A Happy NEWS Year from Your News Dissector and MediaChannel
December 31st, 2008 - by: danny
A BLOG TO READ: THE NEWS FOR NEW YEARS DAY FROM THE GEEZE
NOW, A NEWS DISSECTOR’s TAKE
We are all ready to say goodbye to 2008, the kind of year we all want to throw a shoe at. It was the last year of the Bush Debacle, the first full year of the great recession, a year of economic collapse and moral failure, of financial scandals and the some of the biggest rip-offs in American history.
Somehow, the presidential election that involved so many for so long and consumed so much passion, hope and airtime seems to have paled in significance in the face of terror in Mumbai and now Gaza, in the face of so many unsolved problems that are only getting worse, as if the world is going in reverse.
The wreckage surrounds us: was our political system ennobled by Obama’s election or degraded still further by the antics of a governor in Illinois or Alaska? Has “change” come to America or are the same often hidden forces still in effective control manipulating our democracy, deforming our foreign policy, debasing the Constitution and controlling our media?
You want to feel hopeful on New Year’s Eve when you “ring out the old and bring in the new,” but somehow that sense of possibility seems more distant than ever. How strange that the Israel Defense (Offense?) Minister is named Barak and our President-elect is Barack? The former criminalizes himself by what he says about the war on Gaza and the later diminishes himself by what he doesn’t.
Of course, the big media story is that the media is itself slipping away in credibility and importance, a trend I noted some years back in my book, ‘The Death of Media,’ (Melville House).
Their business model is shot, the NY Times is remortgaging its building, the Chicago Trib is in bankruptcy, and the Miami Herald is for sale. The word of the year that is not even here is cutbacks. The networks have all slashed their news staffs and news is turning into a talk show.
The veterans in the business know it. Jonathan Alter of Newsweek and NBC News dropped by Globalvision the other day for an interview for a film we are making on the Obama campaign. Here’s what he told me:
“I think what’s happened is since you have 24 hour chatter, and unfortunately or rather fortunately for me, you know I’m a part of that, it does detract from one’s ability to go out and report. Also, the whole structure of the media business now has changed. And I would summarize it this way. Talk is cheap and reporting is expensive. In other words if my new organization or any other news organization wants to have me chattering either in print or online or on TV, I can do that from home. If I’m going to go to Baghdad or even out to Iowa and meet, that’s expensive. So if talk is cheap and reporting is expensive as the profits from news gathering kind of evaporate and dead tree media starts to move off stage with very very serious economic consequences (newspapers) yeah start to move into America’s past they’ll still be around but not as dominate. And once print recedes and you have this new model, it’s very alarming because if talk is cheap and reporting is expensive, who’s going to gather the news that everybody else just chews over all the time.”
So much of the MSM news coverage seems as awful as the news itself. At the same time, even as our company, now 21, faces its toughest survival challenge, and even though its hard to see how we can survive when so many big companies cannot, I still find the work I am trying to do satisfying and meaningful. I have been so fortunate to find a colleague willing to work with me in improving this blog and a talented group of staffers and interns to help us produce the few projects we have, often at a great sacrifice but with consciousness and commitment. Without them, we would be lost.
And then there is you (or us), the readers and visitors to Mediachannel, the folks that see my films and write to me, and those of you with the means and generosity to recognize the value of our work, and support us when you as much as you can. (TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO THE GLOBAL CENTER FOR MEDIACHANNEL.ORG!) You make this work worth doing even if I have (smile) from time to time suffered the outrageous vicissitudes (ie. putdowns) from those superior beings who seemingly lack the capacity to share a nice word, or just take it all for granted.
We persevere, sometimes in a manner that’s too rushed or too sloppy or too flip. Mediachannel has been around since l999 and in Internet years, like dog years, that’s almost a lifetime. We are still evolving and hoping to sustain ourselves for however long we have left, confident that what we do matters and committed to bringing you stories and analysis of importance that are not covered properly to your attention.
Sometimes I am amazed that Rory O’Connor, David DeGraw, and now Cherie Welch, as well as many, many others have stayed with us, “working for praise,” as a Business Week article has it, The New Economy—and Our Sad Story, but working nonetheless in what I see as the public interest.
We wish you and our independent media colleagues, affiliates, friends and allies around the world that old happy new year or news year as we say it, and hope the sentiment is reciprocated as we limp and march and whine our way out of the horror of 2008. You are often wrong when you say, ‘things can’t get worse…’ but let us pray, what do you say?
Today, I was on a media wrap-up of the year interview — where else but on Canadian TV in a year of frequent appearances on overseas broadcasters save The Real News, INN, Democracy Now and Link in these United States. I let whoever was watching have it with both barrels which may be why news outlets here at home rarely call me. (The producers like what I had to say.)
One last thing, on this morn of the eve of New Years, a word of anniversary congratulations to the people of Cuba who are marking the 50th anniversary of their Revolucion, (Jan 1, 1959) a New Year’s event if there every was one, and an achievement of survival if only because of all the attempts including invasion and assassinations that sought to bring them down, most plotted in the this land of hope and glory. (An interesting story I was told in Cuba many years ago was that the first act of the people of Havana was to tear down the parking meters which had been imposed by the Batista government in league with the mafia. Free Parking was their first demand!) Here’s a story on the great cars the Cubans keep running. I once asked about their mechanics–and was told the correct title is ‘magicians.’ Cubanos have a great sense of humor and irony.
The human rights situation there may not be to my liking but the progress that’s been made in a still difficult struggle cannot be underestimated especially when compared to its Caribbean neighbors like Haiti. One can only hope that an Obama administration normalizes relations, ends the counter-productive embargo and builds a new era of cooperation.
Viva a true Cuba and US libre. Viva el ano proximo.
For you are a jolly good fellow (fellowette?)….
Danny Schechter
News Dissector
December 31, 2008
See the whole Post / →
Israel Mulls then Rebuffs Cease Fire in Gaza, Hamas Threatens Revenge
December 31st, 2008 - by: danny
Israel says Gaza truce proposal unrealistic
GAZA (Reuters) — Israel on Wednesday rebuffed French calls for a 48-hour humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip and stepped up preparations for a possible ground offensive after Hamas’s long-range rockets hit a major population center. READ FULL ARTICLE
The French have proposed a ceasefire in Gaza for 48 hours that Israel says it is considering.
AP: Tues Night: GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel, under international pressure, is considering a 48-hour halt to its punishing four-day air campaign on Hamas targets in Gaza to see if Palestinian militants will stop their rocket attacks on southern Israel, Israeli officials said Tuesday. Any offer would be coupled with a threat to send in ground troops if the rocket fire continues.
UN SECRETARY GENERAL REPEATS CALL FOR CEASE FIRE
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press: “UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and urged Mideast and world leaders to do more to help end the Israeli-Hamas conflict and promote political dialogue.” READ FULL ARTICLE
Wired.com: Israeli Jets Drop ‘Small Smart Bomb’ in Gaza Strikes
The Israeli Air Force has debuted a highly accurate — and U.S.-supplied — smart bomb in its air campaign over Gaza. Back in September, Israel received congressional authorization to buy up to 1,000 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (click here to read the original notification).
According to the Jerusalem Post, the first shipment of the bombs arrived earlier this month. Israeli fighters reportedly employed the bombs to target Qassam rocket launchers during the initial bombardment. They were also used in the bombing of a network of tunnels in Rafah on Sunday.
The Small Diameter Bomb, a 250-pound class weapon, was probably selected for both its bunker-busting capabilities. According to a Boeing factsheet, the GBU-39 is supposed to be able to penetrate 3 feet of steel-reinforced concrete. The smaller warhead is also supposed to reduce the possibility of collateral damage (although you definitely wouldn’t want to be in the neighborhood when one goes off).
Employing the GBU-39 also means Israeli aircraft can drop more bombs per sortie. The four-weapon carriage (seen here) means aircraft can typically carry and deliver four of these bombs instead of a single, 2,000-pound bomb.
KUCINICH CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT UNITED NATIONS INQUIRY ON GAZA
Israeli government attacks civilians in violation of international law – U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich Wants UN Probe
“Today I sent a letter to Secretary General Ban ki-Moon urging the United Nations to establish an independent inquiry of Israel’s war against Gaza. The attacks on civilians represent collective punishment, which is a violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The perpetrators of attacks against Israel must also be brought to justice, but Israel cannot create a war against an entire people in order to attempt to bring to justice the few who are responsible. The Israeli leaders know better. The world community, which has been very supportive of Israel’s right to security and its right to survive, also has a right to expect Israel to conduct itself in adherence to the very laws which support the survival of Israel and every other nation,” Kucinich said.
“Israel is leveling Gaza to strike at Hamas, just as they pulverized south Lebanon to strike at Hezbollah. Yet in both cases civilian populations were attacked, countless innocents killed or injured, infrastructure targeted and destroyed, and civil law enforcement negated. All this was, and is, disproportionate, indiscriminate mass violence in violation of international law. Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable. It is time for the UN to not just call for a cease-fire, but for an inquiry as to Israel’s actions.”
PRO-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA OUTLET PALESTINE MEDIA WATCH CIRCULATES VIDEO
“I say Hamas is the cause of all wars.”
A Palestinian girl whose family members was killed yesterday in Gaza after an Israeli air attack was interviewed today on Palestinian TV and placed the blame for the war on Hamas:
[Girl] “We were sleeping 7 girls in the room. We were asleep and didn’t know what was happening. In the morning all the bricks were on top of my head, and the heads of all my sisters. My 4 year old sister next to me was dead.” [Interviewer] “How many were you?” [Girl] “Seven. In the other room were my mother, my father, my younger brother and another sister, who is 13 days old. I say, Hamas is the cause, in the first place, of all wars.”
The interview is very significant. At a time of extreme stress and grief, the girl blames Hamas and not Israel — likely echoing a sentiment she has heard from adults. If this sentiment is representative of growing anger among Gaza residents at Hamas for the destruction it has caused, it has major significance and could have ramifications on the long-term position of Hamas in Palestinian society.
Given the significance of the girl’s accusation, it is surprising that some media outlets have run the interview, without including the quote in which the girl blames Hamas. See comments at the Miss Kelly blog.
HEADLINES
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: All Gazans at Risk
PALESTINIANS ARE CALLING IT THE HANUKKAH MASSACRE
Steven Lendman blogs at GlobalResearch.com:Attacks Were A Pretext for Israel Offensive — :
As always, most of the dead and wounded are civilian men, women and children. No matter, according to Israeli military spokesman Avi Benayahu saying: Saturday’s attack is “only the beginning. The operation was launched following the violation of the terms of the lull by Hamas and the unceasing attacks by Hamas authorities on Israeli civilians in the south of the country.”
In fact, “attacks” were the pretext, not the cause of Israel’s aggression. Since Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in January 2006, Israel, Washington and the West withheld recognition and more. All outside aid was cut off, an economic embargo and sanctions were imposed, and the legitimate government was isolated and vilified.
The leading candidate to become Israel’s next prime minister, Tzipi Livni, vows as a “strategic objective” to overthrow Hamas by military, economic and diplomatic means.
Her main opponent, Benjamin Netanyahu, pledges to “topple the Hamas regime” and end its effective resistance against an oppressive occupation.
All along, Hamas has been conciliatory to no avail. Earlier in the year, its leaders agreed to a ceasefire and observed months of it unilaterally, despite repeated Israeli violations and Gaza being under siege. On November 4, it ended after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) entered the Strip (without cause) and killed six Hamas officers supposedly to close off tunnels close to the Kisufim roadblock. Thereafter, in spite of both sides calling for peace, IDF hostilities continued.
DAILY ECONOMIC CRISIS NEWS UPDATE
NAKED CAPITALISM: Despite Bailouts, Banks In Trouble
A useful piece at the Wall Street Journal discusses the poor prospects for the US banking industry, which will in aggregate post a fourth quarter loss despite heroic interventions by the Fed and Treasury.
The article makes much of recent and almost-certain-to-get-worse bank credit losses as the economy continues to deteriorate. Commercial real estate vacancies, particularly of retail space, are starting to mount. Construction loans were an important business for local and regional banks; a high proportion almost assuredly no longer look viable. And we of course have the grim outlook for credit cards and ongoing weakness in housing.
But the credit losses are masking a second problem: banks’ earnings engine in broken. As many have noted, as long as they are taking losses, they are not terribly keen to extend new credit.
But more serious is the fact that banks had shifted their business model to be more depended on fee income, and much of that was related to the securitization of real estate. Pending changes in credit card rules will dampen down some of the non-interest charges banks could formerly extract. Similarly, a world where the Federal government has become the 800 pound gorilla provider of mortgage credit offers far fewer fee opportunities to banks (and that’s even before considering that transaction volumes are down too).
And as we (and others) have complained, “Where’s my bailout?” maybe it’s time we also start on the less catchy but no less important, “Where’s the good bank/bad bank?” Until the dud assets are recognized, sold off, and banks recapitalized or liquidated, the industry will have a heavy millstone around its neck.
GMAC: A SubPrime Lender Gets Big Bailout
Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. Treasury committed $6 billion to support GMAC LLC, the financing arm of General Motors Corp., widening the government’s effort to keep the largest U.S. automaker out of bankruptcy.
The Treasury will purchase a $5 billion stake in GMAC and lend $1 billion to GM so the automaker can contribute to the lender’s reorganization as a bank holding company, according to a statement issued yesterday. The loan is in addition to $13.4 billion the Treasury agreed earlier this month to lend to GM and Chrysler LLC.
Borrowing from Peter to Pay Paul: The Wall Street Ponzi Scheme Called Fractional Reserve Banking
“Robert Owens, a co-author of the Act, later testified before Congress that the banking industry had conspired to create a series of financial panics in order to rouse the people to demand “reforms” that served the interests of the financiers.”
FT: US consumer confidence falls to all-time low
US consumer confidence fell to a record low in December in the face of the continuing economic downturn and rising job losses.
ECONOMIC POETRY
WSJ Fannie, Freddie, Bear & Hard Times: Wall Street’s Collapse, Told in Rhymes By Mary Pilon-
This year, things fell apart. Mere anarchy was loosed upon the world of investment banks, markets, homeowners and workers. And people wrote a lot of derivative poems about it.
Among those moved by the financial carnage was Todd Federman, a 25-year veteran of Wall Street. In the wee hours at home in Livingston, N.J., Mr. Federman crafted “Subprime,” a poem inspired by the children’s song, “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” It begins:
Buying a house was no problem you see.
And so the young man along with his spouse,
They could not afford, but yet bought the house.
Mr. Federman, a former hedge-fund trader who is now a private investor, followed “Subprime” with his year-end revue, “The La$t Word at Christmas,” which laments the recent market losses:
Stocks, commodities and private equity too, The once high and mighty did quick fall asunder, Wamu and Wachovia, both hit the wall, Bear Stearns, the once venerable could not survive, Hedge funds were hammered, both here and abroad, We turned to the Fed for much needed relief, The Fed stepped in with a few trillion (to date), The big bank cut interest rates right down to naught The long bond now yields down nearby two fifty, And then just when things could not get any worse, He promised investors a steady return, His victims were targets of the world’s largest theft, Investors are hurting, many race for the door, And so I exclaim o’er this landscape of blight,
inspired by “The Night Before Christmas” — by Clement Clarke Moore
Our investments are down, there is no money left.
It seems every sector has stepped in the poo.
Fannie and Freddie Mac swiftly went under.
And AIG, oh my god what a fall!
And Lehman Brothers Inc, man o man what a dive!
Their trading strategies were seriously flawed.
They’ll save our investments, that was our belief.
Alas for poor Lehman, they were one step too late.
The impact was minimal, who would have thought?
If you live on interest, that’s not too nifty.
Here comes Bernie Madoff at the wheel of a hearse.
But his evil scheme through their money did burn.
Now god only knows what these poor saps have left.
You can hear them screaming, “We can’t take any more!”
“Will the last person left, please turn off the light.”
See the whole Post / →
Protesters in Hawaii Demand Obama Speak Out on Gaza
December 31st, 2008 - by: danny
REUTERS: 12/30/08 – PROTESTS IN HAWAII AT OBAMA HOME
KAILUA, Hawaii, Dec 30 (Reuters) – A small group of placard-waving pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered near U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s vacation retreat in Hawaii on Tuesday to protest against the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Obama has made no public comment on the strikes, which Israel launched on Saturday. Aides have repeatedly said he is monitoring the situation and continues to receive intelligence briefings but that there is only one U.S. president at a time.
But with outgoing Republican President George W. Bush already viewed as a lame-duck, many people, particularly in the Middle East, are looking past him to Obama, who is due to be sworn in on Jan. 20, for leadership.
Obama did speak out after the attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in November in which gunmen killed nearly 180 people, condemning them as acts of terrorism.
He has also spoken on the economic problems facing the United States.
Hundreds in Mich., NYC protest strikes on Gaza By Ben Leubsdorf — h/t to Shebar Windstone.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) – Close to 1,000 Arab-Americans and others marched through the Detroit suburb of Dearborn on Tuesday evening, waving Palestinian flags and shouting slogans to protest Israeli military strikes against the Gaza Strip.
Protesters braving 30-degree weather filled eight blocks of a major thoroughfare in Dearborn, widely seen as the heart of Arab America. Hundreds more gathered in New York City outside the Israeli consulate.
Join the White House Vigil for Gaza
Richard Falk, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories, told the BBC: “Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenseless population – attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months.” See the video of the Gaza Air Campaign – A First Stage – BBC.
New Year’s Eve event seeks Mideast peace, justice in 2009
WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, December 31, American Muslims and other people of conscience will gather outside the White House at 7-8 pm*, for a “New Year’s Eve Candlelight Vigil for Gaza.” The vigil is sponsored by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT), a coalition of 12 major Islamic organizations.
Vigil participants will call on public officials to help stop Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, restore the cease-fire and promote peace with justice in the Middle East during the coming year.
*Please dress warmly and arrive by 6:45 pm, outside the White House – at the NE corner of Lafayette Park.
CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, at 202-488-8787
A REPORT FROM THE PRESS POOL ON MONDAY’S ACTIVITIES
This is a national press pool report which appeared in a Hawaii newspaper:
At 3:12 p.m. Obama could be seen by the pool putting on the ninth hole. After one practice swing, Obama took his putt from the tee-box side of the cup and twisted his body wildly in the direction of the cup after connecting with the ball. Obama missed, and moved to line up his next shot. He missed that from the backside of the hole but then tapped in immediately after his shot fell short. Obama then drove his cart up to the snack bar located between the ninth hole and the 10th hole tee-box. He got out of the cart and walked up to a group of about 20 golfers who had gathered behind a barricade of green plastic chairs and agents with the U.S. Secret Service.
• The pool was standing on the green behind the 18th hole and could not see Obama or hear what he said to the group. Obama then walked down to the snack bar located next to the tee-box on the 10th hole. There he paid $1.88 for an Aloha Maid Natural Green Tea with Ginseng can, according to attendant Myrna Gunderson.
• A member of Obama’s entourage then bought three half sandwiches for $2.83 each. Gunderson handed Obama a ham and cheese sandwich.
• After placing his order in his golf cart, Obama walked out to the 10th tee with his driver in his right hand. He looked up to an area off the 18th hole where a crowd of onlookers was gathered and waved. After two practice swings, Obama connected on a shot then went straight.
• At 3:24 p.m.Obama drove off to the fairway and the pool returned to the clubhouse.
OP ED NEWS: Camp Hope Holds Obama To “Change” Pledge
Determined to keep President-elect Barack Obama true to his promise of change, peace and economic justice activists kick off an 18-day outdoor vigil January 1, four blocks from the Illinois Senator’s home in Chicago.
Camp Hope, headquartered in the Windy City’s Drexel Square Park, seeks to have Obama swiftly enact eight initiatives on issues he supported during his campaign.
POLITRICKS: SENATE REJECTS BLAGO PICK: BLAGOJEVICH SNUBS SENATE, TAPS BURRIS FOR SEAT:
LBN: Brushing aside charges that he tried to sell Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat, Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the post today in defiance of Senate leaders who said they would not admit anyone he selected.
It was an abrupt about-face for Blagojevich, who had said after his Dec. 9 corruption arrest that he favored a special election to find a successor to President-elect Barack Obama. But Blagojevich said he acted after the Democratic-controlled General Assembly declined to approve legislation for a special election.
See the whole Post / →
The Radio Show
 | New show every Friday at 1PM ET from NYC on the internet at the Progressive Radio Network. |
Click here for the latest podcast.
About Danny Schechter
Danny Schechter is an Emmy award winning journalist, television producer and independent filmmaker who also writes, blogs and speaks about media issues.
His latest film is PLUNDER The Crime Of Our Time.
Mr. Schechter is NOT the Godfather of Soul.
read more about The News Dissector →