Monday, April 30, 2007

UPDATE BILL MOYER'S " BUYING THE WAR " & THE FAILURE OF THE MEDIA & BILL O'REILLEY & HANNITY & COLMES

UPDATE:

Anyway here are some more reviews & articles on Bill Moyers & the documentary " BUYING THE WAR" which aired last week on PBS " Bill Moyer's Journal "

Video of Moyer's documentary " BUYING THE WAR" can be seen divided up into segments at YOUTUBE.

or in part with the written transcript at TRUTHOUT

Also see Alternet
Moyers on Media's War Pt 1 [VIDEO]

full video of " BUYING THE WAR" at alternet:
ALTERNET VIDEO OF MOYER's Documentary"

also see Interview of Moyers by Amy Goodman at DEMOCRACY NOW!" posted 25/04/07 discussing "BUYING the War" [VIDEO]

And see article by Evan Derkacz on April 29/07 at ALTERNET:
" Bill Moyers on Why the Press Bought the Iraq War "

" The media took the Bush admin's Iraq claims at face value, but it didn't have to.
The marketing of the war in Iraq by the administration has been much examined, but a critical question remains: How and why did the press buy it? The new Bill Moyers Journal documentary from PBS explores these very questions.

Bill Moyers and his team piece together the reporting that shows how the media were complicit in shaping the "public mind" toward the war, and ask what's happened to the press' role as skeptical "watchdog" over government power. This segment features the work of some intrepid journalists who didn't take the government's word at face value, including the team of reporters at Knight Ridder news service whose reporting turned up evidence at odds with the official view of reality."


Also see David Sirota's article at Alternet 27/04/07 on Moyer's documentary :

" After Moyers Iraq Documentary -DC Reporters in Damage Control Mode "
In the lead up to and wake of Bill Moyers' much-anticipated mega-dunk on the Washington press corps this week, we are seeing the ugliest side of Beltway culture -- the meltdown, damage-control freak out. Only what's new is that instead of politicians melting down, it's reporters themselves. And never underestimate the desperation that comes when Establishment Washington unifies to try to defend itself.
Over here we have professional power-worshiper Chris "It Doesn't Matter Where Political Money Comes From" Cillizza attempting to defend Tim Russert, and in the process insulting the recently deceased journalistic hero David Halberstam.

Yes, Cillizza -- clearly begging for an invite on a Meet the Press panel -- is out there saying that "modern journalists are doing their very best to emulate that sort of reporting" that came from Halberstam, and that "Tim Russert is one of the best examples of that kind of accountability journalism." I guess turning over NBC's airwaves to a Vice President spewing lies, ignoring the solid reporting of Knight Ridder that debunked those lies, and having panel discussions laughing hysterically with fellow pundit friends over predictions for when the war would start is, under Cillizza's warped Beltway definition, "accountability journalism" from Russert (who, I'm sure, Cillizza would also have us believe is just a "blue collar guy from Buffalo," despite Russert's multi-million-dollar salary and quaint Nantucket summers).

Moyers piece is important not just because it has exposed the entire sham that was pre-war Beltway journalism, but also because he has finally exacted a price -- in this case, humiliation -- from the reporters whose power-worshiping, must-stay-on-the-cocktail-party-circuit tendencies led them to aggressively push this country into war. And we can hope that fear of future humiliation will help prevent another gross abdication of responsibility next time around.


and more on Moyers:

and from Bloger at " Happy Jihad's House Of Pancakes ":posted 26/04/07

Is it too late to give Knight-Ridder a Pulitzer?

I totally want to kiss every last son-of-a-bitch at Knight-Ridder personally on the mouth. I am disgusted with the Times and the cable news networks.

This peculiarly Happy Jihad-esque mixture of rage and erotic passion for journalists that I have never met comes from watching the debut episode of Bill Moyers' new weekly show, Journal on PBS last night. Last night's episode was "Buying the War." It was supurb and depressing. He held back no punches, and it was simply delightful to watch Tim "I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing" Russert dance like a monkey. With the exception of Knight-Ridder, just about every major media outlet failed us. Bill O'Reilly, you jerk, if I ever hear another flip quip from you about the "liberal media," I will wet myself with impotent annoyance. I was depressed to see my two favorite new sources complicit and cowed by the Administration: Frontline and the NewsHour. Damnit.

We need a skeptical bulldog press, one that is looking out for the audience. Part of the problem is the principle of "balance" which, when reporting on political issues, has very little to do with the "truth" of the matter.



And From Indystar.com posted 27/04/07 we get this glowing review:

" Moyers 'un-retires' with new 'Journal' : Veteran journalist plans 99 hours of public affairs programming on PBS "
NEW YORK -- He's coming back, and viewers will be the richer for it.
Self-proclaimed "citizen journalist" Bill Moyers, who tore himself away from the TV grind a little more than two years ago, is returning to weekly television.
"Bill Moyers Journal"

To describe the overarching mission of "Bill Moyers Journal," he paraphrased Benjamin Harris, editor of America's first newspaper in the 1690s: "To give an account of such considerable things as have come to my attention."
On Saturday's edition, he'll focus on such things as the Justice Department's questionable firing of eight federal prosecutors and the role of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The program also will mark the fourth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" -- President Bush's landing on the banner-sporting aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and his pronouncement that "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended." In a commentary, Moyers will assess the war's crushing cost.

"Week in and week out, it's Moyers & Friends on politics, culture, religion, books, media and money," he declares.

This veteran journalist has always been at home with a range of subjects. His humanist advocacy has been honored with more than 30 Emmys and 10 Peabody awards.


Anyway will the media finally smarten up & do their job of being a " WATCH-DOG PRESS or just continue to be lackey's fro the Bush Regime , The Neocons & the Religious Right & by doing so help to destroy America's democratic values.

It is more likely the press will attack someone like Bill Moyers as can be seen in opinion pieces by Bill O'Reilly & his NEOCON clones. as illustrated in the following clip from Bill O'Reilley in which he makes the dubious claim that the documentary quoted him out of context :

Bill O'Reilley :


What's the difference between a "Bad American " & being called " Unpatriotic " or protesting & dissenting legally when in the present conditions & climate of fear & paranoia in the United States The Bush Regime has the power to designate anyone at their discretion as being a threat to National Security.

And from FOX NEWS on HANNITY & COLMES with David Hanson of the organization " Afterdowningstreet" & Brent Bozell of the Neoconservative organization Media Research Center...who says "I WANT ALLAN COLMES TO... DENOUNCE BILL MOYERS..." The neocons are upset that anyone dare question the Bush Regime or the Neocons & the American Press which did not do the job it should have.



So the NEOCONS are " mad as hell & are not going to take it anymore" (from the film "NETWORK ") are tired of being victimized by the " LIBERAL BIASED ANTI-BUSH MEDIA" but it seems to me & many others that the media if it is biased it is biased in favor of right-wing radical Neoconservatives & tends to fuel the fires of hatred , fear & bigotry .

For more on the power of the Neoconservatives & their plan for America see : THE GUARDIAN: FASCIST AMERICA IN 10 EASY STEPS by Naomi Wolf posted 28/04/07


TAKE CARE,
GORD.

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