A libertarian who whines about the MSM is a cry-baby HYPOCRITE

[Deborah K]

I'm guilty too. I'll admit it. But stop and think about what we are saying. CNN, Fox News, etc. are private corporations. They have the right to say whatever they want and cover whatever candidates they want. They don't owe us anything. Are we suggesting that they should be controlled or restricted in some way? As long as they keep up their ratings and sell commercials, they are doing their job.

The free market works. When there is demand, someone will eventually find a way to profit by meeting that demand. Judging from the enormous energy of this Ron Paul Revolution, it is obvious that there is a huge amount of pent up demand for a different type of coverage than what is currently available on a mainstream level. That hunger for better coverage creates a demand that someone will eventually fill if they can find a way to make it profitable.

It's not bad or good, fair or unfair. It's just the free market. Supply & demand.

Have you seen this documentary? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4467655342219448521

You might change your view. It (the media) is SUPPOSED to be free market, but it isn't.

You are right about the demand for better coverage needing to be filled. I think it is time to start a network on the internet, where you just click on a link and start watching the news as though you are watching TV, only on the internet.

 

[JosephTheLibertarian]

I'm guilty too. I'll admit it. But stop and think about what we are saying. CNN, Fox News, etc. are private corporations. They have the right to say whatever they want and cover whatever candidates they want. They don't owe us anything. Are we suggesting that they should be controlled or restricted in some way? As long as they keep up their ratings and sell commercials, they are doing their job.

The free market works. When there is demand, someone will eventually find a way to profit by meeting that demand. Judging from the enormous energy of this Ron Paul Revolution, it is obvious that there is a huge amount of pent up demand for a different type of coverage than what is currently available on a mainstream level. That hunger for better coverage creates a demand that someone will eventually fill if they can find a way to make it profitable.

It's not bad or good, fair or unfair. It's just the free market. Supply & demand.

Corporations are creations of state, not elements of the free market. Also, FEC regulates tv and radio, not exactly a free market principle. jackass

 

[Redcard]

Have you seen this documentary? http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4467655342219448521

You might change your view. It (the media) is SUPPOSED to be free market, but it isn't.

You are right about the demand for better coverage needing to be filled. I think it is time to start a network on the internet, where you just click on a link and start watching the news as though you are watching TV, only on the internet.

You have it

It's called Youtube and a blog.

DailyKOS and other political blogs have been doing this for over a year.

Do it Go for it!

(Also check out current.tv for a good model. It's run by Gore, but, they have a method by which indie journalists can directly post stuff to the website, and in some cases, that makes it to the TV station)

 

[dircha]

The federal government has no right to sell corporations the exclusive rights to broadcast radio waves into our businesses and homes.

When me and my neighbors can get together and set up a tower and override the signal for the ABC nightly news without armed thugs showing up at our doorsteps, let me know.

 

[Deborah K]

You have it

It's called Youtube and a blog.

DailyKOS and other political blogs have been doing this for over a year.

Do it Go for it!

(Also check out current.tv for a good model. It's run by Gore, but, they have a method by which indie journalists can directly post stuff to the website, and in some cases, that makes it to the TV station)

Wouldn't you need a studio and newscasters and producers and all that stuff? I mean in order to make it just like TV?

 

[Redcard]

Wouldn't you need a studio and newscasters and producers and all that stuff? I mean in order to make it just like TV?

Well, yeah.

But that costs money. It can be done nowadays for less, though. A good three chip Camcorder runs around $1500. A good Mic can be had for $200 or so. A mixer board for one or two mics can run $100-$200. The "newsdesk" can be set in front of a blue screen, if need be.

I could set such a thing up in my small condo right now, for a few grand.

 

[Michigan11]

The Free Market is at work...

I have already cancelled my cable because of the MSM.

I'm doing my best to get everyone I know to do the same, screw em' all!

 

[Kludge]

If you're really interested in this convo., an alternate version is here

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=80444&highlight=Pro+liberty+is+pro+media

 

[dircha]

You have it

It's called Youtube and a blog.

DailyKOS and other political blogs have been doing this for over a year.

Do it Go for it!

(Also check out current.tv for a good model. It's run by Gore, but, they have a method by which indie journalists can directly post stuff to the website, and in some cases, that makes it to the TV station)

And I can also stand out in front of my house and shout.

That's not the point.

The point is that the federal government has no right to sell corporations exclusive use of the broadcast spectrum.

 

[Bob Spruill]

We want free market health care too. But we don't want doctors deciding who should live or die.

That is a powerful line, but doctors who decide who dies get charged with murder, which is imo a valid function of government. And not only that, the lose my business.

========================

Fox News became successful because they were percieved to be an alternatrive to the extreme liberal bias of all the other networks. They have lost that with me. I will never watch Fox again.

Fox proved that there is a valuable market for non-liberal news. Now that Fox has proven itself be propagandizing for big government neo-conism, there is an open place in the market for someone to make a fortune providing something that resembles the truth.

If the free-market does not meet the demand, then there is some force stopping it. Which is probably what is happening.

 

[Truth Warrior]

I'm guilty too. I'll admit it. But stop and think about what we are saying. CNN, Fox News, etc. are private corporations. They have the right to say whatever they want and cover whatever candidates they want. They don't owe us anything. Are we suggesting that they should be controlled or restricted in some way? As long as they keep up their ratings and sell commercials, they are doing their job.

The free market works. When there is demand, someone will eventually find a way to profit by meeting that demand. Judging from the enormous energy of this Ron Paul Revolution, it is obvious that there is a huge amount of pent up demand for a different type of coverage than what is currently available on a mainstream level. That hunger for better coverage creates a demand that someone will eventually fill if they can find a way to make it profitable.

It's not bad or good, fair or unfair. It's just the free market. Supply & demand.

You're just talking with the wrong kind of libertarians.<IMHO>

 

[Redcard]

And I can also stand out in front of my house and shout.

That's not the point.

The point is that the federal government has no right to sell corporations exclusive use of the broadcast spectrum.

That's correct, and you know what? Fox News Channel is NOT an analog channel. It's not sold "on spectrum" at all. In fact, you will be VERY hardpressed to name a single News channel that IS sold on spectrum.

In the interim, why don't you DO something about it. Nobody was listening to these "podcast" things until someone said "Hey, an RSS feed and an MP3 file. HMMM." Nobody was watching Youtube videos until two kids said "Hey, everyone has webcams.. what about.... personal TV Stations. HMMM."

DO something. Don't whine about what's being done to you.

 

[Deborah K]

Well, yeah.

But that costs money. It can be done nowadays for less, though. A good three chip Camcorder runs around $1500. A good Mic can be had for $200 or so. A mixer board for one or two mics can run $100-$200. The "newsdesk" can be set in front of a blue screen, if need be.

I could set such a thing up in my small condo right now, for a few grand.

Let's do it!

 

[Goldwater Conservative]

(1) Free speech. I can boycott something AND exercise my 1st Amendment rights to call someone out on their BS.

(2) These corporations aren't entirely free market entities. They owe much of their profits to government for granting them legal immunities, monopoly rights, etc. Hell, read up on the rocky early days of Fox News. A mayor by the name of Giuliani helped them get their start.

 

[Rhys]

if we purchase their product while distrusting and not wanting that product, we are not living the free market.

What's more, they should have to legally admit to being liars in court, I think.

Also, it seems like a form of monopoly that they can have a TV station that reports the "news" and a company that is the news or makes the guns.

If the government weren't so big, the press wouldn't kiss it's ass so much.

And a direct answer is, we can complain about the sucky press. it's their right to make their content, it's our right to make counter content and spread the word that we hate them.

I agree too that the FCC sold us out. It's ilegal to be a radio station unless you're clear channel.

 

[jarofclay]

We want free market health care too. But we don't want doctors deciding who should live or die.

Wow this is great comment. Supply and demand should dictate that the market decides who to "feed" with their eyeballs and thus support.

Unfortunately there seems to be a monopoly of crappy media which means that the market is also crappy. Not good news unfortunately.

 

[Spike]

these media companies have gotten bigger because of the government, by lobbying the FCC, and politicians and other funny business.

This is not the free market. Fox News or Time Warner, AOL, and all those companies are just playing that monopoly game.

 

[forsmant]

i wouldn't have a problem with it if this were actually a free market. there are so many regulations on starting companies these days and the media's become almost a cartel sustained by the government. if this were a free market then we'd have no reason to complain

+1

 

[MGreen]

People seem to frequently misuse the word hypocrite on the Internet.

There is nothing hypocritical about complaining, crying, bitching, whatever that the MSM is being unfair with its coverage. It is hypocritical to say the government should force the MSM to provide equal coverage.

"My toy soldier's arm just broke!"
"Stop crying, baby! Companies have a right to make crappy products!"

 

[jaumen]

Complaining about unfair treatment doesn't make a libertarian hypocritical... it would be hypocritical to say that they don't have the right to conduct their business as they please, which includes giving unfair treatment... just because they have the right to doesn't mean we have to be happy about them treating candidates unfairly.