At what lengths does our government use to control the media?

Question

If the Democrats try to do this, one can only imagine what the current administration is working on...

http://tidewateralive.com/buzz/nfblog/?p=189

The Path to 9/11 Could Kill ABC License to Broadcast
Posted Friday, Sep 8th, 2006

Washington, DC — The Senate Democratic Leadership has sent the following letter to Disney President and CEO Robert Iger, urging him to cancel the grossly inaccurate upcoming miniseries The Path to 9/11... (see website)
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Miniseries suggests fiction, so why the uproar?

While I agree the use of this miniseries to educate our youth is a concern, perhaps it is being used to inspire discussion and research, not claim certain events are factual.

The obligation of the media boils own to public interest. Unfortunately, I think private interest intervenes more often than not, leaving us to wonder what is fact and what is fiction.

1) Do all governments control media?
2) If not, what examples can we learn from?

Hey did you notice?

I have 911 Yahoo Points and it's 9/11/2006. Wow, I feel special.

So what is the deal with TV/Radio Stations and Cable channels?

I can understand why Radio stations can be a limited resource based on the spectrum of radio waves available, therefore the concept of public sharing policies.

TV Stations? Only so many local stations? Again, public sharing concept.

Cable channels? Is there really a limit? Now it seems more based on profit margins (more viewers, more profits from advertising sources, etc.)

With this in mind, TV and Radio are more socialistic in nature, while Cable is capitalistic? And if so, why do we not see more private channels popping up that offer their view on the world???

It seems cable or satellite channels offer the most opportunity to get away from the claws of government that attempt to control what is reported. Yes?

Yet CNN is one of those that seem less objective?

Answer 1

BRAVO! It's TIME for the US MEDIA to be CALLED ON THE CARPET for DELIBERATELY MISLEADING US!

Fact: ABC Used A Right Wing Think Tank to rewrite history around 9/11 (in a $40 million movie) and they've been BUSTED. And Yes, Many Governments Try To Control Their Media, but other countries' journalists STILL use the US media as the GOLD standard for media in a TRUE DEMOCRACY; they say when we go, there's no hope for those countries All ABC needed was a few more researchers, but as you can see, THE TRUTH WAS NOT WHAT THEY WANTED.

Here's the problem: The miniseries is fiction but people won't remember that when the show airs again and again in years to come during which time the Right Wing will work on cooking up more made up history. Mr. T "Pities the Fool" who believe the lies in this movie. So why not get the story straight, huh? Perhaps the upcoming election is involved? Hmm.

Here's more: The federal government cleverly developed a system whereby the same reporter is stationed at the White House, the Pentagon, etc. Rotate reporters in order to maintain "Objectivity" and to keep one reporter from becoming sucked into the government system (like the reporters "imbedded" with military troops and almost got killed). When you are imbedded, you follow only what the governments wants.

Here's extra: Local governments become too chummy with reporters, so you can be sure that the action news reporters in your town are sending their kids to the same school as the mayor, they're attending the same parties and drink at the same bars, sharing secrets, etc. Hence, no Objectivity.

Worse: The government controls what you see by slapping media organizations with tons of subpoenas (to prevent them from investigating stories) until editors decide to fall in line to avoid spending so much money on lawyers.

Inside dope: When corporations for networks took over the news organizations, they siphoned money away from reporters and producers so the budgets are miniscule now. Cheap budgets, thin stories and reporters who are afraid of losing their jobs.

News today consists stories that are safe from lawsuits-- no depth, lots of profiles and human interest stories where the subject will blame themselves (they won't sue themselves). The FOURTH ESTATE OF THE US CONSTITUTION EXISTS NO MORE!! HEY, "STOP THE INSANITY" -- Get points in Heaven by TELLING news organizations to BE BRAVE; GIVE US HARD FACTS ON WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW to keep us fascinated and tuned in.

Answer 2

Four different questions here !

The letter from the Democratic Leadership is political pressure, not government CONTROL. And I SERIOUSLY doubt the Democrats could come CLOSE to cancelling ABC's broadcast license over this matter. If the government TRULY controlled the media... the director Michael Moore would have disappeared.

The Media has INCREDIBLE latitude here in the USA... If a reporter can find OUT... they can report it ! We broadcast almost ANYTHING... except certain puritanical things from the FCC that destroy a broadcast of "Blazing Saddles" !!

Other governments controlling media ? Sure... China owns their newspapers, can block satellite broadcast by CNN, and uses the internet as a method of tracking down dissedents. The British CAN prevent the English press from releasing certain stories on a National Security basis.

All in all... the US is a hell of a better place to live that most in the world

And I agree that the fact it is a miniseries rather than a documentary suggests DRAMATIZATION... if not fiction.

Answer 3

I totally agree with you. Of course, there is an element that the media manipulates the public. What bothers me is the libs always itch n' moan at the smallest of things. At least ABC's miniseries is far more accurate than the hundreds of professors at colleges and universities claiming the government was behind 9/11. It is also more accurate than Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.

Answer 4

Yes, the govt. controls the three main media outlets.
It releases only certain info to them. If you notice also, the govt. releases BAD news usually on Fridays, and this is because it figures people are too busy on weekends to notice the bad news,

Some of the examples of bad news are unemployment figures, war stats, Congressional issues, etc..

It's a debate whether it's propaganda or not, but the more you study Journalism, you will see that it is and that most governments do control the media.

Answer 5

the Media controls the gov not the other way around.Israel would have slaughtered the Lebanese if certain people did not mess wit their tactic ts.

Answer 6

Umm, or does the media control the government?

Do we control the machines or is it the machines who control us, what is the difference?