embedded @ the link above: http://www.carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php
http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/nor...re-so-ominous/American journalism has entered highly dangerous terrain. One recent signal of this is the Washington Post’s refusal to face up to a conflict of interest involving Jeff Bezos—who’s now the sole owner of the powerful newspaper, and still the CEO and main stakeholder of Amazon.
Last October, Amazon won a $600 million contract to build a “cloud” for storing CIA data. The contract puts Bezos’ two en ies at cross-purposes: The Post is supposed to expose CIA secrets. Amazon is under contract to keep them. The situation is unprecedented. Both Amazon and the CIA enjoy digital prowess at collecting global data and keeping secrets, and the two ins utions have only just begun to explore how to work together more effectively.
In an email exchange early this month, Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron told me that the newspaper doesn’t need to routinely inform readers of the CIA-Amazon-Bezos ties when reporting on the CIA. He wrote that such in-story acknowledgment would be “far outside the norm of disclosures about potential conflicts of interest at media organizations.”
But there isn’t anything normal about the new situation. As I wrote to Baron, “few journalists could have anticipated ownership of the paper by a multibillionaire whose outside company would be so closely tied to the CIA.”
The Washington Post’s refusal to provide readers with minimal disclosure in coverage of the CIA is important on its own. But it’s also a marker for an ominous pattern: combining denial with accommodation to raw financial and governmental power. This is a synergy of media leverage, corporate digital muscle and secretive agencies implementing policies of mass surveillance, covert action and ongoing warfare.
embedded @ the link above: http://www.carlbernstein.com/magazine_cia_and_media.php
Why is a newspaper obligated to work against a government en y?
indeed, why shouldn't the Washingtion Post cover Obama's ass?
I knew all those "lamestream media" rants were posturing, tbh...
The Post is supposed to expose CIA secrets.
from the op
What?
in a sense, the bread and butter of of journalism is to be leaky, but now there is an apparent conflict of interest @ The Washington Post
Last edited by Winehole23; 01-24-2014 at 03:10 AM.
Leak what?
Expose what?
whatever unnamed sources in government give to publicity
for good and for ill, right? sometime waste and fraud are exposed, sometimes you get the dose of pure propaganda.
And why not all at the same time?
Last edited by Winehole23; 01-24-2014 at 03:08 AM.
the media megaphone is also a government megaphone. access is crucial for legitimacy.
taken in that sense, the Washington Post -- perhaps -- enjoys unique access to the cloud info of the USG, through the mutual owner, Mr Bezos.
Bezos spent 10 hot summers on his grandfather’s cattle ranch in Cotulla, Texas, and his cousin is country singer George Strait.
Bezos forces out op-ed editor, announces a new editorial direction
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Shorter Bezos: The Opinions section will now be my opinions only, but written by others because I am a writer. Who wants to be my new sock puppet??
and as per American tradition by "free markets" we of course mean heavily consolidated and monopolized markets dominated by the biggest, most politically powerful companies, in turn protected by corruption and widespread regulatory capture
Bezos : i believe in the freedom to mandate only 2 acceptable topics and 1 acceptable viewpoint on said topics
staff : how about off
Bezos : u are free to leave
Bezos :
Bezos : FREEDOM
FINALLY somebody gets those s to quit.
YIPPEE!!!
And on Trump's watch no less...
..."But, I'm President, and their not."
you're underscoring my point and hers
I'll tell ya true, Winester: you've taken being on the end of the stick this time with great spirits and it's made for good times.
I hope when I'm holding that end I'll be able to return the favor.
You're full of , but I will say this
Faithful correspondents are rare on this board.
Candor is rare.
I appreciate mere responsiveness, even if the message is worthless -- or even evil.
Most of the tuff guy posters here are too cowardly to stand on their stupid or even give a straight opinion.
Not true of you, for better and for worse.
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