PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Ignorance is Bliss For Corporate Media
by AntiChimp Saturday, Jun. 11, 2005 at 4:15 AM
antichimp2005@yahoo.com

One monkey's thoughts on the lack of media responsibility in reporting on the Downing Street Memo.

I did a little informal and unscientific social experiment this past week. I asked some family members, some children, and some colleagues if they knew what the Downing Street Memo (better referred to as the Downing Street Minutes) was about. I probably talked to about a dozen people who I knew were not strongly political; a small sample I realize, but the results were interesting. Of all the people I questioned, only one had the faintest idea of what it was all about, and the rest had never even heard of it. No idea at all.

These are not stupid people; all the adults I spoke with have good jobs, are prototypical American consumers, and most own their own home. That's the point, of course: despite having access to all manner of media, including the Internet(s), the DSM remains largely unknown. Without specifically searching for information from alternative news sources, it would be difficult if not impossible to find out about the document and its importance.

If you are reading this, I'm pretty certain you already know what the DSM is. But you are vastly in the minority, so far. The American press has done a shamefully inadequate job, and should be held accountable for their lack of responsibility. The standards of journalism have sunk so low, that the credibility of the press is very much in question. We already have cable TV for when we want "info-tainment"; the corporate media in this country need to stop presenting "both sides" of every issue, as if every mendacious viewpoint were equally worthy of coverage, and focus on the truth. The DSM is what it is: indisputable evidence of the criminality of the Bush Administration.

Copyright 2005 by AntiChimp.com

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