Monday, June 05, 2006

The Media and "An Inconvenient Truth"

One of my take away messages from "An Inconventient Truth" is that the media is not giving us the information we need to discover the truth. I know, you knew that already. So this morning, I happen to find a bunch of posts that support, once again, this argument.

"TV Reporters Decry Drop in Iraq Coverage" ---How can we ever gain some understanding of how to end this nightmare without current information?
By the end of April, the amount of time devoted to Iraq on the weeknight newscasts of the three major television networks had dropped nearly 60% from 2003, according to the independent Tyndall Report tracking service.

Even before Monday's attack in a relatively placid section of Baghdad, some network television correspondents had reached the unsettling conclusion that, even as they were risking their lives in the war zone, audiences and producers in America had grown weary of much of the coverage from Iraq.


"Exxon CEO: "We're Going To Be An Active Participant In This [Global Warming] Debate. We're Just Going To Have To Disagree"... ---So they are flat out telling us that will continue to use the media to refute the scientific evidence. Once you misrepresent the truth, it's hard to acknowledge it.
The company still believes oil prices will come down from their lofty $70 a barrel levels, unlike others in the industry who think high oil prices are here to stay. It still views the science behind global warming with skepticism. And you won't see it investing in wind or solar energy any time soon.

"The term scientific consensus is an oxymoron in itself," Tillerson said when one shareholder suggested there was consensus on global warming.


"Can Pacifica Live Up to Its Promise?"--- The 'alternative media' is not immune to careerism and corporate inertia.

What needs to be scrutinized is the collusion of incumbent programmers, many of whom were put in place by the previous utterly corrupt management, with the current management that seems resistant to change -- and stays in place largely because of support from incumbent programmers. Some local board members seem to be joining such cliques; others seem reluctant to assert their power to reform the network.

People need to demand excellence from their independent media; not simply to repeat platitudes, but to provide a serious news, information and cultural infrastructure that exposes the mainstream media as the dinosaurs they are.


One final example: "AP spinning for GOP?"--- The question is rhetorical.
What other conclusion could be drawn from this headline: "Prospective Democratic Chairs All Liberal"? Here we go. Scare tactics with the L-word. Straight from the mouths of the GOP."

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