[lbo-talk] Re: Iraq war "clearer" to Americans than WW 2

[JBrown72073 at cs.com]

>Doug Henwood wrote:
>>
>> I think lefties complain too much about how the big media suck, and 
>> should spend more time cultivating our own media. But still, it's not
>> like we've got Rupert Murdoch's cash and credit lines. How can "we" 
>
>ChuckO:
>You gotta start somewhere. We do an excellent job at creating an 
>alternative to the big media, but we haven't done a very good job of 
>subverting the media, not to mention a direct assault on the media with
>our own pundits and programming.
>
>The Heritage Foundation, Cato, and other conservative thinks tanks don't
>have Rupert Murdoch's cash, yet they are very good at using the 
>mainstream media to convey their ideology. Of course, their ideology 
>dovetails with the ideology of those that run the media corporations, 
>but have we tried to replicate what the right has done? How about other
>avenues?

Try Free Speech TV on the Dish network.  We get it at our local radical 
infoshop, the Civic Media Center.  FSTV carries Democracy Now (yes, they 
carry video of the radio show, with added graphics, etc.) as well as 
excellent documentaries, repeated frequently, some regular news programming, 
funny shorts, etc.  It's quite uncompromising. 

The radio situation locally is not a case of us not trying.  Our local micro 
station was shut down by the FCC twice, of course they stole the equipment 
both times.   The CMC applied for a low power license and now there's some 
question whether these will ever be issued, but there are five entities vying 
for the two available spots on the dial.  Someone asked why anyone would 
listen to NPR (National Patriotic Radio)--it's either that or music with 2 
minute national news bites on the hour.  Oh, and a talk station where the 
programming is back-to-back Michael Savage types.  Of course, if we had the 
cash we could buy a real station.  Must be nice.

For the print media expansion requires up front money.  In Gainesville we 
have two independent monthlies.  One (the more entertainment oriented one) 
tried to go weekly but their small staff about did themselves in.  The one I 
co-edit (circulation 5000) has a limiting factor that those of us who do the 
work (more than write an occasional article) all have other jobs, so greater 
length or frequency would require paid staff, which is unaffordable given our 
financial base of subscribers and advertisers.  It would still be 
unaffordable if we tripled that income, actually.  

A group of environmentalists and local politicians, fed up with the daily NYT 
paper here, got together several years ago and tried to start a competing 
daily.  The startup money required was tremendous but they worked hard to get 
advance subscriptions and secure investors and advertisers.  The numbers 
never added up, big advertisers had no incentive to help another daily get 
started, since it could potentially double their ad expenses.  I should 
mention that the right wingers occasionally get a grant to do a stupid paper 
on campus for a couple of years.  They're a clear case of having the money 
but lacking the dedication, talent or readership to persist. 

Jenny Brown