FAILURE OF THE YEAR 2007
AMERICA'S CORPORATE MEDIA
by Jason Zasky

The sorry state of America's corporate media can be traced back to a single half-hour time slot on the evening of Sunday April 5, 1987. The tone for the next 20 years was set in the following exchange:

"Let go of my hair you little psychopath," whines Kelly Bundy, as younger brother Bud yanks her head back, preparing to 'slit' his sister's throat with a rubber knife.

"Die, you Commie bimbo," howls Bud as he slowly runs the blade across Kelly's neck, a big grin spreading across his face.

So begins the pilot episode of Married … With Children, the first original prime-time program on the then-fledgling FOX network.

The Bundy Curse
The premiere of Married … With Children was a landmark moment in American television, as Married … unabashedly lowered the bar for socially acceptable prime-time content and ushered in a new era in which violence, crude humor, degradation, humiliation and soft porn would become the norm on American TV.

But April 5, 1987 represents more than just a sex and violence tipping point. The success of Married … (it lasted 10 years and 259 episodes) played a significant role in getting the FOX network off the ground, at a time when many doubted that a fourth major TV network could survive, much less thrive. Once FOX established a toehold, the network pioneered or helped popularize trends that are widely perceived to be a indictment of the state of our corporate media, including reality TV and the blurring of the line between news and entertainment.

Perhaps these trends would have developed without Al, Peggy, Kelly and Bud—a television family so dogged by failure that they considered themselves cursed. But there's no doubt that the current state of America's media can be traced back to the debut of Married … With Children, and that most Americans—whether they realize it or not—are experiencing a persistent decline in their quality of life (both culturally and economically) thanks to the ongoing failures of the corporate media.

While Al Bundy and family presumably escaped the so-called "Bundy Curse" when Married … With Children ceased production in 1997, Americans have been unable to escape the "race to the bottom" mentality it introduced. Two decades later, Americans now find themselves embracing failure, just like the Bundy's once did.

***

Flash forward to 2007 and Americans are living in a world of information neglect. On the whole, the public is alarmingly uninformed about what is going on in the world. In part this is because the corporate media doesn't deliver much in the way of hard news. There's no shortage of stories, pictures and videos every time a celebrity gets arrested for drunk driving or Britney neglects to wear underpants, yet Americans are frequently left in the dark about key issues that affect their lives and their pocketbooks.

Even more unsettling is that a large percentage of what passes as "news" these days—especially on television and national radio networks—is deliberate misinformation, designed to obscure the truth or distract the public from real issues. Global warming is one example: The longer the corporate media can keep up the 'Is we warming?—as George W. might put it—debate,' the longer Big Oil can delay implementation of a new U.S. energy policy and continue earning outsized profits. Global warming aside, it's in everyone's best interest that the U.S. update its energy policy so ordinary citizens don't have to spend $3 or more per gallon at the pump.

Meanwhile, it's amazing how often Americans echo the messages delivered by the corporate media, even when it would seem to be against their own interests. When a major media pundit spouts off on an issue these days, he is probably not giving the viewer/listener a complete picture; instead he is trying to get the audience to back a corporate agenda, one which he is being paid to advance. Yet, instead of being skeptical, Americans tend to uncritically follow the lead of their favorite talking heads. As a result, the opportunity for healthy debate is lost and the country becomes increasingly polarized.

However, the most pressing problem with the corporate media is how it is directly influencing the country's political choices. For one, it has developed the habit of amplifying the bald-faced propaganda that is designed to sway voters. Among the 2008 presidential candidates Barack Obama is the most obvious victim. Among other things, the media has been floating the notion that Obama is a terrorist or "domestic insurgent" (his middle name is Hussein), and that he has "patriotism problems" (lapel pin controversy/failure to place his hand over his heart during the playing of the national anthem/failure to wear ties in the "red family"). Occasionally, the attacks are more civil … and more subtle: "Does he have enough experience to be president?" is a common refrain. It's all a lot of baloney, being force-fed by people who don't want to see Obama become president. If you don't agree, recall that this is the same media that sold America on the notion that George W. Bush was the honest candidate, a uniter, and a compassionate conservative. In essence, the corporate media is now choosing America's political leadership, and if the past seven years are any indication, it's not doing a very good job.

On a related note, the corporate media is also failing the public by neglecting to cover important issues and legislation that truly affects people's lives. Back in, say, 2000 when the economy was going gangbusters and terrorism wasn't yet a hot-button issue, people clamored for junk food news and didn't pay close attention to political developments. But today there ought to be a market for hard news thanks to the ongoing occupation in Iraq, the health insurance crisis, economic uncertainty, and the passage of legislation designed to erode civil liberties. Still, the corporate media frequently doesn't tell the people what's going on in Washington. Radical legislative measures like the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act and the Fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Bill whiz right past with virtually no mention at all. In essence, the media has become complicit in the federal government's calculated, concerted effort to take away personal freedoms and undermine democracy in America.

That's not to say that everyone in the corporate media is an enabler. There are countless journalists working for major media outlets who are doing an excellent job reporting on stories and serving as a watchdog for the public. And there are plenty of outlets outside the mainstream that still deliver real news and present honest even-handed coverage. Yet, the good work doesn't get nearly as much attention as, say, the political character assassination stories. And, unfortunately, those people who get their news exclusively from the corporate media are those least likely to realize they should be diversifying their media diet.

So where does this leave the American people? Even in a best-case scenario it's going to be a long time before the corporate media regains the public's trust. Years of right-wing claims of "liberal media bias" sullied the reputation of the media for some. Today, the left is convinced that the media is a propaganda tool of the White House, serving up daily doses of right-wing talking points. What little is left of the center probably doesn't know what to think.

Yet, one thing is for sure: Americans can no longer afford to be passive media consumers. If the public wants the country to get back "on the right track" it had better start questioning what the media and the federal government are telling them. Both are now selling the notion that it's un-patriotic to question the government. That's nonsense. Nothing could be more American … and the media ought to know as much.

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