Major Media

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of the media. When I say this I have in mind the major media that rules the air waves and decides what the American public will believe by airing what they want the people to see and hear.

Whether we want to admit it or not, much of what we think about the world around us is influenced directly or indirectly by what we read in newspapers, see on television and hear on talk radio.

All of these forms of media are tools for educating the public, for either good or bad. We "learn" from them, if you will. Our personal beliefs about the economy, about our leaders, about other races, about science and religion and a multitude of other things are often challenged and even changed by what we read, see and hear in the media.

Those who use these forms of media to influence society naturally have an obligation to do right by those they influence. I mean they have an obligation to tell the truth, and not distort it by omitting information that is important. They have an obligation to report a story fairly and without ulterior motives. They also have an obligation to report the news, not make it.

It is my opinion that our major media (also known as the media elite) has been lacking in the common courtesies mentioned above for the last four decades. They have, in fact, used their power to sway public opinion this way and that - depending on the issue at hand. One of the most obvious tactics that they have used through the years to form popular opinion is known as "distortion by omission".

For those not familiar with this term it means that the media has the ability to distort the truth and form public opinion about an issue by omitting some of the facts. What they report about an issue will not be the whole truth. Basically they will report what they want us to hear. Since the American public only hears the part of the truth that the media decides to air, their understanding of the issue is incomplete and distorted. They end up believing what the media wants them to hear.

By the way, the media can also distort the truth by completely omitting a story or by omitting important information related to a story that the people should hear.

Let me give you an example that's fresh on all of our minds - the Iraq war. For several years now the media has aired footage that shows only the worst things that are taking place in Iraq. It's been constant death and destruction the whole time. It's been very depressing to watch. All of the good that has been taking place and all of the good things that our military has been doing for the people does not make it on the evening news. Consequently, public opinion gets swayed accordingly.

Our major media complains about Al Jazeera forming public opinion in the Arab world by airing only part of the story. But Al Jazeera is only using the same "distortion by omission" technique that our media uses.

If you have read the section on this website that deals with the Iraq war you know that I think President Bush has made some big time mistakes and should have never tried to build a democracy among Muslims. But I firmly believe that the media, who has the responsibility to tell the whole truth, has instead been responsible for encouraging the enemy and discouraging the American Taxpayers. They haven't lied. They have just deceived by not telling the whole truth.

I have talked to several Iraq war veterans about this and it is quite surprising to see just how much disdain they have for the media for not telling the good things that have happened on a daily basis in Iraq. The idea that I have picked up from them is that they think the media is responsible for the deaths of American troops over there.

Another thing that I don't like about how the media has "served" the American public is that they will go to the extreme to find the worst things possible to report on. For example, why do I need to know that two people died in a fire in Atlanta, Georgia if I live in St. Louis, Missouri and can do nothing about it? And why do I need to know that there was a three car pile up in San Antonio, Texas that killed a man and his dog? And why do I need to know that a surfer in Hawaii got killed by a shark? Why fill my mind with this stuff? Why do I need to be told about the worst things going on around the country?

In the St. Louis area where I live the news media people feel the need to report every bad thing that any black person does (St. Louis is over 50 per cent black these days). The evening news is constantly filled with the crime and corruption in the black community. They never find the time to report on the good blacks who are productive members of society. Consequently the whites have a distorted view of "all" blacks - as if they all act the same way. This causes the whites to stay away from the city and also helps keep the races separated and suspicious of each other.

If there is nothing bad going on in our country the major media will either report on some disaster in another country or dredge up a dead issue from national news in the past. Have you noticed that? It's this constant reminder of bad things that tend to weigh the people down and make the American public feel that the world will be ending soon. If you don't think that the media reporting affects your thinking in a negative way just stop watching and/or listening to the news for one month and see the difference.

The fact is, there has always been lots of bad things going on in the world. Today we are just more aware of them because they are constantly being pumped into our minds via the news. It's a big reason that so many Americans have such a grim view of the future. Here's my advice. If the news media will not use their influence for good, then fill your mind with good things from other sources. It will uplift you rather than depress you.

The last thing that I would like to bring up about the major media is that they understand this power of influence that they have to make the masses think a certain way and it has made them haughty, as if they are important. I remember 5 or 6 years ago I was watching the Today show one morning and there was Katie Couric interviewing Colin Powell (who was General Colin Powell at that time). I was shocked at how she was talking down to him and almost scolding him during the interview. I remember thinking, "Who does she think she is, talking to General Powell like that." Here's a man who has dedicated his whole adult life to serving his country and there's this goofy little reporter acting like she is above him.

Over the last few years I have noticed that this smart aleck attitude has transferred over to the sports media. Have you noticed how they drill coaches and players with stupid questions? They act as if they are the ones who the coaches and players are accountable to. They often drive the person they are interviewing into such frustration that they just walk away from the interview, or get angry and start saying things that they wouldn't normally say (which often seems to be the real motive of the sports reporter). The fact is that most of these sports writers never had the talent to be a professional athlete nor do they have the intestinal fortitude that it takes to be a coach. Yet they set themselves up above the athletes and coaches as "media authority". It's gotten out of hand.

I've seen this "uppity" attitude among reporters many times over the years and I have decided that I really don't care if my presidential campaign doesn't get any media exposure. This is a movement by the people being organized over the internet.

We already know that our media coverage will be very minimal because of our third party "new kid on the block" status, and we have prepared for that. I'm keeping in mind that reporters who want to interview me may not report the truth as it is presented on this web site. Words of mine which are taken out of context could be used to distort the real intentions of this movement. I've seen this happen a hundred times by now and I have become very skeptical of the media. I will be on guard concerning any interviews granted.

Any interviews granted to media people concerning the American Taxpayer party movement will have to be in accordance with my rules. That would include my approval before their article goes in the newspaper. Any television or radio interviews will have to be live and unedited. I will also require that the interviewer allow me time to answer his questions properly, and I will not allow them to run off in three different directions until I make my answer clear. If I do get interviewed and the reporter starts giving me a hard time because I don't agree with him or her, I'll just walk out. I feel no obligation to suck up to the media. This campaign is not dependant on them.

My administration will not put up with the "bullying" of the news media. In the past the various presidents have put up with the media because they felt that they needed them. Since I will be in constant contact with the American Taxpayers via the nationally televised "Meet and Vote" meetings the people will get the opportunity to ask questions and get complete answers from me and other leaders. Since the meetings will be televised live, the public will hear the whole truth and will not need to listen to the tidbits that the media throws them on the evening news.

The relationship between the media and the White House will be changing when I take over in 2008. The media (press corps, etc.) will still have normal access to the White House. As a matter of fact they will have more access because of the contracts that will be signed by television networks to air the "Meet and Vote" program television programs.

Along with the privilege of airing the "Meet and Vote" programs they will also receive special perks which will include more access by the media (including live footage of those taking part in the "Enjoy the White House" program). The only change in the relationship between the White House and the media will be that the media will be paying for all privileges. They will be charged for all interviews and all access. This is only fair since they make money airing what happens at the White House. Talk about real change! All of that money will be used to benefit the American Taxpayers by helping fund the "Enjoy the White House" program.

Here's the long and the short of it. Our major media needs a new mindset. My administration is going to be the time that real change takes place. This will require cooperation from the various news media sources because of the influence that they have over the minds of the American Taxpayers. This will be a time in which the people and their leaders will be working together to right the course of our nation. If the major media chooses to be counter productive to helping the healing process that our nation will be going through, they will have that choice. No one can stop them. They have the ability to disrupt the good changes that we all want to see. But my administration will be monitoring them closely as things start to change.

My hope is that the major media will "be nice". If they want to fight the changes that are occurring, it won't take much for me to fight back, since I am not persuaded that they are all powerful. My motto will be, "Let's all be reasonable and work together." If this cannot be accomplished I will bypass them and set up a new media source at the White House that will tell the truth to the people. This will not be a state run television news source. It will be paid for by donations and manned by American Taxpayer volunteers (liberal and conservative). Tax money will not be used in this effort.

I will reserve the right to remove all major media sources from the White House (this clause will be included in the contracts that the major media sources sign to get access to the White House at the beginning of my administration) who want to distort what is really happening in my administration. I will also reserve the right to boycott the advertisers of the news programs, and ask the American Taxpayers to do the same. A major media without money can't be a good thing for business. But I will use this as a last resort since the American Taxpayers don't need to pay unemployment benefits for thousands of media people and their support workers.

The American Taxpayers deserve to know the whole truth about the issues that will be addressed, the progress being made, when to go to the polls to vote on issues and all of the real change that will be occurring. It would be best for our country if the media plays the game like it should be played. Be assured that if they want to play by the rules they have used in the past they will be called on it. Real change, which I am promising to the American Taxpayers will include the influence of the major media. That's for sure.

INDEX 1 - AGENDA

INDEX 2 - ISSUES