Monday, September 5, 2011

How the for profit media killed America

The invention of the 24/7 for profit media may have been the death nail in the coffin that is America. Before Fox “news” and MSNBC the politicians had to go on television and answer tough questions and where called out on their lies and misinformation. The half hour news shows where the only place for them to have their message heard so even if they where called out on their BS they had no choice but to come back on or risk losing. Somewhere along the line television networks realized there was profit to be made in the news business and the all news networks where born.

Fox “news” started in 1996 and rose to power with their coverage of the Clinton sex scandal and the 2000 election scandal. They spent all their time covering the scandals and ignoring real news like President Clinton warning about terrorists and Bin Laden, there was no money in that. After the Supreme Court made George W. Bush the president of the United States fox became the republican network of record which caused MSNBC to go even further left.

While the idea of all news networks sounded fine at first they quickly stopped being about the news and more about carrying the water for their favorite political party. Nothing showed this more then the Anthony Weiner “scandal” where Fox “news” covered it every hour of every day until he was forced to leave office it was mentioned on MSNBC but not nearly as often and with such hatred. While Mr. Weiner was attacked by fox news they barely covered the scandal that broke in July of 2007 when then congressman David Vitter admitted he used the D.C. madam and was involved with prostitutes (which is actually a crime) with the support of the GOP and the Fox News network he not only didn’t leave office but became a Senator making him one of the 100 most powerful people in the United States.

Fox “news” spent years attacking Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi and questioned all her decisions but when the republicans took back the house they where more then happy to back John Boehner as speaker of the house. Not one time did they mention that in 1995 while the house was voting on anti tobacco legislation the very same Mr. Boehner was seen on the house floor handing out checks to bribe his fellow republicans to vote in favor of the tobacco companies. When the news broke in 2010 of rumors Speaker of the house John Boehner was having an affair with a lobbyist it didn’t even make the news while rumors of John Edwards where covered often by shows like the O’reilly factor and others.

The worst part of the twenty four hour news networks is what they have done to American people. If you are a republican/tea party person then you just have to turn on Fox and they will justify your hatred and fears instead of giving both sides or even the truth. If you are liberal you can turn on the MSNBC evening lineup and have your views thrown back at you, again not learning both sides or even the truth. The saddest fact is that news networks can no longer even challenge a politician on their lies because if they do then that person doesn’t ever have to appear on their network again and can go on a network that shares their own views only. You will never see ½ term governor Sarah Palin appear on CNN or MSNBC because she might be asked tough questions when she can just go on Fox and not be challenged.

The invention of the 24/7 for profit media was the death of real news and on of the biggest reasons America is so divided. People don’t have to be challenged on their views anymore they can just turn on the “news” networks that represent their views and live their lives happy and uniformed.

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