Not Necessarily the News:

Here's an another article showing one of the reasons I can't stand the U.S. media.

"How Sinclair Broadcast Group bent the rules, bought politicians, and faked the news to become one of the largest independent owners of television stations in America."

"Chances are you’ve never heard of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sure, it might be the largest independent owner of television stations in America, an empire of sixty channels spread across thirty-seven cities with a signal that reaches nearly a quarter of the TV-watching public, but even if you happen to receive that signal and watch it every night, getting your Sinclair news and Sinclair weather and Sinclair commentary from a Sinclair station, chances are you’ve still never heard of Sinclair and have no idea you’re watching it."

There's been so much media-generated spin on the so-called Liberal Media, you'd think it was a dominant force in America, but it's not. The liberal media is mostly a phantom, and a red herring, used by conservatives to quell anything that doesn't tow the (republican) party line. Why do you think there was so much fuss from the conservatives when Air America Radio was launched? It was because it's the exception, not the rule, as far as "Liberal" radio goes. The main bulk of radio talk shows are predominantly conservative in their politics.

I've always liked listening to radio talk shows when at work, as opposed to listening to the same songs played over and over again. Years ago, I was able to hear a fairly even mix of political views, but begining in the 80s, I began noticing, one by one, the liberal hosts were being replaced by conservative ones. And today, they ( Con/Rep) act like their message is constantly drowned out by a phantom called the "Liberal Media". Nothing could be farther from the truth

Now, I've never mentioned which side of the political fence I sit on in this blog, though you may guess by some of my posts that I'm a Liberal/Democrat. You'd be wrong. I'm neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal, or Conservative. If you don't believe me, just wait till the next time we get a Democratic administration. I think for myself, and would never join any group that I couldn't believe in 100%, and since I have no political party (or ideology) to follow blindly, I have to make up my own mind, which means I need information. One of the avenues of information is the media, and through it, I expect to find as many viewpoints as can fit in a given time slot. But from what I've seen, as in the case of the Sinclair Broadcast Group, the media in general, has become nothing more than a one-sided tool for the establishment (ie; government). Oh, they may give the other side some air play, sometimes, but then they'll give even more air time to the conservative viewpoint.

Even local TV station anchors get into the act by throwing in little comments after running a story opposing the status quo with "Hmm, can you believe that?", or "Well, lets hope that doesn't happen", or "I don't think that's a popular opinion". Subtle, but all their seemingly unscripted banter, always tends to support whatever the goverment position is. And since local achors are promoted as likable celebrities, local people (no matter where they originally came from), trusted, and looking out for your best interests and that of the community, their little comments are being used to influence public opinion. Once upon a time, newscasters did like the print media by having a separate, announced, segment for airing their opinions, now they subtilely sprinkle them throughout the program, incorporating their "personal" opinions within the news storys.

Remember the farce about the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), where there was talk about it being too liberally biased? About cutting it's funding, of killing it altogether? Where do you think that stink rose from? For a time, PBS was being attacked on all sides, even from conservative pulpits. Remember how they tried to trash the childrens programming by calling Sesame Streets' Bert and Ernie, as well as the Teletubbies' Tinky Winky, gay? It was all designed kill a broadcast system that wasn't acting properly in regards to it's independant style of programming. It wasn't towing the party line. They did manage to get rid of Bill Moyers. His crime, asking too many of the wrong questions, and exposing things that were supposed to stay hidden.

And the media, which is owned mostly by conservative-minded mega corporations, still has the the gall to call itself, with pride, a Free Press. Bullshit!