Mainstream Media. Use it, but go elsewhere for the full story

Small independents can be more truthful than the mainstream. But low-budget news outlets cannot achieve the readership of the billionaire capitalist press. Any attempt at objectivity is derided by the mainstream as leftist. When socialist commitment is explicit, the whole story can be told. This would include exposés of big-player misdeeds and also resistance narratives. It would also advertise and promote participation in direct action.

The right language

When Media Oligarch, Rupert Murdoch, bought the UK Sun Newspaper in 1969, he asked the editorial team what reading age was required of its readership.  Fifteen, he was told. Bring it down to 12, he replied. Since then, competition for circulation has exerted a downward drag on all UK journalistic standards, including the so-called quality press. More recently, Internet social media have set an even lower norm.

But it would be a distraction, and patronising, to highlight reading age. Right-wing bias and downright lies are a bigger problem. And the deliberate abuse of language is most effective. Drip by drip, linguistic malpractice is used to implant and reinforce right-wing agendas. A glaring example is to classify those fighting for democracy or national liberation as terrorist.

Such abuses are rife on every page and post of the capitalist media. Misleading metaphors, false dichotomies, conflation of the general with the particular, form the bedrock of mainstream political reporting.

Balancing act

Possibly the most serious (and from the viewpoint of ruling elites, effective) distortion is to equate  the middle of the left-right political spectrum with the middle of the openly capitalist parties. In USA, this is between Democrat and Republican. In the UK, it is between Labour and Conservative (Liberal Democrat). Even when equal weight is given to each side of this fulcrum, it does not amount to objective balance. The UK BBC is the epitome of this deception. Its reporting excludes most of the left-right spectrum. Unsurprisingly, this never declared.

When liars prosper

It shouldn’t need saying, but sadly does: publicly-demonstrated dishonesty should bring immediate termination for any individual’s career. For example, disgraced UK politician, Boris Johnson, should have been barred from any public office for life after his first lie as a journalist. Rupert Murdock’s Sun newspaper should have been closed down after the lies it printed about the Liverpool football fans’ behaviour during the Hillsborough Atrocity of 1989.

Socialist media balance

A far-sighted socialist perspective for achieving a radically better world, would adopt a centre point that lies between reform and revolution. Analytical objectivity can be achieved by explicit declaration when dealing with reform or revolutionary timeframes.

Incidentally, the term centrist is sometimes used to refer to the political flip-flopping of an individual or party around this alternative fulcrum.

Nuanced dichotomies

Dichotomies can be used to mislead as well as inform.  Reform versus revolution is a good example. This is because a revolutionary strategy must include the political process of working for reforms within any system.

On the other hand, as an ‘-ism,’ reformism rejects any consideration of successful socialist revolution. This is why reformists generally move to the reactionary right when political instability increases. They also descend into careerism when they find that capitalist parliaments exist to prevent reforms that are significant and lasting.

See also

Political party [Definition], Sect [Definition]  and Campaigns and Movements [Definition].

Links

National Union of Journalists: https://www.nuj.org.uk/Collective action is the most effective way to defend victimised whistle-blowers.

Investigative Journalism in Wikipedia lists many organisations that can do good work. But these concern themselves almost  universally within the capitalist system.

Online independents: Double Down News, and many others, are useful for alternative slants on the many scandals that are inadequately covered by the mainstream.

Poor reporting of science and medical are endemic within capitalism: Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science campaign actually succeeded in forcing Big Pharma to be more truthful about their drug tests.

Mainstream political parties, sects and right-wing interest groups: Generally speaking, these are so far removed from reality as to practically unreadable.

Socialist parties: These are small and variable. The UK SWP (Socialist Workers Party) is a good example of committed reporting. Its weekly paper is not a tabloid, despite the visual impact of its front page.

DPS

Member of Socialist Worker Party (UK) and many progressive campaigns.

Last edit: 16 July 2024

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