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Cenk Uygur

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How We Can Change the Media

Posted: 12/13/11 10:15 AM ET

A quote you see everywhere is Gandhi's line about being the change you want to see in the world. Since I'm a corny guy, I took that to heart. Here are some of the main problems with the establishment media that I want to help change:

1. They are the establishment. They don't challenge the politicians, the government or the system. They are perfectly content to help maintain the status quo.

2. They trade access for positive coverage. In order to get political officials on their shows, they treat them with kid gloves. The single largest factor in making political decisions is campaign donations, yet they almost never ask them about that or talk about it on any of their shows.

3. They do non-stop talking points, yet no one ever says anything. It's just people talking past each other in a very boring, scripted movie we've seen before.

4. They confuse neutrality with objectivity. If the Cowboys and Steelers play and the Steelers win 21-0, and you say the Cowboys and Steelers both played equally well - you have lied to your audience. You are neutral, but nowhere near objective.

So, we set out to do a political talk show where we break all of those rules. This is the beginning. We hope you join us somewhere down this road. Together, let's be the change we want to see in the media.


You Can Participate in the Show (Current, 7PM ET) By Clicking Here

 

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06:12 PM on 01/28/2012
I was flipping around one evening and saw your show. You did a piece on the media ignoring Ron Paul. It was funny and true. I made a point of watching whenever I had time (not often). I tuned in last night and watched a segment where the 3 other (as in not Ron Paul) candidates were discussed yet Dr. Paul was completely ignored. Hmmm. Is your show really that different than Fox or ABC? Yes your talking points are more "hip" and progressive but I see an attitude toward Paul that's expressed by the MSM and it undermines your credibility. As you chose to ignore the polls that say Paul has at least as good - if not a better shot than the other 3 - to beat Obama in November, I'd like to point out that a win for Paul in Virginia could be a game changer.
And as the GOP establishment has done everything in their power to hinder the good doctor, this is one Obama voter who is looking very hard at the only 2 party Peace candidate.
I believe we can only have prosperity through Peace and I believe Dr. Paul is an honest man.
Your show should take a more open minded look at how the Paul platform may be the best for us at this point in time.
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Vapula
Failure is not an option
08:26 PM on 12/14/2011
One way to change the media is to stop supporting them. I stopped buying newspapers years ago because I was sick and tired of the salaciousness and sensationalism which substituted for unbiased facts. I doubt whether I ever will buy a newspaper again. Enough people do that and they will be out of business very quickly.
06:15 PM on 01/28/2012
I just stopped reading the W. Post because of their bias to Dr, Paul (not making a Paul statement here) and am now completely in agreement with you on the current state of media bias and what we should do to stop it.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
charleyvldm9
He thinks outside the box.
07:49 PM on 12/14/2011
What else do you want , television is for Views,News and Reviews,with Opinions in favor of the station owners.
04:29 PM on 12/14/2011
When Cenk was on MSNBC he was a nonstop fountain of liberal verbal abuse to rival Ed Schults or Keith Olbermann. And he is trying to talk about objectivity and neutrality? He wants the media to "challenge the system." That is a liberal concept and sounds a lot like he wants the media to join the effort to tear our political and economic system down. How about asking a journalist to give us the news? The facts? Without trying to tell us how we are supposed to think? What a novel concept!
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mairs
09:40 PM on 12/14/2011
I don't think the huge amount of influence that money buys in our political system is conservative or liberal. It's just wrong. Buying the votes of legislators is wrong. Believing it is wrong is not a liberal concept.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rolodex
Now my micro-bio is not empty.
01:05 PM on 12/15/2011
current results ==> rapidly increasing wealth & income gap between top
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
rolodex
Now my micro-bio is not empty.
01:03 PM on 12/15/2011
"join the effort to tear our political and economic system down"? I hope so.

our current economic system ==> cut taxes and regulations on mega-corporations and financial sector to allow them to essentially steal with impunity, trickle-up economics.

our current political system ==> mega-corporations and mega-rich have essentially bought the politicians so they will change the laws to enable trickle-up economics.

our current media system ==> the media corps used bought politicians to influence regulators to allow massive consolidation of media outlets resulting in media mega-corps with the same moneyed self interest as the other mega-corps. The 'liberal press' is a half-myth, many young idealistic reporters are liberal, but their corporate bosses are definitely not, and squelch their voices. If they want to become successful, they have to learn to play ball protecting the status quo, and the cycle continues.

current results ==> rapidly increasing wealth & income gap between top
03:40 PM on 12/14/2011
Current TV:
http://www.thertv.eu/93
11:41 AM on 12/14/2011
I could not agree more.
Ifeomamn
When MSM report Facts, USA thrives.
10:58 AM on 12/14/2011
Then Make Current the best News it can be with pure Journalism and content.

Then use facts and know data to inform people.

Then get Current to have a Morning live show that is interactive, to the point and with fast pace.

So long as presenters are paid Uber Millions and their livelihood is at stake, the public is not served well.
10:22 AM on 12/14/2011
Cenk, please put the Current show online. I don't get Current on basic cable.
03:35 PM on 12/14/2011
you don't need cable, watch Cenk and KO everynite here:

http://www.thertv.eu/

click on Current TV.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
mairs
09:42 PM on 12/14/2011
Thank you!
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papapj
..light as a feather..
03:01 AM on 12/15/2011
Thank you very much!
09:06 AM on 12/14/2011
I can remember the days when we citizens were laughing at the Russian newspaper Pravda, when our media critics pointed up its content of half truths and gross distortions as well as its remaining completely silent on some aspects of local and international news. The lesson for us was that this is what happens when concentrated power controls the press and its content.

Hmmmm, that's familiar: For at least the last thirty years, main stream sycophantic journalism in this country has been doing much of the same thing, thanks to our ruling corporate plutocrats engaged in prosecuting and leading the patriotic cheers for foreign perpetual cold and hot wars for perpetual profits, and domestically in the war against the middle class (and especially its unions) and those un-American dissenters.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
avacat
08:19 AM on 12/14/2011
If the msm had done what used to be it's job in 2008, the country would be in a better place today.
pizzmoe
My micro bio is empty
01:16 PM on 12/14/2011
If the msm had done what used to be it's job in 2000, the country would be in a better place today.
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aceshigh11
Nowhere is the dreamer or the misfit so alone
11:14 PM on 12/13/2011
TYT Army...too damned strong!

Keep it coming, Cenk...the Current TV show is excellent!
11:02 PM on 12/13/2011
Count me in, Cenk.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
BryanTheRegOps
08:55 PM on 12/13/2011
I've been a TYT fan since 2009. I could say they are my number one source of news. We need a new MSM and it starts with TYT on Current TV!!!!
07:18 PM on 12/13/2011
I believe social media has a future in disrupting the clout established media outlets have. Most know most mainstream media is distorted through deep pockets with special interests in manipulating public opinion. I am "fed" up and no longer trust mainstream media to deliver unvarnished information.
04:05 PM on 12/13/2011
The government has fostered a lot of this by eroding the choices for media-borne information. As they have allowed large media corps to gobble up all the television, radio and print sources in each market, they have changed the message we receive. Instead of multiple voices, differing opinions and viewpoints and a variety of stories, we get the same three or five stories, almost word for word, with the same slant and the same message. Editorials stick to the corporate line, support one party or the other with practically no information about the candidates (I'm ignoring paragraphs about hair, clothes, food preferences, favorite color, family dog, sports teams, etc., etc., which threaten to drown the poor reader, looking for a substantive position on anything.) My father used to say he stopped reading about wrestling when the New York Times started putting it in the entertainment section. That might be the proper place for political reporting these days as well. I'll go back to watching the evening news on television when someone hires an average-to-homely, intelligent news anchor.