citizens’ best interests at heart.
If dairy does the jig in your digestive tract or you’re trying to get away from processed sugar, I’m happy to report that Turtle Mountain has a new coconut milk-based ice cream line, sweetened with Agave syrup. I picked up a pint of the Coconut flavor, naturally, and it was divine. The frozen treat has the same smooth, creamy texture of coconut milk, without the iciness of ice cream that’s too aerated.
Whole Foods carries a selection of their five flavors: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Mint Chocolate Chip and Coconut; other grocery chains nationwide will pick it up later in the year. At this point I say pass on the Chocolate, it just doesn’t hold up as a dairy-free flavor, but the gluten-free Cookie Dough may just be my new favorite ice-cream. Cookie Dough chunks and brittle fudgey bits!
With a heat wave in progress, it’s a great treat!
The Public Service Administration, a comedy troupe that has put together a number of parodies this election season, offers its view of why main stream media has ignored the 1992 tale of McCain calling his wife a c*nt in public, while on the campaign trail.
Here’s the uncensored version — not for office consumption.
I just finished reading Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Parts 5 & 6 looks at the Iraq war– including war profiteering and the explosive blowback that is to be expected. It’s absurd that contractors refused to hire Iraqis to do the work and instead shipped Americans in. The same happened in terms of raw materials, rather than use Iraqi companies, materials were shipped in from across country lines. When it looked as though the new government would shoot down the incredibly invasive participation by contractors, the US went on to appoint, rather than elect, a new gov’t so they could stay in control. One slap in the face after another for the country. Liberation, my ass. It’s amazing to see how different the outcome of the invasion of Iraq could have been had there been an iota of concern for the Iraqi people.
The US has aided in crippling economies globally to keep that increasingly elusive growth in the business world alive. Klein goes on to make a comparison between Iraq and Katrina contracting. Squelching recovery isn’t just for foreigners, we’re happy to treat American citizens the same way.
It’s heart breaking and should be required reading before November.
If you’re reading this post on Brazen Careerist, click through to the original post to see the included video.
And the parade of user generated election content continues. Here’s a parody/sad state of affairs, titled “I’m Voting Republican.”
For the past few days, we’ve been hearing about the flooding in the Midwest: levees at their max, evacuations of families and their pets, early estimates on damage. . . But where are our political leaders? While the candidates and the Bush administration were quick to put out a statement about Tim Russert’s death on Friday, there’s been little regarding the historic flooding.
Obama was out in Southern Illinois on Saturday, helping to fill sandbags and speaking with locals and the press.
Where is McCain this weekend? The flooding has the makings of a mini-Katrina if news reels and photos are the judge, which would make addressing this force of nature a priority.
Over at HalfricanRevolution, the blogger points out the stark differences between Obama and McCain’s response to the flooding. Not only has Obama shown up in person to lend a hand and talk to the people who live in the flood zone, but his campaign is coordinating efforts to help those affected by the flooding. The Obama campaign, not only provides a direct call to action by donating funds to help those hit by the flooding, but offers information about where to go if you can offer your time and manual labor to the natural disaster, utilizing his grassroots campaigning foundation to provide assistance where it’s needed in the country. HalfricanRevolution also points out that email has been sent to Obama supporters, who live in that region, to give them the info they need to lend a helping hand. Talk about microtargeting!
Meanwhile, on the McCain home page, the focus is on Father’s Day. Buried toward the bottom is a link to a three-line statement of support
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the flooding throughout the Midwest. Cindy and I would like to extend our sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones, and stand ready to help those in the Midwest to recover and rebuild.”
“Ready to help”, isn’t the really the same thing as showing up. Even if McCain is unable to fill sandbags like Obama, he could at the very least be on the ground, talking to those who are going to have to rebuild their lives once the waters recede. Comparisons to Katrina will inevitably be made in the coming weeks, so McCain’s team is going to want try to replace that classic image from the day Katrina hit in 2005.
CNN reports that McCain participated in a virtual town hall on Saturday afternoon, a telephone call he likely could have made from anywhere in the country. McCain could have been on the ground in Michigan or Iowa or Wisconsin, as well that day.
Seems like it’s 3am around the clock in the central part of the US this week, so we should be taking note of who steps up.
Michelle Obama back in an early Iowa campaign stop.
ditto
New airport scanners are providing security workers with the super power every child dreams of: x-ray vision. This alternative to the traditional pat down allows workers to see beneath your clothes to draw attention to any non-human items you are packing on your person.
A random selection of travellers getting ready to board airplanes in Washington, New York’s Kennedy, Los Angeles and other key hubs will be shut in the glass booths while a three-dimensional image is made of their body beneath their clothes.
The booths close around the passenger and emit “millimeter waves” that go through cloth to identify metal, plastics, ceramics, chemical materials and explosives, according to the TSA.
In additional to drawing attention to foreign objects, your naked body will be on display for a the assigned voyeur stationed in another room. Is a virtual strip search really the best way to ensure safe flights? Aren’t these scanners a violation of our privacy?
“People have no idea how graphic the images are,” Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union, told AFP.
The ACLU said in a statement that passengers expecting privacy underneath their clothing “should not be required to display highly personal details of their bodies such as evidence of mastectomies, colostomy appliances, penile implants, catheter tubes and the size of their breasts or genitals as a pre-requisite to boarding a plane.”
We’re not talking rough outlines of your body. . . we’re talking details down to your pores.
There I was in all my glory. My face was blurred out but the rest of my body was clear as day.
She rotated the black and white 3-D image so I could see every contour of my body, including my private parts. I could see sweat under my arms, the rivets in my jeans and a pack of gum in my back pocket.
While Transportation Security Administration workers are quick to point out
“Where do you think the bad guys hide stuff?”
at what point have we throw our civil liberities to the wayside to protect against the possibility of terrorist actions. At the end of the day, where there’s a will, there’s a way. If someone is meant to cause great harm, they will do what it takes to get results. How much privacy should we have to sacrifice in the name of security?
For the moment it seems that a lack of information is guiding travelers.
Passengers scanned in Baltimore said they did not know what the scanner did and were not told why they were directed into the booth.
Magazine-size signs are posted around the checkpoint explaining the scanners, but passengers said they did not notice them.
Darin Scott of Miami was annoyed by the process.
“If you don’t ask questions, they don’t tell you anything,” Scott said. When he asked a screener technical questions about the scanner, “he could not answer,” Scott said.
TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said the agency is studying passenger reaction and could “get more creative” about informing passengers. “If passengers have questions,” she said, “they need to ask the questions.”
Passengers can decline to go through a scanner, but they will face a pat-down.
Personally, if ever directly towards a booth, I’m going to ask for the pat down.
Tee included links to a Word Girl episode when commenting on my post, What Would Jesus Buy? I thought you’d enjoy the episode as well — the main point of the episode is to distinguish between the words “vague” and “specific,” but it uses marketing and advertising vagueness to explain the terms.
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