One of our exciting tours in Washington D.C. was to the Voice of America. Interestingly, not many of us were aware that there was such a broadcasting organization that is funded by our government and is not allowed to be broadcast in the United States.
WHAT?
Yeah, I know - surprising! It's rather intriguing when you discover the facts about Voice of America. This "multimedia international broadcasting" (not company - nor network - nor cable station or news station) service (for a more politically correct term) is a news gathering and distributing 'service' that is "funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors."
It was incredible to learn that the budget of VOA for the year of 2006 was $166 million. Oh, and did I mention that it is funded by our government?
Is that a problem?
I don't know... is it? A broadcasting (not company or Public Access station), but a multimedia entity, which functions as a "typical network station," is a widely known gem in other countries, yet not in ours. I do find it difficult to digest that VOA is able to broadcast programs outside our country, but not within our country.
I understand that VOA was (and is) set up to be an "international broadcasting service" that is aimed to educate and inform other countries. According to the VOA Charter:
1. VOA will serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source of news. VOA news will be accurate, objective, and comprehensive.
2. VOA will represent America, not any single segment of American society, and will therefore present a balanced and comprehensive projection of significant American thought and institutions.
3. VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussions and opinion on these policies.
The concerns and debates of the VOA could be based from its origination; this entity was birthed out of the Office of War Information in 1942, which could easily be mistaken for a "government-industry corporation."
I'm sure VOA presents a lot of programs that could be informative; however, the detriment could also be that there is a hidden agenda or a hidden strategy - - more like a subtle bias. My concern is if my tax dollars are donating to a particular propaganda or is my tax dollars contributing to a particular bias?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
The agenda of bias
The other day I did a blog for my Media Effects class on agenda setting, which caused me to realize (and pardon the cynicism) that almost everything and everyone has an agenda attached to it.
This is becoming more predominantly transparent to me. Case and point, One of the books for this class is Bernard Goldberg's Bias. In his book, he claims that the "elite media" is liberal and bias in the way it reports the news. On Golberg's Web page, he informs you that he is a guest (almost) every Thursday on the Bill O'Reilly show.
I know I know - you don't have to say the H word (hypocrite). But, I use Goldberg as a prime example that (almost) everyone is driven by an agenda. Interestingly, Goldberg wrote an op-piece in the Wall Street Journal (1996) announcing his "profound revelation" of the liberal bias in the media. What's amazing to me (and a lot of folks I know) is that Goldberg is working with one of the MOST bias organizations in the media today: Fox Cable News, which makes me wonder, "When is Mr. Goldberg going to write his book on the 'Conservative Bias' in the news?
If Mr. Goldberg is as concern as he claims that bias is affecting the media landscape; then I have two questions for him, "Why is he contributing to another bias and propaganda machine (pardon me I mean network) and why hasn't he rushed to produce his next book about the other bias that is "screwing up America (conservative bias)?"
Actually, I really don't need Mr. Goldberg to answer the questions I already know. Goldberg reflects his own words; he is as guilty as his counterparts and colleagues. Goldberg himself is an agenda setter of his own bias claims. Goldberg operates in his own selective sound bites and filters his own agenda. He has become what he claims others to be.
Maybe Goldberg's next book should be his own confessional, "I've become the number one person that is screwing up America: crazies to the left of me and wimps to the right and I've become both of them."
This is becoming more predominantly transparent to me. Case and point, One of the books for this class is Bernard Goldberg's Bias. In his book, he claims that the "elite media" is liberal and bias in the way it reports the news. On Golberg's Web page, he informs you that he is a guest (almost) every Thursday on the Bill O'Reilly show.
I know I know - you don't have to say the H word (hypocrite). But, I use Goldberg as a prime example that (almost) everyone is driven by an agenda. Interestingly, Goldberg wrote an op-piece in the Wall Street Journal (1996) announcing his "profound revelation" of the liberal bias in the media. What's amazing to me (and a lot of folks I know) is that Goldberg is working with one of the MOST bias organizations in the media today: Fox Cable News, which makes me wonder, "When is Mr. Goldberg going to write his book on the 'Conservative Bias' in the news?
If Mr. Goldberg is as concern as he claims that bias is affecting the media landscape; then I have two questions for him, "Why is he contributing to another bias and propaganda machine (pardon me I mean network) and why hasn't he rushed to produce his next book about the other bias that is "screwing up America (conservative bias)?"
Actually, I really don't need Mr. Goldberg to answer the questions I already know. Goldberg reflects his own words; he is as guilty as his counterparts and colleagues. Goldberg himself is an agenda setter of his own bias claims. Goldberg operates in his own selective sound bites and filters his own agenda. He has become what he claims others to be.
Maybe Goldberg's next book should be his own confessional, "I've become the number one person that is screwing up America: crazies to the left of me and wimps to the right and I've become both of them."
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