Control of the Media

Dan Rather's parting words upon the announcement of his departure from CBS.

"Too much is made of anchors and their personalities, their ups and downs. The larger issues -- the role of a free press and of honest, real news in a democracy, the role of technology in supporting a free press, the "corporatization" of news and its effects on news content -- all deserve more attention, more discussion and more passionate debate.

Dan Rather
Source: CNN

Control of the media is here. It is all around us. There is a machine feeding only that information which is consistent with maintaining control over and molding the general public's understanding of the world around them.

Originally, news outlets served as sources of information and events, based on facts, investigative in their nature. Now, it is more entertainment and spin than news.

Dissemination of misinformation as fact, to conceal the reality that would otherwise stir the populace into questioning the credibility and capability of their leaders, is the modus operandi of the major media outlets today. Relegating important topics to 15-30 second snippets, instead of the comprehensive analysis deserved, does not serve the public interest. On the contrary, the interests being served are those of the corporations, leaders, and financial stakeholders who would benefit from keeping the real news hidden and any mention of it minimized and lumped in with all the other 15-30 second snippets.

We are all running out of time. As it stands, the only place where real news, researched and presented in all its detail by first-hand accounts, can be found is the internet, specifically on independent, alternative news sites. It is only a matter of time before those outlets are either compromised or shut down.

Those in positions to reach an audience and have any sense of responbility to their profession, families, and communities, to let the truth be known, must speak out before it is too late.

Those who find the courage to act based on conscience, knowing what they are being told is not the truth and is resulting in the deaths of many innocent men, women, and children by the continued utterance of the lies, must act out before it is too late.

Speak out, act out, reach out...


Tagged: Censorship, Current Affairs, Media, News, News and Politics, Opinion, Politics.