Episode 63: You REALLY Didn't Build That!

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Should our news ecosystem be reserved to the wilds of the "market?" Not only should it not, it never really has been. There are quite a few government investments, subsidies, and protections for news dispersal agencies to allow anyone to claim these outlets exist in a "free" market. That is what I argue in this, Episode 63, You REALLY Didn't Build That! Once we get that delusion debunked, we can move on to solutions involving government tweaks and policies that fix the problem of failing news.

On this episode I read once again from Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols' excellent book, The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution That Will Begin the World Again (First Nation Books, 2010). One more intense dive into that book and I should be able to move on to other books, I promise. I played President Obama on the 2008 campaign trail, and the right-wing reaction to his words from various Faux Newsies and candidate Mitt Romney. A sound that proves more influential than Mr. Romney, I also played a toaster popping.

Musically, I play two from Jahzzar, first "Liar," and then "Origins." Tenacious D's "The Government Totally Sucks" (from "The Pick of Destiny" soundtrack) made a worthy stinger. As usual, I opened with KMFDM's "Attack", this time with Bruce Livesy, and closed with Mistle Thrush’s "It's All Like Today."

Episode 62: No News Is Bad News

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You've heard me touting the news that news is dead, or at least dying. Here's a question: What has that got to advertising? Maybe, everything. In this Episode 62: No News Is Bad News, I trot out evidence that things are much, much more dire than, well, the news is ready to admit, and that not doing anything might be the most disastrous move ever.

On this episode, you'll hear me read from two books by Robert W. McChesney and John Nichols; a bit came from Dollarocracy: How the Money and Media Election Complex is Destroying America (Nation Books, 2013); most from The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution That Will Begin the World Again (Nation Books, 2010, where I also found the quotes from Finlay Peter Dunne, James Madison, and Thomas Paine). I also threw in a couple quoted snippets from Robert McChesney's book Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning The Internet Against Democracy (The New Press, 2013).

Podington Bear's album Pensive provided all the appropriately downbeat incidental music. From that album you heard, in order, "Down Day," "Little Black Cloud," and "Lonesome." Since I mentioned the On The Media BGs, I had to play a "Staying Alive" stinger a couple of times as well. Bruce Livesy and KMFDM opened the show, and Mistle Thrush closed with "It's All Like Today."