America is at war with the media

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

In the past few months, the world has been on edge with the prospect of war with Iraq. It is now, more than ever, a time for precision and truth in reporting. Unfortunately, the United States Media has been using this vulnerable platform to create public outcry and dissention among citizens abroad by deceitfully creating propaganda. What is the Media’s fascination with such tactics during a time of intense pressure and uncertainty? Is it because they have a fear of running out of News or want to create job security? Possibly, but more than likely these tactics have more to do with good old fashioned corporate greed.

The United States Media is run by five companies (AOL/Time Warner, Viacom/CBS/UPN, GE/NBC, Disney/ABC, and Fox/News Corp.) each of which at any given time have joint ventures amongst themselves. These companies gain huge revenue streams through advertising and those streams overflow when big news occurs. Is it fair to insinuate that the Media conspires to create news in an effort to bolster revenue streams? It’s a possibility, but the real issue is the implications of five companies producing and distributing the programming seen by the vast majority of Americans on broadcast and cable.

It is scary to think that we ultimately hear only the "voices" of those five corporate leviathans, no matter how many channels we receive. Ben H. Bagdikian, in his book, "The Media Monopoly" wrote:

"[M]edia power is political power. Politicians hesitate to offend the handful of media operators who control how those politicians will be presented — or not presented — to the voters. Media political power has always been a fixture in American history. But today the combination of the media industry and traditional corporate power has reached dimensions former generations could not match. ... Today ... political variety among the mainstream media has disappeared. As the country enters the twenty-first century, the news and analyses of progressive ideas and groups are close to absent in the major media. Similarly absent is commentary on dangers of this political one-sidedness to American democracy."

Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for the Creative Community said:

"Research indicates most Americans receive the vast majority of their information regarding democracy, politics, values, history, and culture from entertainment programming on television. As a result, the FCC must take steps to promote on television the multiplicity of voices that the Supreme Court says are a government interest of the highest order under the First Amendment’s protection of free expression."

As Americans we have a duty to make sure our country remains a Democracy especially in the area of free expression. Allowing corporations to overthrow our government, and take away our First Amendment rights is not an option. We live in uncertain and dangerous times which call for precision, truth and honesty in reporting. America is at war with it’s own Media Outlets, and "We the People" need to "fight the good fight." We can no longer leave our fate up to our Government Officials or FCC members. This government was designed to be run by the people, not the Media, and we need to stand up to the "Leviathan Media Ownership" and give the Political power back to it’s rightful owners.

To voice your opinion to the FCC go to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi and enter "02-277" in the "Proceeding" box and complete the other required information. Your government, fellow citizens, and citizens abroad will be glad you did.

Matt Council
Tampa, Florida

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Call for North Carolina
mobilization against war

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

On February 15, Saturday, North Carolina will mobilize against the war, in conjunction with and as part of a worldwide mass mobilization to stop the Bush regime. We will assemble at 12 noon on the Capital grounds, downtown Raleigh. The goal is 10,000 people, and we have two weeks. I became a grandparent six weeks ago. My grandchild is smiling and reaching and trying to make talking noises. I love this little boy, and this movement has now become part and parcel of my responsibility to fight my heart out for a better world than this, where he will not be faced with the consequences of this out-of-control system and its out-of-control, racist, heterosexist, imperial-militaristic, ecocidal political class.

We are at a point where the global movement against Bush’s wars has begun to weaken that regime, and we have to keep up the momentum. We are on the cusp of a strategic opportunity to actually defeat and destroy this dangerous clique politically. How to fight for our grandchildren’s futures doesn’t get any more concrete and immediate than that.

We will get out more information as the Program Committee works out the details. But for now, plan on being there. Not mini-demos in Roanoke Rapids or parallel demos in Charlotte or sympathy demos in Asheville or letter-writing campaigns in Wilmington. New York City will have half a million that day. We need to put 10,000 North Carolinians in the street in Raleigh, the state Capital. We need concentration! We need to put up the biggest thing this state has ever seen, so people like John Edwards who is hallucinating about the Presidency right now gets a message, and so they can get on their cell phones to DC and say, "Hey, these people are serious and they are talking about becoming ‘ungovernable.’"

Organize car pools. Organize buses. Organize wagon trains, we don’t care. This call is going out from the statewide antiwar committee that met (200 strong) from all over NC today at Greensboro. Send this message along to every list you have, tell every friend you have, make flyers and put them on mailboxes or cars in parking lots, or pass them out at church. Contact your organizations. [...]THIS IS IMPORTANT! We each have to take the responsibility to work as hard as we can from now until then to put warm bodies in the street Feb. 15.

Make their jaws drop! Help NC help the world! Help politically destroy the Bush Junta! NC Mass Mobilization Against War! State Capital, Raleigh, 12 noon, Saturday, February 15: No Excuses! Be There! "We must become ungovernable by warmongers!"

Stan Goff, Former US Army Special Forces

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