We're grabbing ten headlines from BuzzFlash to remind you of what you're missing out if you're not checking in with BuzzFlash.
Boston Globe Story: Military operations in Iraq have not succeeded in weakening the insurgency, and Iraq's government, with U.S. support, is now seeking a political reconciliation among the nation's ethnic and tribal factions as the only viable route to stability, according to U.S. military officials and private specialists.
More in Congress want an Iraq exit strategy 6/12
James Zogby of the Arab American Institute on Sensenbrenner's Soviet-Style Antics: "I'm really troubled about what kind of lesson this is going to teach to other countries in the world about how they ought to conduct an open society" 6/11
The craven and the bold: Watch as Republican congressman tries to stop Patriot Act hearing by walking out (the good stuff starts at about 4:15) 6/22
The WP Tries to be "Fair" About the GOP Putsch Against Democracy. Either a Newspaper believes in the Constitution or It Doesn't. Either it Supports Democracy or It Supports the Rule of the Mob Dons. We Think We Know Where the Post Falls on This -- and Let's Just Say Franco Would be Happy with Them. 6/11
Bush wildly exaggerates conviction numbers to promote Patriot Act 6/12
The DLC shows its true colors: "4 Reasons to Support CAFTA." All association with the DLC should be boycotted. 6/11
US Media Shamed by Brit Journalist; "the corporate media in America have been exposed as a cowardly mass of toadies who cannot bring themselves to publish or air anything remotely critical of the administration unless compelled to do so by cattle prods" 6/11
Right, Center Think Tanks Still Most Quoted [by Right, Center Media]. There's no "Liberal Media" 6/11
Republicans fear 2006 backlash as Bush continues to travel country hawking Social Security scam 6/12
In shying away from 2002 Downing Street Memo, a timid press shirks its duty 6/11
Okay, so that's eleven. We'll call it ten though even my math isn't that bad. There's just too much up there to go with ten. If you haven't visited BuzzFlash, go there and see if it's a resource for you.
Okay, make it twelve! I was looking for their original content cartoons (which Lyle asked that we note because he enjoys them) and I found this:
Gallup: Public Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Falls to All-Time Low. You mean Americans don't like 24-7 Michael Jackson and missing white girl coverage? 6/11
Nothing else, will stick with our "ten" of twelve, even though so much screams of interest to this community. Go to BuzzFlash and check it out.
Here are two original content cartoons from BuzzFlash. Lyle enjoys them and thinks the community will as well.
The Medical Marijuana Issue -- Editorial Cartoon by Tony Peyser
Jackal Time -- Editorial Cartoons by Steve Bradenton
We'll note one premiums as well:
Newly Issued Version of the BuzzFlash Bestselling "Orwell Rolls"
We've commented on this DVD many times at this site. From November 20th (the first time we noted it):
As before, please add to the discussion on both what you would put on the list and also on what holiday you'll be celebrating. Here are ten suggestions of DVD gifts. Unlike the book list, these are in the order of rank that our panel of five voted.
1) Orwell Rolls In His Grave.
This documentary is one of the two best on the media that I've seen this year. (The other, Danny Schechter's WMD, was one I saw at a film festival but will soon be going into general release. If it comes to a theater near you, please attempt to see it.) Robert Kane Pappas takes a hard look at the news media today. This film makes for great after viewing conversations.
It's only available via buzzflash and for a minimum donation of thirty dollars at http://www.buzzflash.com/premiums/default.htm. In addition, buzzflash has two interviews with the director http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/04/06/int04031.html and http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/04/07/int04035.html. The interviews should give you an idea of whether the film is one you'd like.
We'll also note a March 13th DVD review from The Third Estate Sunday Review of Orwell Rolls In His Grave. (I'm not remembering whether I participated in this review or not. The note to the readers indicates that I had some input on a suggestion level.)
DVD must see Robert Kane Pappas Orwell Rolls In His Grave
Orwell Rolls In His Grave is a truth telling moment you may not be able to stomach. While other films have focused solely on the Fox "effect," the realities of why we are where we are now in the state of news go beyond Fox "News."
Offering a historical perspective, Robert Kane Pappas traces the decline in standards and funding for news divisions now owned by megacorporations
Orwell's Ministry of Truth ensured that the Big Brother was never contradicted. As Pappas asks in a voice over, "Can lies become truth? Could a media system controlled by a few global coporations with the ability able to overwhelm oll competing voices be able to turn lies into truth? These corporations are not answerable to the people. Only the politicians can regulate them. "
Utilizing clips and interviews with people like Danny Schechter, Mark Crispin Miller, Charles Lewis (former 60 Minutes producer), Peter Mitchelmore (former NY Post editor), Robert W. McChesney, Mark Lloyd, Michael Moore, Rep. Bernie Sanders and Aurora Wallace, director Robert Kane Pappas paints a very disturbing portrait of a mainstream media that refuses to give the people the basic information they need to be informed citizens.
Topics include the "neverending story," the selling of the war, the media's handling of the 2000 election and the Supreme Court decision, media consolidation, the limited range of expression and 'free' speech.
This movie will explain to you why it is past time to hold the press accountable. Why an occassional story of import making the front page of The New York Times is not cause to celebrate our free press but further evidence of how poor the mainstream media is. Why does a day of truth or near truth in one story cause us to celebrate and scream "Yipee!" when in fact the press should be covering the realities every day but instead wants to focus on sports or "lifestyle." It's not news, people.
And it's not going to inform you of what legislation is coming out of Congress or how it's going to effect you. It's not going to help you put food on the table or pay the medical bills but goddamn if you won't know every last detail of who made the latest cut in the current reality shows or the state of celebrity justice in America.
Watch the movie and be disgusted with the state of mainstream media so that you don't fall for information management and greet a breif respite from infotainment as the second coming of real journalism.
And note Charles Lewis's obsersvation about today's reporting:
What will pass for investigative reporting is someone may get hold of an early report from some committee that's about to come out or an investigative report from the inspector general report that's going to castigate the secretary of this or that so you'll breathlessly go on the air and you'll say ABC has learned or whatever network is and you'll be out of breath and it's all exciting and you'll be out of breath and it look like the facelss minions that comprise the network hundreds of them out there ferreting out information for you to serve the public. It's complete bunk, it's not happening at all. The public would never know from the media that they spent 11 million dollars to keep any free air time provisions out of amu legislation, successfully by the way.
Orwell Rolls In His Grave is a documentary you owe it to yourself to see to grasp how "news" is not a business pursuing truth but a corporate arm shaping and manipulating the public.
Robert Kane Pappas: The spin process is very effective, both in newspaper reports and on TV and in radio. If you make it your business to be informed, what happens is, you end up watching the mainstream news with your mouth hanging open. If you watch only what they offer, you're largely intellectually lobotomized. Your opinions are determined by two- and three-word sound bites: "Death Tax," "Conspiracy Theory," "They hate our Freedoms," "Democracy," "Liberal Bias," "Class Warfare." As Winston's co-worker Syme says with glee: "Every year, fewer and fewer words, and the range of consciousness always a little smaller."
We are linking to BuzzFlash for two reasons. One we learned of the movie from them and, two, they are taking on The New York Times and have asked who are you going to support? We'll go with BuzzFlash. The film costs 30 dollars minimum at BuzzFlash and we realize that some of our readers will not be able to afford that. For that reason, we have provided links to BuzzFlash interviews with Robert Kane Pappas. We'd also recommend that (to quote Tori Amos) "in times like these, you know who your friends are" so if you're not regularly checking out BuzzFlash, we urge to start visiting the site.
posted by Third Estate Sunday Review @ Sunday, March 13, 2005
That's the review in full. I believe, I could be wrong, check with Jim, Ava, Dona, Ty or Jess, that the comments on links were two-fold. Early on, they mainly linked (in articles) to community members of The Common Ills in their Sunday editions. Here, they are linking to interviews from BuzzFlash and to a premium. (They're very aware that not all of their readers can afford to purchase a premium. That's why Ava and I only review broadcast television and not cable. And why they review books, DVDs, CDs, et al that are available at libraries.) I also believe (I could be wrong) that due to the editorial (linked to above) from BuzzFlash, they'd decided to do a permalink that was not a community member's site. I believe that they're explaining those two things in the above. But check with them if you have questions on that.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
