The Myth of the Free Press-- "...the Mass Media are Essential Tools For Conformity"--Chris Hedges

[Bill USA]

4. tv network M$M = GOP television

The mass media blindly support the ideology of corporate capitalism. They laud and promote the myth of American democracy—even as we are stripped of civil liberties and money replaces the vote. They pay deference to the leaders on Wall Street and in Washington, no matter how perfidious their crimes. They slavishly venerate the military and law enforcement in the name of patriotism. They select the specialists and experts, almost always drawn from the centers of power, to interpret reality and explain policy. They usually rely on press releases, written by corporations, for their news. And they fill most of their news holes with celebrity gossip, lifestyle stories, sports and trivia. The role of the mass media is to entertain or to parrot official propaganda to the masses. The corporations, which own the press, hire journalists willing to be courtiers to the elites, and they promote them as celebrities. These journalistic courtiers, who can earn millions of dollars, are invited into the inner circles of power. They are, as John Ralston Saul writes, hedonists of power.

Despite the fact that the GOP has set records for filibustering, since Obama has been in office the word 'filibuster' is verboten on M$M tv. They can't say the word, thus they haven't reported on the seemingly newsworthy fact of the GOP's record setting performance of filibusters against Obama/Democratic legislative initiatives. Instead they have had dozens of round table discussions of Obama's "leadership" - a favorite chant of chief GOP sycophant, Charlie "fascist fellatiator" Rose.

.. recommended.. (would be nice to see this post over on Good Reads!) -- I don't know if everybody is aware of this group.