http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/08/carlson/index.html

MATTHEWS: Tom, we’re going to have to go back and figure out the methodology, I think, on some of these [polls].

BROKAW: You know what I think we’re going to have to do?

MATTHEWS: Yes sir?

BROKAW: Wait for the voters to make their judgment.

MATTHEWS: Well what do we do then in the days before the ballot? We must stay home, I guess.

BROKAW: No, no we don’t stay home. There are reasons to analyze what they’re saying. We know from how the people voted today, what moved them to vote. You can take a look at that. There are a lot of issues that have not been fully explored during all this.

But we don’t have to get in the business of making judgments before the polls have closed. And trying to stampede in effect the process.

Greenwald obviously despises much of what passes for modern journalism. Speaking of the “media stars,” Greenwald comments: “Petty personality-based gossip and speculative, worthless chatter is all they know.” For his full commentary, go here.

What can we do about this immense threat to our country? I highly recommend that anyone interested should visit the website of Free Press for numerous of ways to get educated and to get involved.  For example, become knowledgable about the commitment of the telecoms to destroy net neutrality.  Why focus on net neutrality?  Because huge private corporate interests are now committed to doing the same thing to the Internet that they have already done to most television and radio stations and most newspapers.  They want to own and control the flow of every drop of mass communication in this country. If you think that this sounds paranoid, go to the above link and consider the cold hard facts.

Do you want to REALLY jump in and get involved?  Attend the next National Conference for Media Reform, which will be held in Minneapolis, June 6-8, 2008.  I’ll be there, reporting from Minneapolis as I did extensively from Memphis.

The more I learn about media issues the more important they reveal themselves to be.  Consider this: what better way is there to remove citizens from the political process than by taking real news off their air?  And when the citizens have been removed from the political process, who will be in charge? 

Here’s another (small but fun) thing you can consider doing.  Print out some of these decals and attach them to every television you can find. 

Most important, talk about these issues with the many people who don’t yet understand how important they are. 

Like you, Ebonmuse, I can’t stand to watch most corporate “news.”    I know, however, that turning off our televisions and refusing to read the garbage found in most newspapers is not a good long-term strategy.  Totally giving up on the media would leave too many people in the dark. 

I agree that we shouldn’t feel compelled to watch the watch the trash that dominates the corporate media.  But don’t completely give up on the potential power of the media to be a wholesome force–someday.  Instead, join together (again, visit Free Press) to help take back the media for the benefit of the people who allegedly own this country–U.S. citizens. 

These lumbering corporate behemoths have already begun to slide into irrelevance, but the sooner we can bring about their collapse, the better.

But how do we bring this about when the vast majority of people (if ratings are to be believed) watch these news programmes and think that they’re being informed?

At least here in Australia we still have the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) which is commercial free. The ABC regularly airs in-depth programmes criticizing perceived wrong-doing by both government & big business. But even there the now departed prime minister John Howard was accused of trying to influence it by appointing government friendly members to the board. Who knows what will happen with the new Rudd Government. Let’s face it, the last thing a government wants is informed voters!