FNBT or Fake News Before Trump

In 1999, Earl Wysong and I wrote: "The everyday routine functioning of mainstream institutions like local newspapers...and TV programs does, for the most part, serve to distract non-privileged groups from class issues, diffuse class tensions, and legitimate class inequalities." (The New Class Society, 1999).

In 2009, Carolyn Perrucci and I wrote: "How can we account for the low regard that Americans have for newspapers and TV news. We think that the big reasons for the negative opinions of newspapers is because of their failure to inform the American people about the big economic changes that were transforming the lives of most Americans (America at Risk, 2009).

The real scandal is that most of the long-standing media critics have failed to continue their critical analysis of media because they fear that they will be associated with Trump's criticisms.

Poll Data

The main thing to keep in mind when you hear the results of the latest public poll is the following: Did the pollster stick a microphone in the face of a citizen and asked the question: "What is your opinion on the performance of X in his/her current position." Or did the pollster ask the citizen "Please indicate your level of support for X by checking a box on this form and placing it in this box." The difference is that many people are reluctant to express their views in a public poll unless their opinions are protected and private. Always be suspicious of poll data unless you know how the questions were asked and the answers obtained.

Media power?

It is obvious to us that the mainstream media have become an important player in the game of national politics. Their consistent attacks on President Trump indicate that they play a key role in supporting or discrediting political players. Originally we thought that the media's new role as a powerful actor was in part a reflection of their ties to the Democrat party, because of lost elections.
We now are considering the possibility that the mainstream media may have a more ambitious agenda.

This new line of speculation was encouraged by an article in The Economist discussing how the Chinese and Russian governments view media beyond the confines of their borders. A Russian media leader commented on the similarity between Russia and China as victims of "information terrorism" by the Western media. The media specialist commented further that Russia and China must help each other because "we alone stand up to the mighty army of Western mainstream journalism."

This sounds like an updated version of George Orwell's 1984, where information control is not in the hands of a central government, but in the hands of independent media organizations. Maybe the new "warmongers" and "cold warriors" in the US are not the weapons profiteers, but the media barons.

Who would have ever thought that the morning newspaper and the TV news were the new forces seeking domination.  

Immigration Policy

As we head into the national debate about restricting US immigration policy, keep in mind who are the major supporters of a less restrictive/open policy. They are the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the US Catholic Church. Please keep in mind that the focus of the debate should be on US jobs and workers, not compassion.