Saturday, April 5, 2008

Where Do You Get Your Information?

The local newspaper? TV news? The Sunday talk shows? The Internet?
Glenn Greenwald's ongoing critique of traditional media, which influences most people and especially during election season, is also the topic of his new book.
But for today, just consider:

Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:

"Yoo and torture" - 102

"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73

"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16

"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043

"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)

"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607

"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079


And as Eric Boehlert documents, even Iraq -- that little five-year U.S. occupation with no end in sight -- has been virtually written out of the media narrative in favor of mindless, stupid, vapid chatter of the type referenced above. "The Clintons are Rich!!!!" will undoubtedly soon be at the top of this heap within a matter of a day or two.


Best comment so far:

Mass media consumers want info short, uncomplicated, served on a silver platter, entertaining and EASY. They don't want to be presented with Heidgger's "Being and Time" over breakfast coffee.

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