Do you sometimes wonder why the American people seem to support more offshore drilling, despite the fact that it won’t make a difference on gas prices?
Its not only that its all in how the question gets asked, it also turns out that the media is simply not telling a critical piece of data.
According to a study released yesterday by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the media has completely left out the critical fact in reporting on offshore drilling – namely the official study from Bush’s Department of Energy that says drilling won’t impact prices for decades, and only then by pennies.
Fifty-six percent of Americans get their news from television. Looking at the biggest network and cable shows, out of 267 news programs between June 16th and August 9th, there was only ONE, that cited the EIA’s estimate that the increased oil production would not significantly affect gasoline prices.
Good job CEPR. Major TV media, not so much.
“Following the same course that virtually every other major industry has in the last two decades, a relentless series of mergers and corporate takeovers has consolidated control of the media into the hands of a few corporate behemoths. “The result has been that an increasingly authoritarian agenda has been sold to the American people by a massive, multi-tentacled media machine that has become, for all intents and purposes, a propaganda organ of the state.” — David McGowan from the introduction to Derailing Democracy
I wouldn’t call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either: Edward Zehr
From: DiamondtelDeb
To: drshow@wamu.org
Sent: 9/10/2008 7:43:42 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Defense of Media
As an informed Voter, I believe the media is handicapped by its advertisers and the fact that the major networks are no longer “independent”. It should be obvious to anyone that a tv news monopoly that proclaims to be “the most trusted name in news” and then has mega ads for no-such-thing-as-clean coal and Exxonmobil, BP, ConocoPhilips or any of the major oil corporations is anything but realistic in its coverage.
That’s why I trust NPR, my local newspaper (McClatchy-Charlotte Observer) and a few other internet sources that don’t rely heavily or at all on Big Oil/Coal/Pharma money as do most the politicians.
Obama is OBVIOUSLY the least “attached” to the Big Money and most interested in making the changes we need to survive as a nation –
such as his willingness to talk to our “enemies”, willingness to depart from the fossil fuelishness that is destroying our planet, honesty and strength of character. I hope to see him elected. I hope we can keep him humble as a public servant that serves the common interest.
I’d like to take the pressure off the media by making it once again public and no longer the monopoly the Bush/Cheney/McCain/Rove administration have created.
Sincerely, Deb Arnason – c 386-288-4454
Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Government
12 Dill St, Alva, FL 33920 for the winter 239-728-3147
360 Webb Rd, Wadesboro, NC 28170 704-851-3925 H
Lee County Florida snowbird and NC Canary-in-the-Coal-Mine
“It is difficult to get a man to
understand something, when his job depends on his not understanding
it.” Upton Sinclair
The doublespeak:
In an energy speech recently, McCain said that: “As for offshore drilling, it’s safe enough these days that not even Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could cause significant spillage from the battered rigs off the coasts of New Orleans and Houston.”
The truth:
The hurricanes totally destroyed 113 oil rigs, according to the government’s Minerals Management Service, and damaged 457 pipelines. The resulting oil spills were large enough to be seen from space, according to several reports. – Washington Post