Mainstream Media: For-Profit, Forgot Physics

I want to scream out into the crowd, "Turn your faces to me. Listen to me. Stop what you're doing, then take a minute to think things through." I know it would do no good. Even with faces turned, their ears would not hear. They'd see beyond me into their immediate futures, thinking of dinner, the grocery store, the ripest gossip spread just five minutes ago. How to hold the attention of the world, if only for a second? Don't. Of seven billion plus people, there's only ever a small percentage who'll pay attention to any specific subject at any given moment. If you've read this far, then I'm talking to you.

Corporations utilize the propagandistic properties of advertisements in an attempt to gain the attention of current consumers and potential consumers. This simple truth is how "branding" (once a term for identifying livestock) became its very own industry full of propagandists, psychologists, staticians, graphic designers, web developers ad infinitum. All these little groups, multinational corporations, individual people, waving their hands and hollering, "LOOK!" And, based on their custom made employee and customer satisfaction surveys, they claim: "it's working."

I highly doubt that's the case. But, whatever.

The mainstream media consists of for-profit corporations: 1.) that brings a real conflict of interest into relaying the "news"; 2.) that means some "news" wont become "news," especially, if it hurts the corporate bottomline. Remember, corporations are on a quest for the mathematically impossible, never-ending rise in profits. Think: / but, remember gravity \. So...as you can see, understanding the basics of physics can also help one understand the basics of economics: what goes up, comes down (unless in a vacuum--space--then it keeps going until it crashes into something else). Corporations by definition consist of groups of people, most of whom seemingly neglected their physics courses. Physics also covers conflicts (of interest), in physics its called "friction."

Friction can best be seen when comparing news coverage between the various mainstream outlets. Each "news" story is branded by each company that releases it. The branding of this "news" is purposeful, deliberate, and meant specifically for a targeted demographic: the brand's viewers. The competition between brands slows the dissemination of facts while increasing spread of stories. This is friction and it is how dividing lines are drawn between people (demographics). These branded stories conflict with eachother as each corporation encourages the inaccurate and often misguided use of adjectives to obscure the "(un)known facts" with the journalist's own speculation.

Speculation bought and paid for by the very corporation that hired the journalist, who was given the corporation's writing guidelines, who then took the adjectival highway to a pugalist instead of an editor. Though, I'll admit, a good editor hits a writer far harder and usually with brass knuckles, that is beside the point. The mainstream media, in all its multinational and multibillion dollar glory, is conducting an adjectival orchestra as if the news, itself, is a string section, the transmission devices are the wood section with all that tweeting, and the viewers, well, what the hell is an orchestra with nobody to hear, to view, to experience it?

Now, we know, the mainstream media's adjective happy journalists work for corporations that think speculative branding of the news is more important than objectively telling the news. They think this because they're told this by their surveys, their survey analysts, and the numerous levels of yes-men within their ranks. They think this because they prefer stories over facts. More importantly, they think this because they have no imagination, they see only $$$. One can infer the story from the facts, if one has an active imagination and logic working for them. Unfortunately, with mainstream news stories one cannot infer the facts from the story.

One can definitely infer that something happened. And then, one can peruse the various video sites hoping to stumble upon RAW footage ("allegedly" not shopped), where one can begin the ardous process of thinking for one's self. But, wait. Why would RAW footage be so popular, if the viewers want stories? Oh, I don't know. Perhaps, the viewers actually want facts and not branded speculation? Just saying. Hold on. Do you recall that first paragraph? Scroll up if you need a refresher. Maybe the demographics are different for raw footage watchers and for mainstream media's viewers. I'll buy that. Maybe the branding helps disseminate the facts to larger groups by targeting specific sub-groups. Or, maybe the branding helps disinform larger groups by targeting specific sub-groups. Though it really could go either way, I lean towards the latter.

That said, when you read the news, read between the lines. Understand that regardless the position the news corporation takes, there is a fiscal motive. In the for-profit world there's always a fiscal motive. In fact, its legislated by Congress that there be a fiscal motive. Yes, that's right, the bottomline is profit because Congress legislated it to be so. Ah, but who the fuck is Congress? And, which fucking Congress did that dumb shit? It all goes back to...Stop. We'll save that one for another night.

I'll leave you with this: All news stories are biased interpretations of some of the facts, never all the facts. When news stories break most of the facts are unknown. How can one write 400+ words on a fact that takes less than ten words to adequately disseminate? Speculation. The speculatory tone is a way for mainstream media outlets to ensure proper branding of each breaking news piece. Once branded the news is then disseminated to the appropriate audiences where the constant bombardment of speculative adjectives leaves the audience drenched in subconcious anticipation of chaos spreading to their neighborhood, to their neck of the woods. All that inner tension building, external mounting pressure, branded by MSMs, stigmatized by wilting govies...its nothing but pitting, in-fighting among giants. And, that my friends, is friction, basically, it's physics.

Reality TV: C-SPAN Senate Hearings

The Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing
entitled:
"Outsourcing Accountability? Examining the Role of Independent Consultants"

Starring:
Sen. Brown
Sen. Warren
Special appearance by: Sen. Reed

Guest Starring:
Panel 1: Mr. Stipano, Mr. Ashton
Panel 2: Mr. Alt, Mr. Flanagan, Mr. Ryan

Filmed: Thursday, 11 April 2013
Live Streamed: 10 AM - 12 PM

***If nothing else, cue to 2:27:11. After Sen. Brown thanks Mr. Alt, Sen. Warren goes to bat. Watch it to the end, then ask yourself: WTF?***

How many Senators are on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee?
22.

Where were the other Senators?
??

How many Senators were present for the entire hearing?
2 (see above)

What does it tell you when 19-20 Senators find some where else more important than the hearing where their commmittee quesions the banking regulators and the independent consultants that oversaw the audits of the felonious finacial institutions that collapsed the economy?

That's FUCKED! That's what it tells me. That's 19-20 Senators that ought to look for new jobs next election cycle. The foreclosure crisis unlawfully forced American families onto the streets. Banks illegally used police forces across the nation to evict people out of their homes. Once the people were homeless, cities across the nation began evicting the homeless from encampments. The police frequently use bulldozers to demolish encampments. So, after these people lost their houses, they also lost their tents and the last few possessions they might have had therein.

This little Senate hearing hasn't even begun to breach the truth of the problem. Our legal system has been hijacked by banks for banks. You see, banks have the money to hire lawyers average individuals cannot afford. Interestingly enough, after awhile, lawyers and bankers go into politics where they help to craft laws to benefit their friends. Average individuals do not usually get into politics, there have been exceptions.

If you like this episode, stay tuned.

(UPDATE: Can't wait for the next episode? Catch reruns at http://www.capitolhearings.org/. Not sure which committees to watch? Here's a link to the Senate site that shows members of each committee. For a quick place to start, just pick the committee with your state's officials, then go to the capitol hearings site to click on the committee. Browse, find a hearing, watch it, play it in the background while you do other things, like, your spring cleaning. It's the best Reality TV show, 'cause it deals with our lives in real life situations. Unlike most "reality tv" that consists of man-made obstacles courses and humiliation...oh, wait, nevermind. You'll definitely find a plethora of both in these Congressional hearings.)

A Poem: May the Broken Hearted Unite Us

May the Broken Hearted Unite Us

My heart breaks for the broken hearted, they are everywhere.
We have passed them everyday.
Some smile, some walk the other way.
How my heart breaks for the broken hearted, for they are we.

Me. You. Us. Them. Pick a side, doesn't matter which.
We are all sides, even when it is sides we switch.
Or, no sides that we pick. Some decisions cannot stick.
Whatever shall we do? We're all standing in the thick.

One shoveller heaps dirt on the feet of the nearest shoveller
as resulting dustbins turn aerial acrobatics into dirty words.
Stalks balk with the dusty tidings, plows--buried swords--
we're in the sand like osteriches: heads down, asses to the whir.

Rain: when it finally comes, our tears, rivulets of mud pour down
the streets, the creeks, the cheeks of the famished, the farmers
who begged for rain, wished for rain dancers, water charmers,
the mercy of an entity that turns storm clouds into a garden crown.

Perch that watery crown upon the cracked, parched grounds
that once fed the heart and soul of powerful nations.
Laborers, backs bent to hard work, wonder at their stations.
Fat cat facial creams, from foreskins of clipped boy babies, abound.

What's that sound? Disgust, don't let it rust. Grab it. Hold it. Know it.
There's a sickness plagues the lands. Swift, he understood
irony like nobody else could. And, Irish babies would
make headlines break: Feed'em to the rich, poverty sows it.

Take your disgust, do something useful with it. Stand up, shout out,
don't let them, don't let us, do anything that reeks of genocide.
The false promise of GMO killing us--worker bees--we die by pesticide.
We've got to, regardless whose stocks wilt. Greedsters: we must rout out.

And now, you know why. We are us and them and my heart
breaks for a world filled with dividing lines. It's no place to start.
But, it's the only place we've ever been--divided.
We know yet how to cleave to one another--united.

The broken hearts, the lovers who've lost, the parents, the children,
the families without, these hearts mend, then grow to love again.
So, too, can we, me and you, as we plant the seeds for prosperity
and tend the gardens with our tears until the rains aren't a rarity.

~Monique Finley
4-13-2013

Current Events Round Table at 7poundbag.com

That's right folks, back at it with the guys at 7poundbag.com! Just click the latest link to the April 5th, 2013 Current Events Round Table. These weeks topics include: Hillary Clinton's potential 2016 presedential candidacy, Caroline Kennedy's being tapped for ambassador to Japan, James Holmes' not guilty plea, and more.

While you're over there, don't forget to check out some of their other Round Tables. They cover a couple of different sport topics, as well as music and movies. Ah, just check'em out for yourself. ;)