Journalistic integrity is fast becoming an oxymoron like “army intelligence” or “truth in advertising”. Today’s news programs have had a cleansing of “reporters”. Now we have “anchors”, or “personalities”. “Commentators.” Of course they cannot call themselves reporters, as that would imply some objectivity on their part.
Is there any integrity left in the industry? I do believe there is some. Most assuredly we are scraping at the bottom of the pot; possibly adding some water to stretch what’s left. Is it irony that in today’s media, some of the highest levels of integrity and honesty are exhibited by comedians? Fortunately however, there are still some reporters out there.
Some are new, like this Rachel Maddow I’ve seen lately. I don’t watch her show, but I have seen some clips on the web. She maintains a professional demeanor, and plainly contrasts truth and fallacy as she interviews her guests. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
And some are old. Icons of journalism who’ve been around for years but haven’t retired yet; postponing that last fade-to-black and becoming part of the past with Mr. Kronkite and Mr. Murrow.
I do not have much experience with this particular television reporter, either, but for the segments I have viewed, not on his regular public television broadcasts; but courtesy of YouTube. (Truth is, I don’t subscribe to television anymore.) For 50 years, this man has been, and still is, pursuing truth and bringing it to the people for consideration. In doing so, he has enlightened me to some truths that are just plain scary. Scary in how evil some corporations are, how dirty they are willing to play, how naive the public is to attempt to compromise with them, and how complicit the govt. is in our nation’s economic woes.
Please watch these videos. Share them with friends; post their links on public forums as often as possible. The truth IS out there. Some are still digging it up; and we owe it to them to pass it along until it is heard by everyone.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Bill Moyers.
1.Moyers interviews William K. Black : [The] “Bush Administration essentially got rid of regulation, so if nobody was looking, you were able to do this with impunity and that’s exactly what happened,” — W. Black
2. Moyers interviews Wendell Potter : “Well, I was beginning to question what I was doing as the industry shifted from selling primarily managed care plans, to what they refer to as consumer-driven plans. And they’re really plans that have very high deductibles, meaning that they’re shifting a lot of the cost off health care from employers and insurers, insurance companies, to individuals. And a lot of people can’t even afford to make their co-payments when they go get care, as a result of this.” — W. Potter
3. Moyers discusses the history of health insurance and a single payer system : “Health care costs are rising 6% a year.” — B. Moyers
4. Moyers interviews David Cay Johnston : “One of the key sources I quote is a prominent Republican lawyer married to a United States senator who is the expert in Texas on municipal finance. The subsidy, he says, is $202.5 million. And Bush and his partners captured about 168 million of it.” — D. Johnston
5. Moyers hands an O’Reilly stooge his arse : “…and if you want a job, I may have some recommendations for ya.” — B. Moyers
TD a good example of the modern media for you. Kaiser Group came out with a study that healthcare costs would grow about 5% a year. Obviously a very conservative number but much higher than wage increases. The point is what is the media focusing on again today BS like Kanye West being called a jackass by the president, Joe Wilson’s censure and Faux News is busy lying about teabagger crowd sizes. Of course stories that would actually help real healthcare reform pass are pushed to the bottom.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/3311963
TD, what a fantastic selection of Bill Moyers episodes. Every time I watch an episode I say to myself, this is truly the best show on television.
I hope people who haven’t seen the videos you included watch them, they’ll be happy they did.
Here’s another great guest and episode, Colonel Andrew Bacevich on the damage to our democracy under Bush’s Imperial presidency. He was Republican but couldn’t abide what was happening. This is one very sharp and clever man who knows the military and politics inside out.
WOW.
THIS IS A MUST VIEW.
i am at a loss for words for a moment. ok, it passed. (ha)
the colonel in this series of videos is simply brilliant. he clearly understands the reality of modern politics.
WATCH THIS SERIES OF6 VIDEOS. THE LAST 4 MINUTES ARE ESPECIALLY POWERFUL.
thanx Ad, for posting this within my article. it’s an excellent supplement.
TD you should read this analysis on healthcare costs by the Commonwealth Fund which is a real nonpartisan group. They did the numbers on the growth in healthcare costs and Bill Moyers was even a little on the low side of costs but much closer then what the media has been reporting. As someone who studied business early in my college career you have to remember 6.5% compounds every year so in no time costs will double again like they have in less than the last ten years.
How universal healthcare lowers costs.
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/Publications/Fund-Reports/2009/Jun/Fork-in-the-Road.aspx
With no universal healthcare costs will rise 6.5%
With only private universal healthcare costs will rise 5.8%
With universal healthcare with public option costs will rise 5.6%
With universal healthcare with public option and Medicare limits costs will rise 5.2%
If you don’t think 1.3% is much it’s about $2 trillion dollars over 10 years.
Moreover insurance rates will go DOWN 25% with a strong public option.
I know the numbers for single payer would be even lower. Single payer would probably cut the cost of heatlhcare at least in half if not more. But I do understand the political realities as well and too many people against their own interests are afraid of single payer now. But that’s why we must have a public option to prove single payer works.
Excellent compilation TD Moyers is one of the true voices of sanity in our insane media environment. The sad part is he can be only because he’s works in public television.
I should comment on our so-called left leaning media as well. Of course I prefer commentators like Shultz, Olberman and Maddow on MSNBC because they all have a personal progressive slant. But in many ways they are just as bad feeding the derisive memes of the MSM. They focus on the partisan battles instead of the truth and advocacy of progressive ideas. For example the only time Olberman and Maddow specifically talk about healthcare is when they see some kind of faux outrage regarding the healthcare horse race rather than talking sanely about the issues.
you are absolutely right. many people tell me to watch Olbermann because they believe my views sound similar to his.
but I am not a democrat. I am not a person who identifies with a particular SIDE, a particular TEAM, that exists SIMPLY TO BE THE ANTITHESIS OF ANOTHER SIDE. it is not a right vs. left argument to me. IT IS RIGHT VS. WRONG.
when anyone, from any party, is wrong, i will point it out. correctness is not an inherent liberal attribute.
Thanks for the videos.
You are right. The integrity is gone from journalism. Instead of reporting the news, commentators invent the news. The moment we started to look to news for its “entertainment” value, we lost our way.
and yet i hold govt. responsible. rather than fining the howard stern brigade for obscenities, they should be creating STANDARDS for electronic news gathering. i want CLEAR DEFINITION OF TERMS, so we know a NEWS show contains facts and is objective, and shows that do not meet the qualifications must be called “entertainment magazines” or something similar.
shows that are completely subjective should be required to air a disclaimer at the beginning that states they are editorial opinion shows, not representations of truth or fact as required to be considered a ‘NEWS’ show.