Mainstream Media = Propaganda Machines

Once upon a time, “the news” reported precisely that – the news.  There were reports on local events, international happenings, financial markets, and then something light and fluffy and human-interest related.  No bias, no agenda, just “the news”.

And then large corporations acquired the mainstream media.  Newspapers, radio and television stations suddenly fell under large corporate entities, far more interested in making money than actually reporting on “the news”.

Over the next two or three decades (I am estimating when this change began to happen), the media started to show more and more obvious bias, and reported less and less on actual, factual news.  Salacious stories of scandal and corruption, exposes’ on politicians and celebrities, dramatic footage of war and storms and damage replaced the simple, factual reporting of events and happenings.  News became an immediate, twenty-four seven industry constantly being fed and driven to provide its own brand of entertainment.  News moved away from news, and became a propaganda machine.

I have previously written about the idea of accountability.  And if any entity is even less accountable for its actions than our modern political machine, it is the media.  The necessity of fact checking and providing an unbiased report on any given event has been replaced by the need to generate revenue and appease sponsors and benefactors.  Focus on “interesting” news like the early Republican presidential contenders and celebrity shenanigans and partisan politics and bad economic dispatches has replaced investigative reports.  Investigations such as a look at the lack of qualifications of those contenders, the ridiculousness of the celebrities, the corruption of the politicians, and the actual economic state…where are they?  The media no longer focuses on providing news reports – they now seek to provide another form of entertainment.

Has the news really reported on the ‘frontrunners’ for the Republican nomination?  Has the media done an in depth look at these people, and their views, and their ties, and their money?  Has an analysis of their qualifications and ability to provide the necessary leadership required of our President been explored in depth?  What about congress?  Has the media explored the why of the political road-blocking and grandstanding that has driven our nation to the brink of collapse?  Has the media explored the nature of the partisan politicking, and its effect on those of us who supposedly elected these people?  Has the news reported on how the economy is affecting regular, middle-class families and small businesses?  And maybe the single most important question – AREN’T THESE ITEMS WHAT THE MEDIA IS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERING??

The powers-that-be (and I am not speaking of the existential here) do not WANT us to be informed.  They don’t want us to THINK about what they do and do NOT do.  They want us ignorant, they want us placated, they want us complacent.  They do not want us empowered.  The media is more than happy to help them with this – and make a profit in the bargain.

Sadly, people like to be fed by this beast.  They suck at the media’s teat, and digest the copious amounts of fluff and propaganda and sensationalism like starving puppies.  And so long as the media has people desiring to partake of their offerings, they will continue to provide entertainment over real news.

Let me get to the point here.  If consciousness creates reality – and I believe it does – then the collective reality we are constantly digesting is NOT a good thing, by any stretch of the imagination.  As such – we need to change this.

It starts small.  We need to stop supporting these media machines, stop reading, watching, and listening to their barrage of bad news and negativity.  If we stop giving them the attention they command, we can take BACK the power, and alter reality for the better.  This is a step that we as individuals can take to try to change the collective consciousness.

Even if you don’t buy into my premise of consciousness creating reality – ceasing support for the propaganda is still the starting point towards fixing the media, and making them accountable again.

If you want to go bigger – write to those media conglomerates, and express your disappointment in them.  Demand they return to actual, investigative, fact-finding reporting of the news, rather than the propaganda they feed us to make a buck.

But it may simply work better to tell a friend.  Persuade at least one friend to stop giving the media so much power.  Then persuade them to persuade a friend.  Maybe, just maybe, we can start a chain reaction, and effect real change.  Supply and demand – we decrease the demand, they will cut the supply.

I don’t care if you agree or disagree with me on this, or any other issue I write about.  But if you are thinking, questioning, pondering, wondering…if my words are making you consider more carefully the world you live in – then I believe I have done my part to improve the consciousness of this reality.