WhatFinger


People in the Media today believe they are totally unshackled by anyone/everyone (including government) and this sense of freedom is unlimited

THE POWER OF THE MEDIA



THE POWER OF THE MEDIA The Media is a very powerful institution. No argument can be made otherwise. However, the power of the Media has increased greatly since the days of our founders. The Media at that time was not what it is today because of the various forms of modern news/entertainment. The founders saw “The Media” as the press, the printed word. They obviously recognized the power of the press. Considering Ben Franklin’s influence when he was beginning to have a say in society as a voice of truth, this was easy for them to accept. When Franklin worked at that newspaper, he was treading new ground in American journalism and history appreciates it. But that was the printed word, the only Media at that time.
Today, the Media yet includes the written word, mainly the press. However, the major actors in the Media now include those broadcasting on Radio and TV. In fact, their take on the political and societal scenario is predominant. People are not content to get the nitty-gritty of the news from the printed word alone. People in the Media today believe they are totally unshackled by anyone/everyone (including government) and this sense of freedom is unlimited. What is a shame and a disgrace is that they are also unshackled individually and as a group regarding personal responsibility to be truthfully “fair and balanced” in the absolute sense. The idea of being unlimited in their personal sense of morality and uprightness, including basic honesty, would be and has grown to be a foreign idea to most of them, or so it seems. This was not always true, though, about the printed word. There was a time when people got most of the background for the news from the printed word whether in some special journal or in a book written afterward. This is still possible but it means digging for it to find needed truth. One author, Bruce Herschensohn, in his book “The Gods of Antenna — how they slant the news from A to Z,” said that President Nixon was practically taken down by the Media’s concentration on him and that it led to his ultimate resignation and gives plenty of believable evidence to this effect. Sure, some have a different take on what happened with Nixon but if they have not read this book, a contemporary record of what actually happened, they are voicing opinion over fact. Herschensohn went on to say that after they “got” Nixon, this gave the Media the taste for blood and this is what we are seeing from them today. See the book here. This book, by the way, is a textbook about how the Media operated then and today, by an award-winning author who was/is experienced in Media practices. The byline for the book says, in part: There are three areas in which the truth of the past has been tragically misrepresented: The actions of the President, the role of the media, and the buried legacy of the South Vietnamese, the Laotians, the Cambodians and, of course, the Americans who gave their lives for the liberty of others.

Support Canada Free Press


The book dates to the Mid-Seventies but the tactics used by the Media have not changed. You can see them doing it on Network TV now. And the Media politely ignore that their viewing/reading public is getting wise to their tactics. It’s what they know. The Media got really fired up during the war in Iraq. This is easily seen by their gleefully presenting the daily body count while GW Bush was president. It seems that ex-President Bush has become a “fellow traveler” to the Left/Democrats in some ways because since he become an ex-president, they have generally kept clear of any criticism of him. This is, however, mainly because President Bush has also kept clear of politics, in the main. This could change overnight, though. The Left/Democrats are somewhat eager to take on someone or any group that is not in wholly in their applecart. No doubt, again, that this attitude coincides with their leanings toward the indoctrination of Saul Alinsky. David Frost, a British comedian, was a very funny guy, in my opinion. He was so funny, in fact, that he had a weekly show called TW3 (“That Was the Week that Was”) and he famously quipped many things appropriate to the news. He was great at seeing something serious of that day and by putting a comical spin to it. By using this format, the news was much easier to notice, understand and remember. One of Frost’s quips was when he looked deadpan into the camera and stated on one program: “To the medical student who put a stethoscope around his neck and masqueraded for hours as a doctor in a Lost Angeles hospital, goes our Ben Casey Award for Healing.” The shows were hilarious and they were unmerciful to the political scene of that day, all with a sense of humor. I’m sure everyone knows that Barry Goldwater lost the election to LBJ in 1964. Working up to the election, a big deal was made about Goldwater saying, when he was asked by some “reporter,” what he would do to end the war in Vietnam. Goldwater's response was that he would send bombers and troops to Vietnam to end the war. He was immediately labeled a Warmonger by the Left. This was big factor in his losing the election.

Everyone also knows that LBJ won that election but what is not remembered by very many is that LBJ did exactly what was used against Goldwater as a major factor in his losing the election; LBJ sent bombers and troops to Vietnam. But of course we cannot blame LBJ, he was just being truthful as much as politicians today who say one thing and, after the election, they do the opposite. However, when LBJ did this, did the Media call him out for it? Heavens, no! He was their man — a political animal. That week, though, David Frost solemnly looked into the camera and said, as if it were a big news item, “The award of the week goes to a former Republican politician who lost the election for saying he would send bombers and troops to Vietnam.” This was, of course, a subtle slam about LBJ sending bombers and troops to Vietnam after Goldwater saying he would do the same thing and losing the election in large part because of it. That was one of Frost’s last programs on network TV — if not the last, in fact. And should I add the fact that LBJ owned six (6) big TV stations in Texas? This is not a mark against Texas, by the way, but it is remarkable that a TV mogul, even in a small way, was influential enough to kill a critical voice on Network TV. We all know that the Left’s support of the First Amendment is remarkable, right? Sure, as long as what is said is in agreement with the Left/Democrats. If not, then shut ‘er down! ... LBJ shutting down David Frost is not so remarkable, then, when you consider the power of a sitting president even in that era. Let’s hope President Trump continues to use the inherent power of the Oval Office to thwart the efforts of the Left/Democrats/Media to undo him and, ultimately, the Nation. If this is not seen as the Left’s collective goal, then someone is not paying attention. Remember Dan Rather and his “reporting” about GW Bush being AWOL from the Air National Guard in an effort to discredit Bush’s trustworthiness and reliability? An aftermath of this, by the way, was Rather gaining the sarcastic surname of Collaborather. The story put forth by Rather was finally exposed, though, including his “source” (a fig newton of his imagination) as being highly unresponsive to the ideals of truth. Details of this story are given here. Did the Media even attempt to correct the “expose” of Rather? If so, I sure do not remember it. They were all about getting rid of President Bush at the time. No doubt the idea of impeachment was also bandied about in the Left’s camp, even then. And they would not care that it was a bogus story. (Russian Collusion?) They didn’t get some investigation about President Bush going back then, and amazingly so since it seems easy enough to do. This is because so little evidence of verifiable nature is required for them in Washington go get an investigation, especially for the Left. However, I’m sure there were judges back then who with a wink and a nod would practice politics more than Constitutional Law and sign off on an “investigation” — just like today. To some degree, the Media are gaining ground in their deceptive efforts or would seem so at times by what we see on TV. However, many more people today see the Media for what they are and what they are doing. Will the Media change? Don’t count on it. This would mean they would have to incorporate being fully/100% honest and to them, this would be treading new ground.


View Comments

Bob Lunsford -- Bio and Archives

Mr. Lunsford is a retired DoD telecommunications engineer, linguist and world traveler now living in eastern Kentucky. Still active in radio communications, he has several books copyrighted, one of which is now in final process of publication. He is politically motivated and, as much as possible, politically active.


Sponsored