Despite what Mitt Romney may have said back in 2011, corporations are NOT people. They have no feelings, no souls, no conscience. If they cared about anything, it would be to deliver a profit to shareholders. That’s all that matters. Profit.
Exxon doesn’t care about climate change, they care about quarterly earnings. This massive oil corporation knew about the science of climate change since the 1980’s, they spent millions to promote misinformation instead. They were devoted to climate denial and bankrolled politicians who fought against climate action. They have not made the world a better place. Their actions have negatively impacted my kids future and yours. Their profits have been plentiful, that’s what matters to Exxon.
NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN and the rest of the mainstream news media are no different than Exxon. They are corporations. Profits matter, nothing else. The fairness doctrine* no longer exists in the news media. News is not news, it is infotainment. What we call “news” is entertaining and can be informative. But like any corporation, it is beholden to profits.
Most folks don’t notice the biased spin that the corporate controlled news media delivers to us on a daily basis. It is becoming more obvious than ever as the presidential election drama continues to build. Despite the fact that Bernie Sanders is running a remarkable grassroots campaign giving Mrs. Clinton a run for her money, there is very little news media coverage of this phenomenon. Instead, the media outlets over focus on her “inevitability” as a candidate and chatter about “super delegates” dominates the conversation.
The news media is also very much responsible for the rise of Republican candidate, Mr. Trump. The outspoken, racist candidate has earned close to $2 billion dollars of free media coverage, which has made it extremely difficult for his competitors to catch up. This attention has played an instrumental role in his rise in the polls.
CBS chairman, Leslie Moonves, admits that Trump’s success has been “damn good” for the network. Like the melting ice in the Arctic, the media fueled Trump fest has become a positive feedback loop. More Trump, higher ratings, networks gouge advertisers for higher advertising rates. This is playing out like an ugly endgame in which our country dissolves into a bad reality TV show.
Media literacy is necessary in interesting times like these. Both children and adults must develop critical thinking skills and understand how media messages are shaping our society. Its not easy to recognize bias, spin, misinformation and what parts of the story are not being told. The Center for Media Literacy is a good resource.
