TWITTER COMMENT

Threats to Democracy - 20040925

This last Sunday of September 2004 is greeted with four new media critiques. You can find them in the Mainstream Media, Alternative Media, Environmental and Organizational pages. These critiques are of articles in the BBC, Alternet and the NYT. I found these articles informative and giving insight into the further consolidation of media, weakening of press protections, weakening of environmental protections and how weaknesses in contemporary journalism are being exploited. A theme developed that is disconcerting. Our democracy is being weakened on different fronts. Let me know what you think. After reading my critiques please go to the contact page and send me an email.

Bob

Inagural Publication - 20040829

Reflection on the media and the media reports described in this 2004/08 inaugural publication gives the following images:

Big media is really big. The top ten media conglomerates have a combined revenue about 80% of India's nominal GDP.

International alternative media can stimulate alternative views of the US from which fresh insights can be made. The writer for Businessworld India takes a cold hard look at US debt and some of its ramifications

The BBC gives much needed background information on Iraqi organizations and leaders that I haven't seen in the US mainstream media. Also, their photo coverage gives an idea of the conditions in Iraq that words and TV cannot. (Their photo coverage of the Olympics was a display of athletic grace and power that TV just didn't match.)

The BBC articles made it clear, by inference, that the diversity of organizations and beliefs in Iraq made a long-term welcome unlikely. Diplomatic intelligence seems sparse compared to the misused misinterpreted military intelligence.

Not covered by MMWii was the Washington Post acknowledment that they tended to bury the alternative views on military intelligence. As an excuse they cited the glut of information they had to handle. Hmmm, I always thought a prerquisite for reporters and editors was to find the important story, information insight, in the midst of information glut or paucity. The New York Time had an earlier acknowledgement of misplaced emphasis.

I do hope you found the content of MMWii promoting your information insight.

Bob