Full Version: Forget bias
After watching coverage of two recent events, I thought I would try and raise the media bias topic again, with a bit of a twist. Here goes.
First see the ABC NEWS story here regarding the riots in Toledo over the weekend. My emphasis added to the headline and sub-headline. I watched this on TV, and it gives me no joy to report that black people were the only ones seen rioting. Indeed, there was not a white face to be seen. There were only 20 or so white marchers, and they never even marched. I hate white supremacists, but I am also fearful of ABC news telling me, literally, that black is white. If you didn't see the video, how else could you interpret this headline?
Then I was remembering some reporting from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina which depicted the worst of humanity - women and children being raped, gangs slitting the throats of innocents in the Superdome, dead bodies stacked in freezers, toxic waste contaminating everything for years. Of course, most of this simply wasn't true. However, that didn't stop the media from breaking their own arms patting themselves on the back. Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News, said it was the media's "finest hour" and that "network news assignment editors should have been running FEMA" during Katrina. link
Despite the media self-congratulation, there were many stories reported that simply weren't true - as noted by the Guardian
Not to mention unsubstantiated stories of police shooting kids in the head, or USA Today noting that there were indeed no bodies stacked in the cooler at the Superdome. Or the fact that the wastewater was not the toxic soup we heard breathlessly reported while watching the TV coverage. Also reported by The Huffington Post - African-American activist Randall Robinson wrote "It is reported that black hurricane victims in New Orleans have begun eating corpses to survive."
Just last week, in New Jersey, the Today Show had one of their reporters in a canoe, apparently in flood waters, and two guys walked by in front of the camera. Demonstrating that there were only a couple inches of water and the whole thing was staged. video link (wmv file) Coincidentally, they aired this bit immediately after a segment accusing the Bush administration of "staging" comments from soldiers in Iraq. Katie and Matt don't do irony.
Questions for debate:
Do racial bias and / or political correctness play a role in the media's depiction of current events?
(As in ABC saying that "white supremacists" rioted when indeed black people were the only ones seen rioting?)
Did racism affect the accuracy (or non-accuracy) of Hurricane Katrina coverage?
Notably the coverage of 'urban myths' as reality - gang rape, murder and even cannibalism were reported as fact.
Do our perceptions of race affect the way we see the news and current events?
For example - white folks like me heard (and believed) that gangs were "shooting at helicopters" while black folks heard (and believed) that the levees were blown up by the government to save white neighborhoods at the expense of black ones.
What other factors affect media accuracy?
Sensationalism, ratings, rush to get the story....
First see the ABC NEWS story here regarding the riots in Toledo over the weekend. My emphasis added to the headline and sub-headline. I watched this on TV, and it gives me no joy to report that black people were the only ones seen rioting. Indeed, there was not a white face to be seen. There were only 20 or so white marchers, and they never even marched. I hate white supremacists, but I am also fearful of ABC news telling me, literally, that black is white. If you didn't see the video, how else could you interpret this headline?
QUOTE(Associated Press)
White Supremacists Riot in Toledo, Ohio
Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Declares Emergency, Sets Curfew After Hundreds of White Supremacists Riot
Police use tear gas against an unrully group of protestors, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005, in Toledo, Ohio, where violence erupted between police and local protestors. A crowd that gathered to protest a planned march Saturday by a white supremacist group turned violent, throwing baseball-sized rocks at police and vandalizing vehicles and stores, including setting a bar on fire. Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices designed to stun suspects, only to see the groups reappear nearby and resume throwing rocks and bottles. (AP Photo/J.D. Pooley)
Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Declares Emergency, Sets Curfew After Hundreds of White Supremacists Riot
Police use tear gas against an unrully group of protestors, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005, in Toledo, Ohio, where violence erupted between police and local protestors. A crowd that gathered to protest a planned march Saturday by a white supremacist group turned violent, throwing baseball-sized rocks at police and vandalizing vehicles and stores, including setting a bar on fire. Officers wearing gas masks fired tear gas canisters and flash-bang devices designed to stun suspects, only to see the groups reappear nearby and resume throwing rocks and bottles. (AP Photo/J.D. Pooley)
Then I was remembering some reporting from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina which depicted the worst of humanity - women and children being raped, gangs slitting the throats of innocents in the Superdome, dead bodies stacked in freezers, toxic waste contaminating everything for years. Of course, most of this simply wasn't true. However, that didn't stop the media from breaking their own arms patting themselves on the back. Andrew Heyward, President of CBS News, said it was the media's "finest hour" and that "network news assignment editors should have been running FEMA" during Katrina. link
Despite the media self-congratulation, there were many stories reported that simply weren't true - as noted by the Guardian
QUOTE
There were two babies who had their throats slit. The seven-year-old girl who was raped and murdered in the Superdome. And the corpses laid out amid the excrement in the convention centre. In a week filled with dreadful scenes of desperation and anger from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina some stories stood out.
<snip>
New Orleans police have been unable to confirm the tale of the raped child, or indeed any of the reports of rapes, in the Superdome and convention centre. New Orleans police chief Eddie Compass said last night: "We don't have any substantiated rapes. We will investigate if the individuals come forward."
And while many claim they happened, no witnesses, survivors or survivors' relatives have come forward.
Nor has the source for the story of the murdered babies, or indeed their bodies, been found. And while the floor of the convention centre toilets were indeed covered in excrement, the Guardian found no corpses.
<snip>
New Orleans police have been unable to confirm the tale of the raped child, or indeed any of the reports of rapes, in the Superdome and convention centre. New Orleans police chief Eddie Compass said last night: "We don't have any substantiated rapes. We will investigate if the individuals come forward."
And while many claim they happened, no witnesses, survivors or survivors' relatives have come forward.
Nor has the source for the story of the murdered babies, or indeed their bodies, been found. And while the floor of the convention centre toilets were indeed covered in excrement, the Guardian found no corpses.
Not to mention unsubstantiated stories of police shooting kids in the head, or USA Today noting that there were indeed no bodies stacked in the cooler at the Superdome. Or the fact that the wastewater was not the toxic soup we heard breathlessly reported while watching the TV coverage. Also reported by The Huffington Post - African-American activist Randall Robinson wrote "It is reported that black hurricane victims in New Orleans have begun eating corpses to survive."
Just last week, in New Jersey, the Today Show had one of their reporters in a canoe, apparently in flood waters, and two guys walked by in front of the camera. Demonstrating that there were only a couple inches of water and the whole thing was staged. video link (wmv file) Coincidentally, they aired this bit immediately after a segment accusing the Bush administration of "staging" comments from soldiers in Iraq. Katie and Matt don't do irony.
Questions for debate:
Do racial bias and / or political correctness play a role in the media's depiction of current events?
(As in ABC saying that "white supremacists" rioted when indeed black people were the only ones seen rioting?)
Did racism affect the accuracy (or non-accuracy) of Hurricane Katrina coverage?
Notably the coverage of 'urban myths' as reality - gang rape, murder and even cannibalism were reported as fact.
Do our perceptions of race affect the way we see the news and current events?
For example - white folks like me heard (and believed) that gangs were "shooting at helicopters" while black folks heard (and believed) that the levees were blown up by the government to save white neighborhoods at the expense of black ones.
What other factors affect media accuracy?
Sensationalism, ratings, rush to get the story....
Just to correct the first story for a moment. If i remember correctly, the story was that a white supremacist group had a planned march in Toledo but in fact never showed up. Who DID show up were counter-protesters who were mostly black. Then they began to riot.
I have no idea what is going on with the media today. It is frightening how bad our reporting is becoming. Many stories are built on rumors rather than facts (examples--Karl Rove investigation, Aruba story, hurricanes).
Add to the list this bird flu from Asia. I just watched a report on MSNBC about how unprepared the US is for the bird flu. They explained that the US is not ready for the hundreds of thousands of cases that "health officials" are predicting.
After a quick search, I find that there have been around 120 cases in Asia. Sure, around half of them died, but each of these people had been directly exposed to an infected bird. Bird flu has been around for over a century. Infection from contact with an infected bird is rare. Transmissions between humans are almost non-existant--only 3 suspected cases (none confirmed).
From these facts, this has become the next pandemic, even before it kills any significant number of people. It is expected to mutate. OK, call me when it mutates. It is expected to swamp the US's healthcare system. So far, no cases in the US. I'm sure poultry workers should be made aware of the increased dangers, but otherwise I am unconcerned.
What other factors affect media accuracy?
The junk being put out as news today is due to one thing: the 24 hour news cycle. Everything today is news. Britney Spears takes pictures of her baby (shocker!!) tune in to CNN. People dying of old age--check out our around the clock coverage on MSNBC. George Bush is really a politician--tune in to our analysis on Fox News.
The news media is simply searching for stories. It wants to scoop the other (innumerable) news outlets. In the quest to be "first to market" (ever heard that term?), accuracy suffers. See my full report tonight on Amlord News, your 24 hour news source for over 20 seconds!!
The racism angles, the inaccurate headlines (funny, the story itself about the rioting in Toledo seems accurate, but the headline is woefully wrong), and news stories done while reporters float in "flood waters" 3 inches deep are simply sensationalism. In other words: marketing.
News has turned into a big business. Cable TV: Economics The numbers are a bit dated (2003) but the trend is telling: ratings are king.
An interesting read: CNN: Exploiting Your Fear for Fun & Profit.
Add to the list this bird flu from Asia. I just watched a report on MSNBC about how unprepared the US is for the bird flu. They explained that the US is not ready for the hundreds of thousands of cases that "health officials" are predicting.
After a quick search, I find that there have been around 120 cases in Asia. Sure, around half of them died, but each of these people had been directly exposed to an infected bird. Bird flu has been around for over a century. Infection from contact with an infected bird is rare. Transmissions between humans are almost non-existant--only 3 suspected cases (none confirmed).
From these facts, this has become the next pandemic, even before it kills any significant number of people. It is expected to mutate. OK, call me when it mutates. It is expected to swamp the US's healthcare system. So far, no cases in the US. I'm sure poultry workers should be made aware of the increased dangers, but otherwise I am unconcerned.
What other factors affect media accuracy?
The junk being put out as news today is due to one thing: the 24 hour news cycle. Everything today is news. Britney Spears takes pictures of her baby (shocker!!) tune in to CNN. People dying of old age--check out our around the clock coverage on MSNBC. George Bush is really a politician--tune in to our analysis on Fox News.
The news media is simply searching for stories. It wants to scoop the other (innumerable) news outlets. In the quest to be "first to market" (ever heard that term?), accuracy suffers. See my full report tonight on Amlord News, your 24 hour news source for over 20 seconds!!
The racism angles, the inaccurate headlines (funny, the story itself about the rioting in Toledo seems accurate, but the headline is woefully wrong), and news stories done while reporters float in "flood waters" 3 inches deep are simply sensationalism. In other words: marketing.
News has turned into a big business. Cable TV: Economics The numbers are a bit dated (2003) but the trend is telling: ratings are king.
An interesting read: CNN: Exploiting Your Fear for Fun & Profit.
QUOTE(lederuvdapac @ Oct 18 2005, 07:44 PM)
Just to correct the first story for a moment. If i remember correctly, the story was that a white supremacist group had a planned march in Toledo but in fact never showed up. Who DID show up were counter-protesters who were mostly black. Then they began to riot.
I agree with your take on the story. However, if you are unfamiliar with the events, and read this:
QUOTE
White Supremacists Riot in Toledo, Ohio
Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Declares Emergency, Sets Curfew After Hundreds of White Supremacists Riot
Mayor of Toledo, Ohio, Declares Emergency, Sets Curfew After Hundreds of White Supremacists Riot
What you you think happened? I just clicked it and it's still up on the ABC News page I linked above. link I don't understand this - you would think after 3 days the AP would at least correct the headline. Not that White Supremacists need defending, but it is supposed to be "news."
QUOTE(amlord)
After a quick search, I find that there have been around 120 cases in Asia. Sure, around half of them died, but each of these people had been directly exposed to an infected bird. Bird flu has been around for over a century. Infection from contact with an infected bird is rare. Transmissions between humans are almost non-existant--only 3 suspected cases (none confirmed).
You're right and I noticed this too. The scary thing is that, in a press conference, Bush actually sounded smart when asked about this. He seemed pretty well-versed on it having to go "bird - human - human" before it was a problem. I was frankly shocked that the gov't was up to speed on this. Or at least that Bush was well-prepped for such a topic.
How about the time the news reporter was in the canoe/boat acting like she was in water at least 3+ feet deep, to only have two men in galoshes walk between her and the camera. They claimed they were not trying to misrepresent the situation... Rightttttt! 
As a side note carlito.. I believe since 3 of your 4 debate questions deal with race, shouldn't this be in that section. Just wondering.
As a side note carlito.. I believe since 3 of your 4 debate questions deal with race, shouldn't this be in that section. Just wondering.
Do racial bias and / or political correctness play a role in the media's depiction of current events?
(As in ABC saying that "white supremacists" rioted when indeed black people were the only ones seen rioting?)
I think the caveat added to the question is unfair. ABC must have been the only one to characterize it as such. And besides, the neo-Nazis were the core cause of the riot. They planned to march through an overwhelmingly African-American neighborhood with a well-known gang problem. What would any sane person think might happen?
In fact, I suspect that the white supremacist cretins derived a great deal of satisfaction from planning their march, watching the protests form, and then canceling the march, to “prove” their racist beliefs, i.e. “see how those people act?” while painting themselves blameless. Maybe I’m giving these morons too much credit, but what a smart PR move (in a twisted sort of way). And they got a lot of attention, too, when they otherwise would be as obscure and unimportant as they truly are. Blame the media for that.
The leader of this bunch of losers (Bill White) came from Roanoke, Virginia. The city of Roanoke is so embarrassed by this fact that their mayor issued an apology to the mayor of Toledo!
But the mayor of Roanoke is also unhappy with the media.
The media can’t win. They mention that the leader is from Roanoke (a fact), so now that city is offended. Cover the riots, get criticized; don't cover them, get criticized more.
Most depictions of the riots I have seen/read mention the fact that the authorities expected gang members to cause trouble. Is there any situation more volatile than neo-Nazis in predominantly black neighborhoods? I don’t pretend to understand why residents destroy their own neighborhoods, but I can assume there is a great deal of anger at its core.
The media is not to blame for anything other than sensationalizing a news story (which they do all the time). PC has nothing to do with it. TV news is driven by ratings, which is why I get most of my news from the 'net. I would have liked to see on-air media offer a little more depth to a story than “blacks riot in Toledo!” and I will blame the national media for one thing: not bringing up the genesis of this whole mess. This must have been all over the local news in Toledo, but this is the first I've seen of it. It seems the spark that started the riot was an incident in August with a white resident in Toledo threatening his neighbor's kids.
See, a white guy essentially started the whole mess with the media in the first place, so ABC wasn't so far off after all. <jk>
CNN is the only national news outlet that I could find who addressed the root cause of the incident.
People use the media for their own ends. It was ever so, and will forever be so.
(As in ABC saying that "white supremacists" rioted when indeed black people were the only ones seen rioting?)
I think the caveat added to the question is unfair. ABC must have been the only one to characterize it as such. And besides, the neo-Nazis were the core cause of the riot. They planned to march through an overwhelmingly African-American neighborhood with a well-known gang problem. What would any sane person think might happen?
QUOTE
The NSM, a Nazi party, claimed it was coming to Toledo to show white people how to fight gang violence in an integrated yet predominantly Black north Toledo neighborhood. Worker
In fact, I suspect that the white supremacist cretins derived a great deal of satisfaction from planning their march, watching the protests form, and then canceling the march, to “prove” their racist beliefs, i.e. “see how those people act?” while painting themselves blameless. Maybe I’m giving these morons too much credit, but what a smart PR move (in a twisted sort of way). And they got a lot of attention, too, when they otherwise would be as obscure and unimportant as they truly are. Blame the media for that.
The leader of this bunch of losers (Bill White) came from Roanoke, Virginia. The city of Roanoke is so embarrassed by this fact that their mayor issued an apology to the mayor of Toledo!
But the mayor of Roanoke is also unhappy with the media.
QUOTE
Council members suggested that White's ties to the city tainted Roanoke's reputation. Councilman Brian Wishneff said he was disturbed to hear Roanoke repeatedly identified as White's hometown during national coverage of the Toledo riot over the weekend. Times-Dispatch
(emphasis mine)The media can’t win. They mention that the leader is from Roanoke (a fact), so now that city is offended. Cover the riots, get criticized; don't cover them, get criticized more.
Most depictions of the riots I have seen/read mention the fact that the authorities expected gang members to cause trouble. Is there any situation more volatile than neo-Nazis in predominantly black neighborhoods? I don’t pretend to understand why residents destroy their own neighborhoods, but I can assume there is a great deal of anger at its core.
QUOTE
If we simply had done nothing in opposition of the neo Nazis protest, we would have said and accomplished so much more.
I received a call from The BG News to see if the Latino Student Union was going to go up to Toledo in a counter protest, to add to the ignorance and portray more black and brown faces for the news.
We did not. As educated ethnic minorities we must realize the repercussions of our actions and forewarn others to do the same. BG News
(emphasis mine)I received a call from The BG News to see if the Latino Student Union was going to go up to Toledo in a counter protest, to add to the ignorance and portray more black and brown faces for the news.
We did not. As educated ethnic minorities we must realize the repercussions of our actions and forewarn others to do the same. BG News
The media is not to blame for anything other than sensationalizing a news story (which they do all the time). PC has nothing to do with it. TV news is driven by ratings, which is why I get most of my news from the 'net. I would have liked to see on-air media offer a little more depth to a story than “blacks riot in Toledo!” and I will blame the national media for one thing: not bringing up the genesis of this whole mess. This must have been all over the local news in Toledo, but this is the first I've seen of it. It seems the spark that started the riot was an incident in August with a white resident in Toledo threatening his neighbor's kids.
QUOTE
The whole episode with the NSM Nazis revolved around a neighborhood dispute between Thomas Szych, who is white, and his Black neighbors. In early August, Szych waved a loaded gun at some children who were taking garbage out to the street. In response, two African-American police officers confiscated Szych's gun--but the local prosecutor did not file any criminal charges, not even a misdemeanor.
Szych called the two police officers "gorillas with guns." He promptly went to the local news media to get attention for his demand to have his gun returned.
While it is not clear who called in the NSM Nazis--Szych or one of his relatives--the fact remains that the NSM Nazis from Roanoke, Va., chose this incident as an excuse to come to Toledo on Oct. 15. Worker
Szych called the two police officers "gorillas with guns." He promptly went to the local news media to get attention for his demand to have his gun returned.
While it is not clear who called in the NSM Nazis--Szych or one of his relatives--the fact remains that the NSM Nazis from Roanoke, Va., chose this incident as an excuse to come to Toledo on Oct. 15. Worker
See, a white guy essentially started the whole mess with the media in the first place, so ABC wasn't so far off after all. <jk>
CNN is the only national news outlet that I could find who addressed the root cause of the incident.
People use the media for their own ends. It was ever so, and will forever be so.
QUOTE(DaffyGrl @ Oct 19 2005, 10:10 AM)
In fact, I suspect that the white supremacist cretins derived a great deal of satisfaction from planning their march, watching the protests form, and then canceling the march, to “prove” their racist beliefs, i.e. “see how those people act?” while painting themselves blameless. Maybe I’m giving these morons too much credit, but what a smart PR move (in a twisted sort of way). And they got a lot of attention, too, when they otherwise would be as obscure and unimportant as they truly are. Blame the media for that.
I must say I was thinking the same thing and cringing while watching the coverage. Here is a group who claim that blacks are less civilized, then here come the gang members to prove them right, on live TV. The whole mess was very unfortunate.
As an aside, I suspect that this riot coupled with the (actual) lawlessness in New Orleans is going increase gun ownership overall. It's just not credible to believe that "the government will protect you, now please turn in your guns to the nice government agency..."
To deviate from the race issue, how about the reports of Bush saying that "God told him to invade Iraq," based on nothing but third-hand quotes from the Palestinian "foreign minister" - does anyone really believe that the President would use this language when talking to a Muslim foreign official? Yet it was printed as truth, complete with halo-like photos of Bush. guardian link
Well basically, yeah, they do.
The fact that the media is either Left or Right, depending on who's talking tells me the US Media is pretty much on the money. I realize this is a wildly unpopular thought but really if you think about it - it is true.
Do they horribly botch stories? Does the surge to be first far outweigh the need to be accurate? Have they outright lied to us to sensationalize a topic or push some editor's agenda?
Yes.
Does that make the entire system broken.
No.
The fact that the media is either Left or Right, depending on who's talking tells me the US Media is pretty much on the money. I realize this is a wildly unpopular thought but really if you think about it - it is true.
Do they horribly botch stories? Does the surge to be first far outweigh the need to be accurate? Have they outright lied to us to sensationalize a topic or push some editor's agenda?
Yes.
Does that make the entire system broken.
No.
What other factors affect media accuracy?
Laziness. Communication and fact finding are difficult things to do. Good journalists work hard at finding multiple credible sources to back up claims. Lazy journalists steal from other journalists or make stuff up. I think the public is partly to blame for the sensationalism. We love a good story rather than the truth. Why did the paparazzi chase down princess Diana? Because the public eats up this garbage from the newsstand.
I've grown tired of hearing words like "could", "might", and "maybe" from news to sex up boring stories. Newscaster: "Find out next how you could be paying more for [fill in the blank]."
It would seem that more and more Americans are tuning off the mainstream media. Newspaper circulations are steadily declining as are broadcast viewerships. Walter Cronkite used to be known as the most trusted man in America. Today, journalists are less trusted than politicians!
Laziness. Communication and fact finding are difficult things to do. Good journalists work hard at finding multiple credible sources to back up claims. Lazy journalists steal from other journalists or make stuff up. I think the public is partly to blame for the sensationalism. We love a good story rather than the truth. Why did the paparazzi chase down princess Diana? Because the public eats up this garbage from the newsstand.
I've grown tired of hearing words like "could", "might", and "maybe" from news to sex up boring stories. Newscaster: "Find out next how you could be paying more for [fill in the blank]."
It would seem that more and more Americans are tuning off the mainstream media. Newspaper circulations are steadily declining as are broadcast viewerships. Walter Cronkite used to be known as the most trusted man in America. Today, journalists are less trusted than politicians!
What other factors affect media accuracy?
To me the largest factor is ownership of the media. The media as I have posted is almost completely owned by rightys and people who back rightys.
I have listed many from Olin, Murdoch, Scaife, Coors, defense contractors and so on that are into media control. I have recently learned of another who is being investigated for a few crimes yet we do not know of him.... Anyone ever heard of Conrad Black before, I did not see anyone mention him and did a search in AD and found ONLY one reference to him on a Palestine and Israel thread. gee he was the third largest owner of western newspapers in the world.... and a partisan hack... Look at his MO buy a paper and fire the liberals…. and he is not even discussed as a possible media righty controller of the media… HOW MANY OTHERS ARE OUT THERE…. Destroying the media…AD thread with conrad black
So here is a little background on this right wing media control nut who was the western worlds third largest paper media owner. Again note he is being investigated in the US.
Here is wikipedia
black eye 1
black eye 2
black eye 3
again it is amazing how many on the right have blinders on that can not see this and understand the human nature of the rich to control the idiots or keep/make them idiots.
updated, I decided to do a search for the other major players of media ownership control on AD, sadly Olin who was a political partisan way more than Sorros by dollars and years was listed only a few times other than by me. I think that is very telling of the ignorance of americans. Scaife listed more than a handful, but nearly enough for his ownership of media and use of it. Same issue are all americans as clueless about scaife? I do a search of soros (whom is not a major media owner) and I get 4 pages on AD about him...
So speaking of media accuracy how about AD.... Is accuracy getting the names of the largest funders of not just the media but politics... For those of you still jumping on soros here is a link to some billionaires and where their money goes, interesting that the number one all time funder listed is T Boone Pickens has put in way more money for righty causes like the largest funder for the swift boats and yet we do not see his name in the lead all over the media. Is that media accuracy? And Pickens is not listed once in AD. Gee walmart kids big time money to the right, added up they are second largest contributors of daddys money. you would swear by the way the inaccurate media played the 527s soros was the only major contributor.
Billionaire donations
To me the largest factor is ownership of the media. The media as I have posted is almost completely owned by rightys and people who back rightys.
I have listed many from Olin, Murdoch, Scaife, Coors, defense contractors and so on that are into media control. I have recently learned of another who is being investigated for a few crimes yet we do not know of him.... Anyone ever heard of Conrad Black before, I did not see anyone mention him and did a search in AD and found ONLY one reference to him on a Palestine and Israel thread. gee he was the third largest owner of western newspapers in the world.... and a partisan hack... Look at his MO buy a paper and fire the liberals…. and he is not even discussed as a possible media righty controller of the media… HOW MANY OTHERS ARE OUT THERE…. Destroying the media…AD thread with conrad black
So here is a little background on this right wing media control nut who was the western worlds third largest paper media owner. Again note he is being investigated in the US.
Here is wikipedia
black eye 1
QUOTE
Through his Ravelston Corporation he has a 82% share-holding in the Toronto-based Hollinger Inc. group which, through Hollinger International, owns or controls several newspapers, notably in the United States, including the Chicago Sun-Times (1994). He also holds a minority interest in the New York Sun (2002).
...
Black was born into a wealthy Toronto family. His father, George Montegu Black, Jr., was the president of Canadian Breweries, an international brewing conglomerate. Conrad Black was first educated at Upper Canada College from which he was expelled for selling stolen exams. He then attended Trinity College School, the alma mater of his older brother Montegu Black. Lord Black lasted less than a year.
...
The media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting criticised an incident in which Black paid an American columnist, George Will, $25,000 for a single day of consulting, after which Will wrote favourably about Black without disclosing the payment. [1]
...
Black was born into a wealthy Toronto family. His father, George Montegu Black, Jr., was the president of Canadian Breweries, an international brewing conglomerate. Conrad Black was first educated at Upper Canada College from which he was expelled for selling stolen exams. He then attended Trinity College School, the alma mater of his older brother Montegu Black. Lord Black lasted less than a year.
...
The media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting criticised an incident in which Black paid an American columnist, George Will, $25,000 for a single day of consulting, after which Will wrote favourably about Black without disclosing the payment. [1]
black eye 2
QUOTE
By the 1990s Hollinger controlled 60 per cent of Canadian newspaper titles, as well as hundreds of dailies in the U.S., England, Australia and Israel.
....
So large was his appetite for newspapers that at one point, he was the third-largest newspaper publisher in the world. At its peak in 1999, Hollinger had revenues over $2 billion.
...
And although he owns many presses, he's also got a lot of press for his conservative views and his very public disagreement with Jean Chrétien about the peerage
...
His wife, Barbara Amiel, is an outspoken columnist, who at one time wrote for his competitor, Rupert Murdoch. The couple is on many top-level guest lists in Britain, and her strong conservative views are similar to many of his.
....
Black faced new legal troubles in 2005. In March, he learned that U.S. authorities had opened a criminal investigation into his activities.
....
So large was his appetite for newspapers that at one point, he was the third-largest newspaper publisher in the world. At its peak in 1999, Hollinger had revenues over $2 billion.
...
And although he owns many presses, he's also got a lot of press for his conservative views and his very public disagreement with Jean Chrétien about the peerage
...
His wife, Barbara Amiel, is an outspoken columnist, who at one time wrote for his competitor, Rupert Murdoch. The couple is on many top-level guest lists in Britain, and her strong conservative views are similar to many of his.
....
Black faced new legal troubles in 2005. In March, he learned that U.S. authorities had opened a criminal investigation into his activities.
black eye 3
QUOTE
There's a new player among the global media moguls, and his name is Conrad Black. His company, Hollinger Inc., is now the third largest newspaper chain in the Western world, after Gannett and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (New York Times, 6/24/96), with a combined circulation exceeding 10 million (James Winter, Democracy's Oxygen). Black owns 650 dailies and weeklies around the world, including the Jerusalem Post, the London Daily Telegraph, the Sydney Morning Herald, and the Chicago Sun Times.
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Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians, describes a typical takeover by Black's Hollinger this way (CounterSpin, 8/15/96): "They fire half the staff, they get rid of the environment reporters and the social affairs and the education and health reporters, and they replace them with businesspeople --or they don't replace them at all.... Anyone not singing that very right-wing Newt Gingrich type of...line is soon let go."
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The quality of coverage at these newspapers predictably declined.
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Black is reputed to be a hands-on owner who is known to "routinely intervene in editorial policy-making," according to Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians. Radler, Hollinger's president, explained the company's editorial policy to Maclean's (2/3/92): "If editors disagree with us they should disagree with us when they're no longer in our employ. The buck stops with ownership. I am responsible for meeting the payroll; therefore I will ultimately determine what the papers say and how they're going to be run."
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Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians, describes a typical takeover by Black's Hollinger this way (CounterSpin, 8/15/96): "They fire half the staff, they get rid of the environment reporters and the social affairs and the education and health reporters, and they replace them with businesspeople --or they don't replace them at all.... Anyone not singing that very right-wing Newt Gingrich type of...line is soon let go."
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The quality of coverage at these newspapers predictably declined.
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Black is reputed to be a hands-on owner who is known to "routinely intervene in editorial policy-making," according to Maude Barlow, chair of the Council of Canadians. Radler, Hollinger's president, explained the company's editorial policy to Maclean's (2/3/92): "If editors disagree with us they should disagree with us when they're no longer in our employ. The buck stops with ownership. I am responsible for meeting the payroll; therefore I will ultimately determine what the papers say and how they're going to be run."
again it is amazing how many on the right have blinders on that can not see this and understand the human nature of the rich to control the idiots or keep/make them idiots.
updated, I decided to do a search for the other major players of media ownership control on AD, sadly Olin who was a political partisan way more than Sorros by dollars and years was listed only a few times other than by me. I think that is very telling of the ignorance of americans. Scaife listed more than a handful, but nearly enough for his ownership of media and use of it. Same issue are all americans as clueless about scaife? I do a search of soros (whom is not a major media owner) and I get 4 pages on AD about him...
So speaking of media accuracy how about AD.... Is accuracy getting the names of the largest funders of not just the media but politics... For those of you still jumping on soros here is a link to some billionaires and where their money goes, interesting that the number one all time funder listed is T Boone Pickens has put in way more money for righty causes like the largest funder for the swift boats and yet we do not see his name in the lead all over the media. Is that media accuracy? And Pickens is not listed once in AD. Gee walmart kids big time money to the right, added up they are second largest contributors of daddys money. you would swear by the way the inaccurate media played the 527s soros was the only major contributor.
Billionaire donations
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