Interested in one reason why some news media broadcasters and/or newspapers say what they say or write even though they may not agree with what they say or write?
I often wondered why news casters on specific news stations or newspapers say or write in unison certain reports on an issue. In other words, why isn’t there balanced news reports on all stations instead of specific stations easily identifiable bias reporting of either Democrat of Republican political views. For example, Fox vs. CNN etc. etc.
Today I found one clue for the how and why news bias by some news media broadcasters. It is an age old, well known fact, that in life, money is power. This fact has been in existence ever since the concept of money came into existence in recorded history.
The only power that may help confront this fact is wisdom. In other words, are the newscasters and editors fools to willingly say or write reports they personally may not agree with? Why don’t they just quit which would be the wise and honorable choice?
Unfortunately, wisdom in the USA is not as powerful a motivator as money. The evidence becomes apparent by simply changing a TV station channel and listening to political pundits all reporting the same new opinions like puppets on a string. We cannot accuse a puppet of being a fool, only the person who controls the puppet strings, which leads to the one clue.
What One Clue?
The Chicago Tribune article titled, Sinclair employees say is costs a lot to quit, explains how newscasters must sign contracts to agree to subjected to costly liquidated damages for leaving before the term of their agreement is up.
King Solomon
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverb 22:1)
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked. (Proverb 25:26)
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. (Proverb 22:7)
Civic Purpose of Journalism
The civic purpose of journalism is to provide people with the information they need to be free and self-governing?
Advocacy Purpose of Journalism
“What was the original purpose of the news? Advocacy. People have been in the business of advocacy for a long time. Many of the early newspapers in this country proudly displayed their party affiliation. Advocates just provided “news” as an incentive to get people to read what they wrote. Of course, advocates also emphasized the news that furthered their cause.”
“What freedom of the press involves is permitting advocacy. We speak of non-biased reporting, but there is almost always somebody who thinks a news story, objective or not, is biased. Why? Well, some people always want whatever is reported to support their side. So we have to protect the right of reporters to report what they they should be reported. To get the whole story, we usually have to read multiple sources. That’s a pain in the neck, but it is what it is.” (Source Citizen Tom Blog)
What’s My Point?
Everyone working for someone in any industry may at times do or say what the boss tells them even though they may not agree with their boss as long as it is legal.
Not so if an employee has signed a damage clause that subjects the employee to huge financial penalties for quitting even if he personally does not want to take aim at the integrity of other US media outlets according to the article.
In other words, the saying money is power in a sense that a boss has power over an employee.
The wisdom proverbs imply that a wise person would not sacrifice their reputation for money. He or she knows by doing so, they become polluters of the minds of their liseners or followers. By signing the agreement they become slaves of sorts by allowing themselves to be indebted same as a poor man becomes in a sense, a slave to a rich man.
However, according to the civic purpose of journalism, and the First Amendment of freedom of speech, this not only becomes power over one employee, it become power of a propaganda tool to a nation of listeners in the USA.
A powerful tool that can in the same sense as polluting a stream, it pollutes the minds.
So where is the ACLU on this issue?
In My Opinion
Everyone who has had worked in a Purchasing Position is well aware of the benefits of competion among vendors helps to control prices. The same principal applies to news source. Howecer, in USA history over time, the number of news sources has dwindled from over two hundred sources to seven major news networks,
An indication of how powerful special interests want to control news sources in the USA can be evidenced by the selling prices in billions of dollars for a major news network when it goes up for sale or consolidation.
An indication of bias news reporting is to simply change channels and listen to obvious bias news advocacy by political pundits. Read the news articles in most newpapers and you can easily discern who or what issue side or advocacy the editor favors.
Newspapers and political opinion shows should haves balanced reporting on both sides of any issue. I doubt the special interest news owners agree with me, so in my opinion, syndicated news networks are now monopolies and needs to be broken up same as the oil monopoly was in USA history.
You Decide
Would you prefer to listen to both sides of political issues being reported in a balanced professional journalism for the purpose of being served to help you obtain information to be free and self -governing?
Do you believe Congress should pass legislation to breakup the seven major news networks on the basis they have become monopolies and propaganda tools for special interests willing to pay billions of dollars to obtain power?
So you believe unbalanced news is acting same as troublemakers by contributing to divisiveness and disunity in our Nation?
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Source Links
Chicago Tribune Article
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20180404/281964608283493
News Bias
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/23/AR2006072300512_2.html
Money and Power
https://www.thesimpledollar.com/money-and-power/
The Power of Wisdom
http://www.michellehammond.com/the-power-of-wisdom/
New Media in the USA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_media_in_the_United_States
Citizen Tom Quoted on News Advocacy
https://citizentom.com/2018/04/05/divided-by-those-who-write-history/comment-page-1/#comments
Trouble Makers
https://rudymartinka.com/2018/03/13/king-solomon-fake-news-troublemaker-sinners/
Journalism Hypocrisy
https://rudymartinka.com/2015/03/25/king-solomon-journalism-bias-hypocrisy-part-2/
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Neat post! Thank you for the honor of including my words.
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The idea is to understand the realistic “shortcomings of news reporting.. be they biased to the bosses who pull the strings of their reporter employees, personal biases, the pursuit of money and market share… the entire issue rests with a person’s ability to use their critical thinking skills.. if they even have any. For the most part.. not every human has that very well refined. A fair amount of us wake up each morning pissed at one thing or another that we assigned has made our life miserable… or tests our idea of what we think is fair. So we become biased to one thought or idea… when there can be many alternatives/reasons.
I did a four part series on critical thinking as it relates to interpreting the media.
http://www.findingpoliticalsanity.com/using-your-head-over-emotion-or-how-to-not-sound-like-an-ignorati-idiot-part-1-critical-thinking/
http://www.findingpoliticalsanity.com/using-your-head-over-emotion-or-how-to-not-sound-like-an-ignorati-idiot-part-2-critical-thinking/
http://www.findingpoliticalsanity.com/using-your-head-over-emotion-or-how-to-not-sound-like-an-ignorati-idiot-part-3-media-literacy/
http://www.findingpoliticalsanity.com/media-literacy-a-postscript/
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.@doug
I read your posts on critical thinking which I never had any formal schooling about.
Frankly it seems to me that journalists are responsible to provide reporting based on facts not what their editors tell them to say to keep their positions.
Call it critical thinking or any other phraseology. Facts are facts are facts.
I have been watching a new news source lately, OAN news and like the way they report the news and leave out the opinions.
I prefer to digest the facts, less the bias and opinions, for myself.
I agree with Koppel’s statement in your last post.
Koppel: “You have attracted people who are determined that ideology is more important than facts.”
When a puppet newscaster is told to badmouth another source by their superiors, that appears to be promoting bias, not facts.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Thanks for your comments.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
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Doug,
I wrote a post today with you specifically in mind today.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
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