-Caveat Lector- Dave Hartley http://www.Asheville-Computer.com/dave Subj: WTO - Seeing the Illusion of Media News - Ralph Nader Date: 99-12-04 13:06:09 EST From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (David Anderer) Deomcratic Community; In a Democratic Society the need for honest, fair, impartial information on what is going on in our democratic community is essential in creating an informed, involved and educated public sector. The job of the media in our democratic community is to provide us what we need in the way of information to maintain our Democratic Society as a healthy system of governance. The alternative is the variation on totalitarian model that we can see throughout human history. The latest version involves: special interest control of legislators, runaway "bottom line" capitalism, mindless consumerism, centralized media control of information, and good old fashion authoritarian control of the public. The Seattle WTO confrontation was the most visible clash between current the want-to-be public controllers and the democratic community. The following short article by Ralph Nader in the current January 2000 issue of "Brill's Content" page 96 provides essential insights into the core of the problem of achieving a healthy Democratic Society. The fog of illusion must be lifted from the public mind or we will surly suffer the obvious consequences of our new masters agenda. In the hope that we can dispell the illusion before it is too late. David http://www.brillscontent.com/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ page 96 BigMedia Experts Ralph Nader on why there is no citizen-action channel. [Conglomerates] usually have a policy of what sells and what doesn't, and they don't veer away from that. I've never seen a conglomerate go the other way; they always downgrade {the material}. Sex, violence, scandal, celebrity - that's the criteria...Just look at the qualit{ies} of the CEOs. {Viacom CEO} Sumner Redstone: What's he interested in? Raising stock and making money. {CBS CEO} Mel Karmazin - the classic monetized mind. He's profitted off Howard Stern. This is the replacement for (CBS founder) William Paley! Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw - they know their news is mostly a crock of dung. Ninety percent of all broadcasting is devoted to entertainment and advertising.....Even on the 24-hour news channel(s), there's a hugh amount of lifestyle, fluff, weather, sports, and stocks. With all these channels on cable, do they have a citizen-action channel? Do they have a lobor channel? Do they have a consumer channel? Of course not. Because {the corporate chieftains} control it so completely. {I try telling people:} You own the airwaves. Do you realize that? Legally, {We} own it and radio and TV are tenants. They don't pay rent and {yet} they dictate what goes on the air. ____________________ Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate http://www.brillscontent.com/features/experts_1299.html#Anchor-47857 *********************************** Institute for Civic Renewal founded by Ralph Nader http://www.essential.org/icr/ *********************************** WTO Information web sites: http://www.wtowatch.org/ http://www.wto.org/wto/index.htm http://www.earthjustice.org/work/international.html http://www.enlighteningtimes.com/index.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [to unsubscribe: send 'unsubscribe ncnculture-L' to [EMAIL PROTECTED]] DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
