I would consider this a half-truth at best. Yes, the money is always important, but the history and behavior present a convincing argument that the core purpose was to elect and protect conservative parties through discrediting the opposition (including various “dirty tricks” campaigns) and defusing/underplaying scandals (the goal being to prevent another Watergate prosecution from being able to happen again).
The attempt to paint all media as similar is a classic distraction. All media will have some editorial bias; it is the extent and magnitude that must also be factored in.
For me, I’ve come to describe my approach as maintaining a “credibility filter”. Any given story may be expected to have flaws, as anyone who has seen reporting on a topic with which they are familiar can likely attest. The question is how bad are they, and is there a clear pattern of deception. The current Russo-Ukraine war provides some clear examples of this; some entities have what I’d consider a severely negative credibility score, such that what they say can almost automatically be discounted; i.e. in the aggregate your knowledge and decision-making would be more accurate by ignoring them entirely, even if they did occasionally report the truth. (Don’t forget, the classic propaganda recipe is “two parts truth to one part lie”.)
They’re all ridiculous clickbait garbage. It’s a necessity of the business model at this point.
The only real journalism today is on Substack.
The funny part is when people think it wasn’t always this way. It’s been this way and worse since the industry existed. It’s easier to see it now, but nobody wants to look.
When The Economist was purchased it was a rude awakening for me personally.
This is not analysis. This is not opinion. This is sworn testimony, by Rupert Murdoch, in the Dominion libel case. Otherwise known as an admission. There’s also a number of confessional text messages from the prime time Foxers.
The reason we have the candidates we have is because millions of Americans vote based not on reason, or platforms , or track records, but based on lies, distortions amid misinformation pushed by cable news as one the most potent and destructive drugs known to man: outrage meth.
Americans are deeply divided precisely because Fox and similar news outlets have set out to divide us. Why? Murdoch came out and said it—money!
If Americans don’t like their presidential choices then they need to start being responsible adults, stop mainlining outrage, and start making rational decisions.
Any head of a for profit business would say the same thing. You can start at the local 7 eleven and work up to the top of the Fortune 500. The first one to answer otherwise needs to be replaced.
A president is a guy I hire for four years to run the executive branch. I don’t get too invested in him. He’s not much different than me. If he does an ok job I’ll rehire him for 4 years. Otherwise, I’ll can him. If he does a real good job, maybe put his name on something big and gray 10 years down the line. Otherwise, just move on.
Unless the guy tries to overthrow 250 years of American democracy, and whips up a mob to storm the capitol, calls state officials to falsify votes, and then enlists a “news” organization to promulgate lies—lies they now admit— that destroy Americans’ confidence in elections. That SOB needs a new career in license plate manufacturing, and the SOBs that helped him can work the night shift.
It’s absolutely surreal watching people go from claiming an election was hacked by the Russians to stalwart defenders of the democratic process in just a couple years without any hint of self awareness.
Or are you talking to the republican led subcommittee of senators who came up with this report?
What-you never saw it? That’s because Fox never reported it. It would have harshed the buzz.
Here’s the takeaway (from article below):
The nearly 1,000-page report, the fifth and final one from the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee on the Russia investigation, details how Russia launched an aggressive effort to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf. **It says the Trump campaign chairman had regular contact with a Russian intelligence officer and says other Trump associates were eager to exploit the Kremlin’s aid, particularly by maximizing the impact of the disclosure of Democratic emails hacked by Russian intelligence.••
But because Fox never reported this you never heard of it.
And keep in mind this was a REPUBLICAN led subcommittee.
Pretty sure anyone that listens to anything from what’s defined as mainstream media could qualify for a mental disorder and disability. Cleary there’s an undiagnosed psychosis occurring, and any disagreement with them is met with the same fervor as confronting a Schizophrenic with reality ( There are no dragons eating your house, and Trump isn’t the Antichrist lol). With the inherent dangers of confrontation…you do realize that all mainstream media are For-Profit Entities, which generate income by selling ad space. The more sensationalism - the greater the profit.
Pretty much all of them really. They all cherry pick data to create a false narrative, or what they define as news is really an Op-ed piece. I don’t believe we have a free press anymore, and they all should be held legally accountable. The 1st Amendment shouldn’t provide a shield for the hysteria and slander they generate. All they do is drum up tension between conservatives and liberals, and create racial issues.
Am I the only one who noticed that just one guy here has commented on the actual story? I don’t even agree with the guy at all and yet I appreciate him more than the off-topic ranters.
I agree we have a big problem here, but perhaps I am the only one who is more interested in whether this story has merit or not vs watching bored middle aged men line up at the soapbox and talk about their favorite TV show. Comport yourselves, gentlemen. ‘Murder She Wrote’ will be on soon and you’ll get your Jessica fix.
Protip: Some here, including me, do care very much about your opinions on MARITIME issues. Maybe run with that.
You make an excellent point. I read it and I was a bit surprised by many of the quotes from Mids. I jumped to the conclusion this was a character assassination on the Secy of Transportation. Maybe I should have given the content more credence.
Perhaps in an effort to improve the environment for SASH they have swung the pendulum way left. Maybe a current or recently graduated Mid could provide a better view on the the state of affairs at the academy
Some of the woke stuff that maritime companies post on LinkedIn is really cringe-worthy. Particularly around ‘celebration days’ such as international women’s day and other LGBT days etc.
Some of these companies make huge profits from exploiting poor people from developing countries. They offer poor pay and employment conditions that nobody from a developed country would find acceptable, then they pat themselves on the back by posting woke stuff on LinkedIn.
Interesting perhaps that not a single other outlet or journalist has written another independent piece about woke-creep at KP, barring the painting coverage. Several just cut and paste the OP article though.
Is it possible this is just a couple of students/alumni voicing their frustration to a sympathetic ear? It should be noted that the grad on the fishing boat, Guettlein, was one of the six former midshipmen who sued the school over requiring Covid vaccines. He lost in court, though he’s clearly still bitter about it.
