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Presstitution in Russia and the US
In the old Soviet Union, there were two television channels: Channel One and Channel Two. If viewers in the Socialist Worker’s Paradise tried switching to Channel Two for a different view of life in Russia a message would appear on the viewer’s screen informing them to return to Channel One.
In Putin’s Russian Federation, Channel One is still State Television, and according to some Russians it is the “Shame of Russia.” There are more television stations available in Russia today, but they are closely controlled by Putin’s acolytes.
“Thousands of Russians marched in Moscow on February 29, 2020, to mark the five years since the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. A reporter for state-run Channel One tried to conduct interviews but was repeatedly shouted down by opposition supporters calling the TV network Kremlin propaganda.” — Radio Free Europe
Our comrades in Russia are not alone in this world with the dissemination of lies by commission, or omission by broadcasters or the print media. The mainstream media in the United States is just as talented as Russian media in distorting the truth. This is not a new problem. G.K. Chesterton noted the problem in the days before television that proves that all change is not necessarily progress.
“Modern man is staggering and losing his balance because he is being pelted with little pieces of alleged fact which are native to the newspapers; and, if they turn out not to be facts, that is still more native to newspapers.” — Illustrated London News, April 7, 1923
So, to our Russian comrades, we share your pain, and you are in my thoughts as I soak in the Glorious Hot Tub of the Peoples Revolution.
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Published in Journalism
The one thing State-run television has going for it is that it is more honest about whose interests it represents. Sure, like the State itself, it’ll claim it acts in the interests of “society” or “democracy” or whatever, but at least the link to those in power is more transparent.
Michael Malice insists on using the term “corporate press” instead of “mainstream media,” and I think this is to draw attention to the fact that the press acts in the interests of corporations. That is their real customer base. You are the product.
I have to do a ton of listening for reinforcement in my university Russian course, and, while we have prepared listening packets (think mp3 files with 10-12 5-7 minute sections of different exercises on topics and grammar created by our tutors), those are only for breaks, so it’s up to us what else we listen to. I lasted 1 day with an RT and one other state controlled media podcast before I totally lost my patience with it, and now I am a devoted listener to Radio Free Europe’s Russian (and Arabic) language content, much of which is also on YouTube. If they do English language content I would highly recommend it, based on what I’ve listened to and seen, and ditto if anyone speaks Russian. It keeps me sane, because there is only so much Russian music I can listen to and the propaganda was going to give me a stroke.
Speaking of Russia and the press. Russia has effectively declared war on the US energy industry in an election season. Why is the press not covering this blatant and strategic interference in the 2020 election?
Because that might interfere with what the US press and its allies plans to do to interfere in the 2020 election?
Russia: plans to sow distrust of electoral process in US no matter who wins. Trump’s actions have hurt their economy on the one hand. We don’t know how or if this will bias their actions.
Democrats, social media giants, mass media operatives with bylines and tranzi megadonors: Plan to commit massive illegal fund raising and election fraud. Will cry “we wuz robbed” if they lose. If they win, (ptui ptui ptui) the election will prove the progressive mandate.
“Your connection with any newspaper would be a disgrace and a degradation. I would rather sell gin to poor people and poison them that way.” – Sir Walter Scott
“A newspaper consists of just the same number of words, whether there be any news in it or not.” – Henry Fielding
“When we hear news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation.” – Voltaire
“Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization.” – George Bernard Shaw
“The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.” -Thomas Jefferson
Quibble: What news source isn’t incorporated? Is Ricochet not incorporated?
There has never been a time of truly independent and unbiased news reporting. The tradition of the English Fleet Street is one of association with political parties and direct involvement in political debates. Churchill had his supporters and his adversaries. The discord between Jefferson and Hamilton, which caused Washington a log of anguish, was also fought out in competing newspapers which published attacks (slanderous and very personal) written by anonymous authors. Note: anonymous was quite busy at the time, also writing the Federalist papers.
The BBC is a government organ which takes, usually, a very anti-government line if that government line is less than the desired polemic. During the early stages of the most recent Iraq war, British units would turn the channel in dining halls if the BBC was on.
And when Biden is elected (and he will be in a land slide) the 3 main networks and CNN will become the semi-official government networks. Because, now, they have real skin in the game. This will make Putin’s press look like kindergarten handouts.
Excellent point. They exist because they have a reason to exist. Incorporated or not, for profit or not. All press has a purpose. I wrote some for my high school paper (late 60s) and we tried to sneak in as much anti-teacher wording that we could because “they” were “the system” and we were “the revolution”.
I would also like to point out that an organization doesn’t have to be “incorporated” in order to be corporate.