The other night I had the honor and fun of going on the air with Joey Reynolds of WOR radio whose distinctive voice and colorful stories reaches listeners thanks to 50,000 watts of power across the USA all night long.

I have been on before and enjoy Joey’s distinctive, upbeat, intelligent and conversational style. He has a big fan base. Some can’t sleep and some can’t stand anything they hear that conflicts with what they think they know.

Some of his listeners wrote to me in equally colorful language to tell me that I don’t know what the hell I am talking about, accused me of defending the media, warned I will be killed by Islamofascists and on and on in that vein. Few had anything specific to disagree with but all reside in that place called Talk Show Nation where opinions are massaged, angry attidues count, and right wing prejudice rules. Many are pandered to but rarely challenged.

I did get one thoughtful rant though from someone called David:

”Having listened to some AM radio (first time in years) in the wee hours of the morning (insomnia), I am compelled to send this email.

“I consider myself an average guy, middle class, retired home owner in a middle class neighborhood. Actually, I’m lower-middle but in this part of the country our standards are lower. One exception to mediocrity that I will claim is my intelligence. I suppose that sounds boastful. I don’t consider it as an asset, merely a condition. Obviously, had I used my superior intelligence “properly” I would not be so mediocre at this stage of my life.

“Now that you know as much about me as I know about you, I wish to thank you for expressing the truth about mainstream media catering to business and politics. I will get around to buying a copy of “The More….” one of these days and probably discover that my comment to follow is “preaching to the choir”. But here goes my comment:

“I believe that most of us realize that news is fed to us by entities that are beholdin’ to somebody or something that could delete a story that they didn’t want us to see/hear. What most people don’t believe is that “facts” would be spewed out to them that aren’t factual, and opinions would be stated as if they were facts.

“Generally, we outsiders are told that if we knew what “they” knew, and had the capacity to understand what “they” understand, then we would know such-and-such. Most people accept that premise and, since they are too busy to do the digging required to verify the truth, form the opinion desired by the sponsor.

THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

I can’t emphasize enough how dangerous a total lack of skepticism can be. Because of “snowballing”, minor events can have major consequences. So, if an individual or small group can create “like minds” by exerting pressure on journalists, their agenda will be followed and it is now “the peoples choice”. I have always been scared of “the peoples choice” for that reason.”

YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR OWN SHOW

Otto von Ruggins writes:

“Caught about a half hour of your visit to JR last night and I truly appreciate that you continue to find time to be heard on his show. Your voice is one of such wisdom and sanity and it needs to be heard. I wish you had your own news show on TV, and that Joey had his own entertainment TV show to present his eclectic array of guests, but for now Joey’s show is as good as it gets. He’s such a great host (and person) and I love having been a catalyst in getting you two together. Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year to you both.

Virginia Weldon writes:

”Abramoff’s sanctimonious pleading of guilty to three counts of conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion (to say nothing of lying, greed, & the love of and misuse of power), proves the point that one’s “beliefs” lead directly and inalterably to one’s actions and behaviors. We do what we believe. Some do it piously. Some do it arrogantly. Some do it piously and arrogantly, believing they can break laws with impunity and get away with it. We can only hope that this is the first crucial domino in a long line of like-believing and soon to fall fellow dominos. Look out below … AND
above!

“I loved the tribute you gave your mother in today’s Dissector, and was thrilled that you included her poem to share with us. She was obviously a Being who believed in the oneness of all Life. Thank you.”

BOOKS TO CHECK OUT

I thought I was in the book of the week club with two new books out at one time. (newsdissector.org/store.htm) BUT my talented and prolific London-based colleague Afshin Rattansi who has produced for Al Jazeera and BBC (His brother is an anchor with CNN international) now has four novels coming out in a book called THE DREAM OF THE DECADE.

One of the questions he raises: “Why did the BBC respond so badly to the New Labour attack on British media in the run-up to the war against Iraq?”

Here’s a good taste—16 pages from Book Four from what he calls the London novels. It begins in a TV center.

”This final book is described as”a Swiftian masterpiece about the new importance Londoners give to something called “media” and Rattansi charts the ludicrously unprepared journalists in a big television station explaining London as well as political conflagrations in Ireland and Yugoslavia to a hidden public.”

http://www.zen13743.zen.co.uk/The%20Dream%20of%20the%20Decade%20-%20Extract%204.html

For inquries, write: “edvictor@icmail.net

There is another book I hoped to tell you about. It’s by Johnathan Peizer. Will get to it tomorrow.

OOPS

Sorry for confusing a date in yesterday’s blog. Yes I know Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7th, a day that will live in Infamy. And yes I know how to spell George Gerbner’s name. And yes, I need an editor. (Any volunteers?)

Sometime my mind goes one way and my fingers another.

And thanks to those who liked my mom Ruth Lisa Schechter’s poem and became members of Mediachannel.org. We have recorded about $18,000 so far in new memberships but we can and must do better. You can join at
http://mediachannel.org/membership.htm

Your comments always welcome: write dissector@mediachannel.org