Our media system is broken. It’s primary customer tends to be its advertising partners, who carry an inevitable bias toward corporate power, profit, and self-interest. The large media conglomerates are not fulfilling their role in propping up our democracy as the “four estate.” Instead, we get “infotainment” that feigns the standards of journalist.
If you want to access media that is oriented toward ordinary people, and favors the interests or that majority, look no further than Democracy Now! You can also find great news from TruthDig and FAIR. There are good listener supported (rather than corporate supported) media, if you look around a bit.
This past week I attended FAIR’s 25th anniversary celebration. FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting) is a media watchdog group who publishes critical media reports and a great monthly publication, “Extra.” The event was excellent. It featured a powerhouse lineup of speakers: Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman, and Glenn Greenwald. The speakers gave a pointed critique of the entertainment media that tries to pass for journalism. These speeches are inspiring and stimulating. Check them out, and go raise some hell.
View these talks here:
1-Glenn Greenwald
2-Amy Goodman
3-Noam Chomsky
4-Michael Moore
http://www.fair.org