Bush 'planted fake news stories on American TV'

[barondave]

Bush 'planted fake news stories on American TV' May 29, 2006, The Independent

Federal authorities are actively investigating dozens of American television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news. Some of the fake news segments talked up success in the war in Iraq, or promoted the companies' products.

Is anyone surprised? The conservative news media feeds the gullible conservatives just what they want to hear, and very little else. Pathetic.

Edited to add: A nod to supergee who posted this link with a different subject line.

Comments

[roseseule.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised it took them this long to cover it...The Daily Show did a bit on it almost two years ago. Proving once again that if you want REAL investigative journalism, our news media is so bad you have to turn to Comedy Central.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

Indeed. The Daily Show is still the only reliable news program on tv. (Okay, maybe NOW with David Brancaccio...)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"Is anyone surprised? The conservative news media feeds the gullible conservatives just what they want to hear, and very little else. Pathetic."

And effective. That's the problem: It's easier to win if you're willing to be immoral.

B

[barondave.livejournal.com]

And effective.

*sigh* You're right of course. And it pisses me off. I'm always arguing with my various right-wing friends about Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, warrentless searches, etc etc by saying, "Hey, we're the good guys." And this argument never gets anywhere. You can see their sphincters tighten up. The sheer lack of morals -- sometimes, even pride at the lack of morals -- is damned unAmerican, especially from so-called patriots. It's damned unChristian, from so-called Christians. The good guys have this election and maybe 2008 before I give up on America. Nehemiah Scudder and his ilk will have won.

The conservatives have a lot to apologize for. Destroying America may be their legacy. It was a noble experiment that failed.

Yeah, I'm in a morbid mood. At least the bread and circuses are good... the basketball playoffs have been the best in years...

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Solving this one is important. How to we remind Americans that morals matter? National morals. Corporate morals. Personal morals. Even religious morals.

B

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I've been saying this for years: Liberals need to reclaim G-d. The far right has always managed to invoke religion for all sorts of immoral stances: Slavery (though the good guys eventually won), Prohibition, anti-abortion, anti-environment, support for the cowardly and corrupt George W. Bush and so on. They are wrong in all cases, and it's about time the left reclaimed the spiritual as well as moral high ground. John Kerry tried this, but not hard enough. Al Gore should have tried it, but didn't. I don't know who's left. Jon Stewart?

[asimovberlioz.livejournal.com]

I don't know who's left. Jon Stewart?

Rob Corddry?