Voice in the Cheap Seats
By Charles Tarlow
It does not take much insight to understand the political manipulation going on constantly at every level of politics.
If the truth is not being broken outright, it is being twisted into a pretzel, salted, and fed to us as a truthful meal that is anything but truthful. A truism that applies to political campaigning at all levels … city, state and national.
Whether it is a candidate for office or a proposition on the ballot, political statements and descriptions of propositions are all subject to political spin and the truth is often hard to discern from the half truths and lies.
The pillars of our Democracy are eroding as the powerful few use secrecy and deceit to mislead us into giving away our rights and squandering our votes at election time. Too often, what we think is good for the country is based on propaganda rather than facts and the Forth Estate, the American Free Press, has become a willing conspirator in the great deception. By parroting government propaganda and avoiding stories that need telling, the Press ingratiates itself to the powerful, gains advantageous access to those same folks, and makes money money money.
There was a time when the press was regarded as a Guardian of Freedom. We could rely on the press to shine the light of truth on corruption with no interference from management. Investigative reporting exposed Watergate and forced Nixon to resign the Presidency. No public official was above the law or out of reach of the press. Our leaders knew that if they crossed over to the dark side of politics or law, there was always the risk of exposure by the press. The “Fairness Doctrine” forced radio and television stations to air both sides of public issues and the news room was considered separate from the media business; more a public service than the entertainment, propaganda, and profit center it has become today.
More importantly, newspapers, radio, and television stations were owned by many people. We got our news from many sources. Investigative reporting was alive and well. Today a handful of powerful people and corporations own almost all the news media and they control what we see and hear. We are a one stop shop for news and that puts a lot of power in the hands of a very few. And when the Fairness Doctrine was eliminated under the Ronald Reagan Administration, it was the beginning of the end of the Forth Estate.
Today, politicians often determine what questions can be asked and what subjects will be avoided during press interviews. They can dictate the rules by threatening to withhold access to the press and management makes sure the news people go along with it to avoid trouble, or worse, to promote an agenda. We need a press independent of management control that will not be intimidated by politicians or management.
“Change” is the watchword of the upcoming election. Both sides say we need “Change”. Both sides say they will deliver “Change”. Where the truth lies is anybody's guess. Too often today’s candidates limit their campaigns to sound bites and controlled interviews. They want to know the questions in advance or they won't participate in interviews. Politics has become a dog and pony show rather than an honest discussion of relevant issues and proposed solutions.
They say we need change and for once they are right. We need to change the way we run the news business and the way we vet our politicos.
We need to have real debates. Organizations like the League of Women Voters should put together debates like they used to do ... with questions the candidates don't get in advance. If a candidate chooses not to participate, they should place a life size image of him or her at the podium and remind the people with each question that he/she refused to come and the reason given. Then every time a hard question is asked, remind the people again why the candidate is not there and give his/her time to the opponent who showed up. If they know they will be ridiculed and exposed if they don't show up, they'll be there.
Change: We need to make the news department independent again.
The broadcast license should require stations to provide news with no interference from management. Television and radio stations are lucrative businesses that operate on the public airwaves. News should be a cost of doing business rather than a profit generator. It is in their charter to serve the public interest. Radio and television stations should be required by law to provide independent news reporting. This should be written into their charter right along side “serve the public interest”.
Of course, changing the law will not necessarily accomplish our goal.
To achieve a free and independent press, we need to do more.
Change: We need to break up the ownership of newspapers, radio, and television stations. There is too much media in the hands of too few people. The time has come to bring back the laws limiting how much media one person or one corporation can own. If we don't do that, then we should change the name of the news room to the propaganda room.
It all comes down to Freedom. We need a free exchange of ideas. We need transparency in our government and our politics. And we need a free press to watch over and report what our politicos are doing.
Change.
It is what they say we need.
It is what they say they will deliver.
It is what we should demand.
Let’s stop the spin and take back America.
(Charles Tarlow is a community activist and served a two-year term on a neighborhood council in the mid-city area. Tarlow is a regular contributor to CityWatch. He can be reached at:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
) ◘
CityWatch
Vol 6 Issue 76
Pub: Sept 19, 2008
|
