The only business in America that is protected by the Constitution, the press, has failed the American citizens. Information is a powerful tool, in the hands of the people; it is an invaluable change agent. Mainstream news media pervert the facts, completely ignore certain aspects of events, and tailors to the corporations who have the ability to cut their funding. John F. Kennedy addressed the American Newspaper Publishers Association in 1961, in which he professed the dire need for the American public to be fully informed by our printing press. A Gallup poll released in September showed that 60 percent of Americans show little to no trust in the news media. How did this happen, and where is the investigative journalism to give citizens their much needed information?
The vaunted News Corporation which owns Fox News is controlled by Rupert Murdoch and his assorted friends and family members. It begs the question, if Mr. Murdoch does not want certain news to be broadcast to the public, will he get his way? CNN is owned wholly by Ted Turner's aptly named Turner Broadcasting System. General Electric and Comcast are the parents of NBC Universal, which owns MSNBC and CNBC. Is there a pattern here? Can we truly believe that the news from any of these corporations will be unbiased and unfiltered? Can we continue to listen to the mainstream news media for our news? Or should it be watched solely as entertainment? What is going on here?
As JFK said regarding the purpose of the press "not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and sentimental, not to simply "give the public what it wants"--but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold educate and sometimes even anger public opinion". Choose freedom on Nov. 6th.
Christopher Erdman
Muncy
Submitted by Virtual Newsroom
