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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Local Newspaper Turned Into Partisan Plaything

It didn’t take the new owner of the Janesville Messenger, Bliss Communications, too long to turn the Messenger, a twice-a-week free newspaper, into a full blown WMC propaganding hack-arm for the Republican Party. Last week Wednesday’s Messenger set the stage when the newspaper exploited the military service of a candidate for the Wisconsin state legislature into a shameless political folly as a front-page news story. Of course, the candidate’s party officials gave their blessings!

Sunday’s edition of the Messenger continued on this apparent new path. Articles were loaded down with business promotional material and WMC affiliates masquerading as news articles including one on TV4US, describing the corporate lobbyist organization as an advocacy group working on behalf of cable customers. The Messenger editorial page, never to be outdone, was the usual mindless chatter and demagoguery most of us in Janesville have become accustomed to over the years.

But the story here is, in my years of reading and watching these newspapers, I’ve never seen the Messenger taken down to such bottom-feeding depths and one-dimensional content outside of the editorial page. Evidently, Bliss has turned this newspaper into a battering ram plaything for itself to promote their political agenda.

Individuals with progressive ideals and like-minded businesses in Rock and Walworth might want to take a step back and reconsider what these newspapers represent and what you’re supporting when buying into marketing and advertising in their pages. Granted, Bliss has a near monopoly here and there are few local alternatives, but we’re not doing ourselves any favors supporting newspapers whose political agenda will thrive only by dividing the community.

On a separate but relevant note and not much better than our newspapers here in Janesville, was the newsprint front page of Sunday’s Chicago Tribune. The headliner read, “The Mud Hits Chicago: The murder rate in the city is up 18 percent over last year. Republicans and attack ads are trying to put the blame on Barack Obama. We weigh the charges against his record.” No kidding here folks, the Chicago Tribune, once considered one of the top newspapers in the country, thinks running an attack ad on their front page and then debating it - is headline news! And traditional newsprint wonders why they're losing readers?

Best Explanation For Georgia/Russia Conflict so far.

2 comments:

Joshua Skolnick said...

Funny about how we are now hearing about crime rate and murder rates going up and spinning it in order to blame Obama and Democrats, who have largely been out of power for the last 8 years. Typically, when the economy is bad and people perceive that the system is rigged against them, as is the case now, crime rates go up. They did during previous hard times, including the early years of the Depression, and during the 1970s stagflation. They went down during Bill Clinton's adminstration because the economy strengthened, however the Republican-cheerleading corporate propaganda media does not want to discuss that fact.

Crime is a result of bad economies, combined with hopelessness and desperation, not Barack Obama. Such inanity, lies and drivel perpetrated by corporate media is why I increasingly tune it out.

Lou Kaye said...

Josh, you and I think alike. We've had a Republican in the White House for 20 of the past 28 years! We have had a GOP-led Congress for 14 out the past 16 years....but we can't point the finger at any of them for any of this, or blame Bush. Why - they'll tell you, you can't blame one guy for this trainwreck.

Though he hasn't served a day yet, those same trainwreck conductors got it all pinned on Obama.....or Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale, John Kerry or any of the other democrats that never got the chance to lead. They've recharged the nightmare for the last eight years with the help of the traditional media.

It seems difficult fighting all the lies and deception without being labeled a partisan or a hypocrite, but it's worth it. There's too much at stake and I really believe they (right-wing) are depending on democrats/lefties taking the high road and not countering their garbage. Most people think that if a candidate is unwilling to defend themselves against the lies ad counter the offensive, what do they have to make me think they will ever defend me!

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