Great story on This American Life on NPR yesteday about how a local news station exploited and distorted the story of a registered sex offender working at an ice rink. It showed the human costs of tabloidiaztion and the way media can do great harm. It also told the story of a local news person with a conscience who wouldn’t do what she was told.

Go Ira Glass and team!

TRUTH TO TELL: WE NEED MORE RADIO SHOWS LIKE THIS ALSO

TRUTH TO TELL: Wednesday, DEC. 5 at 11AM
KFAI 90.3FM Minneapolis/106.7 St. Paul - Streaming @ KFAI.org:

THE LOCAL MEDIA CRISIS: How the 10 O’clock News has Not-so-Gently Shoved Us Away from Citizenship

In this next edition of TTT’s occasional discussions on the media, Andy Driscoll and Lynnell Mickelsen talk with local media observers about the damage broadcast and print media have done to drive citizens away from real news and knowledge of their communities and governments creating instead a consumer culture of celebrity and distraction – away from of civic affairs.

Thomas Nagy writes:

Thought your money about debt was right on, and everyone should see it. Should be used as a campaign ad for one of the presidential hopefuls. (I believe that Bill Richardson is the logical choice. New Mexico is the only state to comply with Kyoto under his leadership, tax credits and incentives to take us into the Solar Age are essential).

But, the real meat that we need to chew on is a challenge, and I believe you can do do it, but I’ll tell you there is risk.

DOCUMENT in one of your films the biographies of key players in the German National Socialist movement “the Nazis,” who were brought into the US at the end of WWII. You will find that most of these 10,000+ Nazis were given high-paying jobs in the American corporations that became multi-national, they became the core of the Republican party, they established the Military Industrial Complex that Ike warned us about, they brought us Richard Nixon and the War in Viet Nam (through a common friendship of the Dulles Brothers and Cardinal Spellman), they made the political career of Bush I and Bush II, and of course, among those names you will find “Roverer,” whose son shortened the name to Rove.

That is just the beginning, and the depths that you might dig into this line might be limited. I once read a story that related the deaths of two prominent reporters, one in Philadelphia and the other New York-Washington D.C. (2002, following up on 9-11-01) to inquiries, through the Freedom of Information Act, about the same list of 10,000 Nazis to prominent Republicans.

A simpler story along the same lines would be a documentary comparing the Brownshirts of 1929-1934 with Blackwater of today. There is a storm coming.

ITEM FROM BETTS:

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CNN: Corrupt News Network
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A self-serving agenda was set for the Republican presidential debates.

Tim Rutten
Regarding Media

December 1 2007

THE United States is at war in the Middle East and Central Asia, the economy is writhing like a snake with a broken back, oil prices are relentlessly climbing toward $100 a barrel and an increasing number of Americans just can’t afford to be sick with anything that won’t be treated with aspirin and bed rest.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/newsletter/la-et-rutten1dec01,1,2183723.column

20th Anniversary

We will stop hocking you with information about Globalvision’s 20th anniversary but I do want to thank Alden James and the National Arts Club for hosting our packed celebration Friday night. Many former and current Globalvisoneers were there along with a former UN ambassador, Croatian rock singer, independent film makers and at least one major airline pilot.

I showed my own little film about my life and times (“Putting the Me Back In Media)” that recaps a a life as a media rebel, and our work over the years along with a trailer for a work in progress on children working in the films directed by U Roberto Romano and my partner Rory O’Connor. The response was encouraging.

Rory O’Connor and I had a picture taken in front of a picture we took together back in the days when we were just starting out.. I don’t think I am any older except for a change in hair color, do you? Hey? Photo By Hugh Chatfield.

Was this event the start of another wave or work or our last hurrah. As they say, Time will tell. Thanks to all of you who responded to my pitch for support. Self-promotional, not really. Shameless, I guess so. Necessary? Unfortunately.

Thanks for checking in. Its cold outside. Brrrr.

Your comments welcome to dissector@mediachannel.org