Media Silence, Reason for Concern

First and foremost turn off the stupid television and I mean for ever, The informed people switched to the internet years ago and learned a great deal without the Corporations/Governments interference to cloud your thoughts.
Makes you wonder why now they are trying to grab hold of this gem called the internet?
Kill switches, streaming movies with commercials, pay walls, and the latest Lady Gaga interviews, etc.......
You want to bet they are chasing us folks here but I think the wolf forgot his sheep's clothing.
Great Post to the OP and S&F
Regards, Iwinder

Originally posted by Nobama
reply to post by sbctinfantry

 

Than do something about it! Seriously, people are quick to point out the flaws in our life, but no one is willing to stand up? We've lost what it means to be American, and I would love to be proven wrong one day, when I have others ready to stand with me, but until then...

You realize you are echoing everybody else on here that you are criticizing. Pretty much, everybody says "Why don't you do something about it. If more of you did, I would too!" Do you see what I mean? I'm not picking on you as I do it too... as do the rest of us.

Problem is we are too large. All of the other nations that revolt are geographically small. A person can be on the opposite side of the nation but still be at the capital within a couple hours. But in the US, it's a different story. Logistically speaking, it's a near-impossible prospect to get people from every state to march at the capital. I know I sound like a broken record but this is why we need somebody like Ron Paul. I'd much rather just march to my states capital if I want to change the laws that govern me.

Truth of the matter is that Washington is an echo chamber.

Nothing happens there that hasn't been demanded elsewhere.

What we have to do is be louder, and more persistant in our commonalities than we are in our differences.

First, we need to establish a common denominator.

What can we ALL agree on?

That is the best way forward.

Find any issue we can all support. Then we can drown out the voices that would pull us apart.

Forget liberal VS. conservative, the real struggle is service to Self VS. service to Other.

There is a limit of how much each one of us can cope with when it comes to feeling responsible for whatever is going on in this world. What would happen if TV started to show the actual truth about everything happening on this earth? Wouldn't it lead to a mass-psychological-breakdown if everyone was watching mutilated bodies up close on the TV screen, if everyone got to know it's actually true that we have aliens abducting people, and so forth? We have to understand that about 90% of us have more than enough coping with our day-to-day struggle, emotionally and financially.

Because of this, we demand strong leaders to take care of us, being responsible for acting where we can't act ourselves. What we don't really understand, though, is that when we pass on responsibility, we also pass on control. It's simply impossible to be in control over something we're not responsible for, and it's impossible to be responsible for something we are not in control of.

The society as it is, with a few people controlling the masses, is a society we've brought up on ourselves. We simply can't expect our leaders to be responsible for the masses, without giving them control over the masses. That includes the mass media. And no matter how much we complain when we, ourselves, become subject of their control, our complaints will vanish in the air of lost words.

Yes, we are a bunch of fools, and easy targets for mass-mind-control and subconscious programming. That's the way it is, and that's the way it will be. And when we try to change peoples minds, making them more aware of what's really going on, most of them will rather go back to reading the sport section than trying to cope with reality.

First we have to help people, one by one, to feel responsible and taking full control over their own life. Then, and first then, they might be capable of taking responsibility for what's happening in this world.

reply to post by alice2b


That may just be the most rational answer I've ever read here at ATS.

Personal responsibility is the key to the Golden Gates.

Once we can educate each member of our society in a way that gives them emotional and financial stablilty,
we can begin to tackle the challenges we, as consumers and caretakers of this rock we call home, face.

But not until then.

Star for you, Alice.

reply to post by sbctinfantry


NPR was talking about most of these issues today. Maybe you are watching/listening to the wrong outlets.

reply to post by Cuervo


I took you serious till you said

but this is why we need somebody like Ron Paul.

Really? you really think he's going to change something if he became president? Also why is it impossible to gather people from all over the Nations? on 4/20 there was a march in Washington for the legalization of Weed, and thousands of people from ALL over the States attended, but your saying we couldn't gather people to march? Sigh....again I say we've lost what it means to be American..

reply to post by sbctinfantry

Wilson thought he was rebelling

OP, may I ask please; who is 'Wilson'?

Originally posted by Nobama
reply to post by Cuervo

 

I took you serious till you said

but this is why we need somebody like Ron Paul.

Really? you really think he's going to change something if he became president? Also why is it impossible to gather people from all over the Nations? on 4/20 there was a march in Washington for the legalization of Weed, and thousands of people from ALL over the States attended, but your saying we couldn't gather people to march? Sigh....again I say we've lost what it means to be American..

edit on 25-5-2011 by Nobama because: (no reason given)

I mean on a consistent basis. The US government knows that citizens can't afford to just drop everything and travel across the country every time it tries to screw us. Why do you think certain model socialist nations function and actually provide for their citizens? Because their government is afraid of their citizens. Here, it is just the opposite; the citizens are afraid of our government.

I only mentioned Ron Paul earlier because I think he would start changing the mentality of popular politics. He's in it for ethics but others would hop on the bandwagon just to get votes. I think, whether or not he wins, his popularity in the 2012 race will open some eyes between his colleagues.

reply to post by sbctinfantry


Vote with your feet. America is headed toward ruin with virtually no indication it has any interest of avoiding it. Move to a different country, get a job outside of the United States. If you stay outside for 330+ days in a one year period, you can qualify for up to $90k or so in foreign earned income exemptions. Very easy to live in some countries for less than $10-15k per year.

Besides, many of our corporations have done this, so you need to go to where the jobs are - takes some time to research, but they are out there.

Greece, Ireland and other countries have had major protests, even riots, over the "austerity measures" their countries have had to adopt to approach an acceptable/sustainable budget. In each case, these countries went through at least two, sometimes as many as five, different audits to determine how much they really owe.

The United States likes to tout that it's only about $14 Trillion in debt - but that is without ANY audits, with a lot of obligations off the books. It can't get to a balanced budget, so each year that goes by, America will only be deeper in debt. Government spending is not decreasing, only increasing - which is prompting lots of states, cities, counties and the federal government to do what it can to raise taxes to try to pay for what it can. Add in the increased costs of gasoline and food (both of which are not included in inflationary figures, along with the taxes, and that 70% consumer economy is GONE.

There are more freedoms outside of the United States, better standards of living, a whole world of opportunities if Americans simply had some guts to explore a bit.

BUT - the number of places where it is safe to be known as an American is dwindling for a foreign policy that was cooked up by people on crack. That applies to both Republicans and Democrats - they are both on crack.

When will it stop? When will Americans get off their duffs and overthrow the madness? When will Fox, CNN etc start reporting NEWS?...Maybe I'm wrong but I think Americans have too much to loose to "rock the boat" because although there's water coming in, the old boat might just make the next shore! Even with High unemployment, the majority of Americans are still employed, up to the eyeballs in debt perhaps and not realizing how it's carefully crafted to control the masses. After work the "tube" is lighted and the memorizing images and tales of the latest apps and trinkets they need are stuffed neatly between segments of hope "maybe I'll be the next idol!" More borrowing is induced and breaking free of the chains becomes less and less likely. They certainly don't want the news to report any thought provoking material that might get them thinking or realizing they are in DEEP water and the bilge pumps are way overloaded! The American dream is alive and well and the prescriptions for sleeping pills is at an all time high! It will all end when the illusion ends, when the majority are without work, shelter or food or the ability to light up the tube at the end of the day. The movie may be bad, but Americans paid good money for their seats and very few are going to leave the theater unless it's on fire! For the madness to end, the curtain must go up on the illusion of the sheep so they become aware they're surrounded by wolves! Not to worry, there are vastly more sheep than wolves, losses will be heavy but the meadow will once again find a natural order. As I said, I maybe wrong, this may be an oversimplification, but somehow, the way forward is blocked by the above.

reply to post by sbctinfantry


Op I agree, and I don't even live in the US - freedoms are being destroyed across the globe in an ever increasing way. Sadly, even from this website, people are not prepared to discuss solutions - they are too engrossed in the problems to engage their brains enough to come up with reform, alternatives, answers or a new way.

People are too caught up in being pro socialism, capitalism, communism, republician, democrat, conservative, christian, catholic, jewish, muslim, male, female, old, young, black, white, red, yellow... I could go on.

The points of separation are both pathetic and only serve to derail unity and real solutions on a global level - and it is global solutions we need, as we are now a part of a bigger entity than the borders we were born into.

Solutions exist, but they cost in either time or money - where as fear/problems helps to generate profit. Until people start to shift their mindset and focus from one of problems, to one of engagement in creating viable solutions. We cannot expect government to continue to wipe our asses and create solutions for us. Too many politicians are stuck protecting their incomes/position etc - so its time we, as a global people, started coming up with solutions which remove the need of government to have to treat us like children... because we, as children have helped create that situation in the first place. We have allowed our rights and freedoms to be eroded, so we are as responsible for the tyranny as the tyrants themselves.

Peace!

reply to post by sbctinfantry


Breath deeply. You have entered the IOZ (Information Overload Zone). These things have gone on since history began.

We are all to small to take the worlds problems on our shoulders, let alone waste our entire lives worrying about a natural event that can happen any time at any place on Earth.

The cause? Hundreds of Cable TV channels, 24 hours of news on multiple sources, the Internet connecting the world and on and on and on.

A day contemplating your navel and watching the clouds is a good prescription for this phenomena. All the good things are still there. Most people are good. The Tornado Season is almost over.

Dwell on nothing but bad all the time and you will short circuit.

Most of all, realize that most conspiracy theories are simply not true. Never were true. Some truth though that they uncover is good information.

A Note: Do not turn off your TV as some who wish to limit their information will wrongly advise. Instead use it wisely. Like any other tool it has good and bad uses. It is not a Babysitter. It is not school. Much of what is on it is a waste of time. Even so, there is some good content worth the time. It's like drinking. You have a drink a couple of times a week it's a good thing. You drink a bottle every night it kills you and others.

Originally posted by sbctinfantry
I'm skimming the MSM news outlets lately....., ...., a volcano eruption that could effect the atmosphere for centuries,.....

God what a drama queen. Centuries !! ha ha ha ha ha.

Half the time I shake my head in desbelief and the other half is the best humour on the net

Things sure have changed since I first started in broadcasting in 1987. Actually, my first job was at a newspaper and it was drilled into us that "one source is good, two sources are preferable, and three sources keep you out of jail." Of course, this was in reference to stories that concerned police corruption, or malfeasance at government agencies, where an accusation of wrongdoing could bring a lawsuit against the paper if you didn't have adequate proof of the facts you published.

But has anyone noticed what passes for news these days? Many times, reporters will back up their claims with an "unnamed source close to the investigation." I can tell you from personal experience, that the "source" is often a fellow journalist who is covering the same story, and the info that is published is nothing more than gossip between reporters. They can get away with it, because the speculation IS informed speculation and many times turns out to be true.

Newsweek is one of the biggest perpetrators of this type of "journalism" in print media. Don't believe me? Pick up a copy and see for yourself. They use anonymous and unnamed sources more often than they do named ones, and I think it's shameful.

I like the idea of ATS members grabbing a camera and going out to cover news of national or international import that happens to occur in their hometowns. With the rise of "new media," from which an ever increasing amount of people get their news, citizen journalism is becoming more frequent, and even respected. Sites like Examiner.com and Beforeitsnews.com rely solely on citizen journalists for their content and usually they do a pretty decent job of covering a news event.

A lot of people might be a bit scared to be a citizen journalist because of the "stature" of the subjects in their story. I would say this fear is unfounded. For example, when I covered the Republican Debate for ATS a few weeks ago, there were citizen journalists there right along with credential journalists. Fmr. S.C. Governor Mark Sanford spent a good 15 minutes outside the Peace Center answering questions from anyone willing to speak up and ask them.

Here are a couple of citizen journalists in the Spin Room after the debate asking the candidates questions.



Yasmin Vossoughian was easy on the eyes - boy was she ever - but you'd never guess from looking at the footage that she is over 6-feet tall - taller than I am.

Her partner in crime, Charlie Berens, got dissed by Tim Pawlenty, but he got his question answered concerning gay voters. In the first part of the report below, you can see MY camera just over Charlie's left shoulder. It's lightweight, takes a good image, and although it cost me $900 5 years ago you can find new HD cameras at electronic stores for less than $400 today.



This next video is a perfect example of citizen journalist FAIL, and you'll see why from the very beginning of his "report:"



If you're going to cover an event, please make sure that Michael J Fox is NOT your cameraman.

Then, the next day, Travis uploaded a "recap" of the event in which he complained about not being let inside despite allegedly having been preapproved by the SCGOP:



This is just my opinion, but Travis wasn't let into the debate because he was dressed like a bum. If you are going to cover an event and want to be taken seriously, it's always a good idea to dress appropriately. Otherwise, as Travis found out, you will likely run into some resistance, your efforts will be for naught, and you'll wind up bitching to no one about it on YT. I can say this with confidence because covering this debate was literally a last minute decision for me. I did not get permission ahead of time from the SCGOP; all I did was walk up to the press officer, I identified myself as a freelance journalist, and I was given my credentials on the spot.

If for some reason you are uncomfortable getting in front of the camera, you can always take the following approach (You can see the back of my shiny dome as I take notes at the beginning of this video from YT user "ironmill.")



And finally, if anyone wants to see how one man, one camera, and a tripod covers an event properly, please check out the premiere episode of The Truth Is Viral; my first collaboration with ATS:



My equipment was hardly "broadcast quality," but it got the job done - so you don't have to worry about going out and spending a lot of scratch in order to do this yourself. And yes I have experience as a journalist, but that only enabled me to have the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with these men and ask a tough question (a question no one in the MSM was going to touch with a ten-foot-pole, which is why I asked it.) If you noticed, when they didn't want to respond the way I felt they should, I rephrased the question and asked it again.

You CAN NOT let "newsmakers" intimidate you. They are people just like you; they pull their pants on one leg at a time, they laugh, they cry, they fart, and if you treat them with respect when asking your questions, dress appropriately, and act like you belong there I guarantee that you will come away with news other people will be interested in.

Good luck.

Originally posted by OldCorp
Things sure have changed since I first started in broadcasting in 1987. Actually, my first job was at a newspaper and it was drilled into us that "one source is good, two sources are preferable, and three sources keep you out of jail." Of course, this was in reference to stories that concerned police corruption, or malfeasance at government agencies, where an accusation of wrongdoing could bring a lawsuit against the paper if you didn't have adequate proof of the facts you published.

But has anyone noticed what passes for news these days? Many times, reporters will back up their claims with an "unnamed source close to the investigation." I can tell you from personal experience, that the "source" is often a fellow journalist who is covering the same story, and the info that is published is nothing more than gossip between reporters. They can get away with it, because the speculation IS informed speculation and many times turns out to be true.

Newsweek is one of the biggest perpetrators of this type of "journalism" in print media. Don't believe me? Pick up a copy and see for yourself. They use anonymous and unnamed sources more often than they do named ones, and I think it's shameful.

I like the idea of ATS members grabbing a camera and going out to cover news of national or international import that happens to occur in their hometowns. With the rise of "new media," from which an ever increasing amount of people get their news, citizen journalism is becoming more frequent, and even respected. Sites like Examiner.com and Beforeitsnews.com rely solely on citizen journalists for their content and usually they do a pretty decent job of covering a news event.

A lot of people might be a bit scared to be a citizen journalist because of the "stature" of the subjects in their story. I would say this fear is unfounded. For example, when I covered the Republican Debate for ATS a few weeks ago, there were citizen journalists there right along with credential journalists. Fmr. S.C. Governor Mark Sanford spent a good 15 minutes outside the Peace Center answering questions from anyone willing to speak up and ask them.

Here are a couple of citizen journalists in the Spin Room after the debate asking the candidates questions.

Yasmin Vossoughian was easy on the eyes - boy was she ever - but you'd never guess from looking at the footage that she is over 6-feet tall - taller than I am.

Her partner in crime, Charlie Berens, got dissed by Tim Pawlenty, but he got his question answered concerning gay voters. In the first part of the report below, you can see MY camera just over Charlie's left shoulder. It's lightweight, takes a good image, and although it cost me $900 5 years ago you can find new HD cameras at electronic stores for less than $400 today.

This next video is a perfect example of citizen journalist FAIL, and you'll see why from the very beginning of his "report:"

If you're going to cover an event, please make sure that Michael J Fox is NOT your cameraman.

Then, the next day, Travis uploaded a "recap" of the event in which he complained about not being let inside despite allegedly having been preapproved by the SCGOP:

This is just my opinion, but Travis wasn't let into the debate because he was dressed like a bum. If you are going to cover an event and want to be taken seriously, it's always a good idea to dress appropriately. Otherwise, as Travis found out, you will likely run into some resistance, your efforts will be for naught, and you'll wind up bitching to no one about it on YT. I can say this with confidence because covering this debate was literally a last minute decision for me. I did not get permission ahead of time from the SCGOP; all I did was walk up to the press officer, I identified myself as a freelance journalist, and I was given my credentials on the spot.

If for some reason you are uncomfortable getting in front of the camera, you can always take the following approach (You can see the back of my shiny dome as I take notes at the beginning of this video from YT user "ironmill.")

And finally, if anyone wants to see how one man, one camera, and a tripod covers an event properly, please check out the premiere episode of The Truth Is Viral; my first collaboration with ATS:

(click to open player in new window)

My equipment was hardly "broadcast quality," but it got the job done - so you don't have to worry about going out and spending a lot of scratch in order to do this yourself. And yes I have experience as a journalist, but that only enabled me to have the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with these men and ask a tough question (a question no one in the MSM was going to touch with a ten-foot-pole, which is why I asked it.) If you noticed, when they didn't want to respond the way I felt they should, I rephrased the question and asked it again.

You CAN NOT let "newsmakers" intimidate you. They are people just like you; they pull their pants on one leg at a time, they laugh, they cry, they fart, and if you treat them with respect when asking your questions, dress appropriately, and act like you belong there I guarantee that you will come away with news other people will be interested in.

Good luck.

edit on 5/26/2011 by OldCorp because: (no reason given)

yeah we get it your awesome, now how about you release your report about the comet/niburu or whatever your calling it. that last vid really had nothing of interest to non americans. help a brother out.

It has always been my belief that the people will continue to ignore their rights being taken away in majority. It has also been my belief that a few would shake the many awake from their slumber and force open their eyes to tyranny. Unfortunately, it's also my belief that by the time this is done, we may be in over our heads by then. Here's to civil liberties and human rights.

If you want to change the world you must first start with changing yourself, tolerance of your fellow human is a key to unity and over powering the powers that were.

Originally posted by tim3lord

yeah we get it your awesome, now how about you release your report about the comet/niburu or whatever your calling it. that last vid really had nothing of interest to non americans. help a brother out.

I'm so happy that you've recognized my awesomeness

However the point of my post was to encourage other people to unleash THEIR awesomeness. There is absolutely no reason why people who don't work in media for a living can't grab a camera and contribute stories that go uncovered by the MSM.

The comet video will be finished when it is finished. I made a mistake when I talked about it before it was in the can and apparently someone on ATS with juice in the real world decided to throw some obstacles in my path; so until it is done, I'm not going to say anything more about it. I hope you can understand that.

reply to post by OldCorp


OC You are awesome, and thanks for the inspiration. On a similar but different note, a former politician guy I know posted some important global warming stuff recently with which only ONE journalist (freelance or otherwise) attended.

Putting peoples opinions to one side on the issue, the fact that Obama's BBQ in the uk got far more coverage is a great concern for those who only seek information from traditional push media outlets.

We the people, of the world, have both the power and solutions to create a much better world if we decided, collectively to go out there and get involved. As I mentioned above, it costs both time and/or money and for most its something we are already short of, or unwilling to give up.