No seriously, no condescending here. something to think about.
It is almost impossible for any news outlet to be unbiased these days... the most controversial get the best ratings, which means more money. Fox news has the best ratings (i.e., makes Robert Murdoch and News Corp a fuck ton of money.) It pays to be controversial, no matter how damaging that is to the public sphere of information these days.
but don't take my word for it... here is the most recent 10- from NewsCorp inc. itself... read the business description and the breakout of revenue... http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/DisplayFiling.aspx?dcn=0001193125-11-295489, straight from the employees and management at NewsCorp.
MSNBC is as guilty as Fox news is with this. What is their slogan? "Lean Forward," with crazy socialist hipsters openly touting more government spending in their advertisments. come on now... they are second (i think) in ratings, and the most biased towards the left. but guess who owns most of MSNBC? Microsoft, GE, and Comcast, some of the largest corporations on Earth, who have to make their quarterly numbers for wall street. This shit is all connected fellas
Anyone with half a brain knows the media is biased today, perhaps even more so than in the past... but a lot of people don't understand WHY. And that is, of course for 1. the almighty dollar and 2. to support the employee constituencies at the news outlets.
Point number 2 is really important: You better believe those news folks get more coverage and exclusive events when their favorite party is in office... but it works both ways too... the "losing" (politically, of course) gains a higher following in investigative journalism, and while it gets less exclusive access with the administration and senators, it takes a more objective view. Either way, it pays for the news organizations to have more RADICAL CANDIDATES IN OFFICE, because, hey, it makes great news, helping point number 1... make money by charging advertisers higher rates because the news channel has the highest ratings.
So, in short... take major cable news, all news really, with a grain of salt... do your own fact finding behind the article's claims, check who wrote the article, connect the dots.
Which brings me to my more important point... wouldn't it behoove production companies that have production wings (like Comcast, for example, and Disney, who owns ABC along with other movie production companies) to "encourage" (READ: BRAINWASH) young individuals to fit their brand of political leanings?
Here's where the dots get connected: The muppets movie was made by Disney, which owns ESPN, ABC, The Disney Channel, ABC Family, Lifetime Entertainment, A&E Networks, and a 25% stake in NBC Universal (lolwut), and The HEarst Corporation (which owns a fuck ton of magazines, including Esquire, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Oprah's magazine, 17, etc.). Haven't seen the flick, but my guess is there is all kinds of subliminal marketing to get Disney products purchased in that movie by those impressionable kids and their parents.
YOU BETTER BELIEVE that such political activity against "corporations" is driven to encourage liberals to watch NBC and ABC news (generally leans left, in my opinion) so their corporation can make money to make their numbers off those liberals to please Wall St. hating corporations to make corporations money... this shit is everywhere. Its brilliant really. I'd say nicely done.
My last point is this: This subliminal stuff happens all the time, on both sides of the fence. FOX News is right to call them out on it, but this happens elsewhere... Frat culture for example, encourages blind loyalty to the republican party, and tons of people (clothiers) profit off that. Ever heard of Vineyard Vines, Brookes Brothers, Polo, Sperrys? same shit.
You must have the wherewithal to swim through the bullshit, see the links in the chain, and make your own decisions. I'm a Republican with Libertarian leanings, proud of it, strong in my beliefs, no doubt. But that doesn't mean I don't look for reasons the facts are twisted and that everything isn's always as it seems. Do your homework, see the links, and know when to call bullshit, even if you agree with the statement that is being blindly thrown around.
end rant, lol. Going to the NYSE this week (street cred? ;) )
