At the Left Forum in NYC, I spoke on a panel called "What Has WikiLeaks Revealed." I presented with Danny Schechter, founder of MediaChannel, and someone who is a broadcast/print journalist and an internationally recognized speaker and writer on media issues.
Schechter and I each gave a presentation. That audio will be posted at some point. But, for now, as I prepare for the National Conference for Media Reform 2011 that is being held in Boston from Friday, April 8th through Sunday, April 10th, I would like to share what Schechter had to say on US media, particularly US corporate media.
*Click play button below to hear Schechter talk about the media
Schechter, who is known as "The News Dissector," talks about the responsibility we have to confront media and fight for another narrative. He has led by example, as he was the director behind the documentary "Weapons of Mass Deception" that looked closely at how broadcast news media in the US helped the government package and sell the Iraq War.
One of the things that bothered him during the war in Iraq (which is till ongoing) was the fact that a hundred thousand people would march on Washington and stand in front of the White House and scream and holler but no one would march on the Washington Post, which was ten blocks away, and was pumping propaganda for the war since Day One. Nobody would challenge “Meet the Press," was pumping out this "pablum" or any of the broadcast news shows.
"Those of us on the left who are so consumed with politics and politicians and theoretical issues have to be concerned about our media," says Schechter. And, we have to become "media activists willing to stand up against media distortion."
Listen to the full clip for more from Danny Schechter.
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