Letters to the Editor
Markovitch
Published Letters: 13 Editor's Choice: 1
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LIBERALS BEWARE YOUR MEANS
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am sickened by so-called liberals relying on corporate censorship to kill Imus. Beware your means liberals! As a regular reader of Salon and Nation, I am astounded by how unprincipled liberals have become on this issue. Dealing with the content of the speech (which was can all agree) instead of the overall construct. I am beside myself in disbelief, feeling almost betrayed by my fellow travelers on this issue. Not only did you arguably kill one of your own (or a valuable voice against most things Bush), but you started a process in which you will accelerate censorship, and worse, corporate powered censorship. Beware future Ralph Naders! No radio show for you if you bash the system your sponsors profit from on a daily basis. This is a very depressing day for progressives. Maybe we need the USSR again to provide a little perspective. Imus, rough as he was, was the very last radio personality that attracted and talked back to power. Now, you're left with the David Gregory's of the world, who will play tough, but then dance for their access. You killed a real outsider and critic because he bent our noses. 95% of the people commenting never listened and called him a "shock jock" because they heard someone else say it. What a Bonfire of the Vanities, and progressive liberals are guilty of the vanity in this case. Where is Tom Wolfe when you need him?
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NBC and CBS REFRESHING? HARDLY
[Read the article: No more whining excuses]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I do not agree with the theme of this article. NBC and CBS have been bereft of standards of reporting for too long. Their claim to publicity now is: We are decent, We fired Imus.
Well..... The truth is that Don Imus was a tougher and more detailed critic of government in one week than NBC or CBS has been since 2001. Sure, it's all "branding", right? NBC and CBS are brands like Coke. Well, I disagree. Fox is stealing thunder by tweaking noses and progressive media has missed 5 years of material to prove they are more than a refreshing drink. The media is depressing, but NBC especially so. So, if this author is right, then we have a new media more interested in branding than reporting.
The truth is they had a responsibility beyond that of responding to the Bonfire of the Vanities. They had a responsibility to be circumspect about the meaning of Free Speech. They had a responsibility to the concept that they failed to address. Instead, in brading and being "decent", they kicked off a new game in town that will chill broadcasters and filter what gets to audiences. Maybe in 100 years we will have two countries, one tapped into sattelite disregarding what "decent motivated" people think they should hear, and the rest, lapping up what is packaged for us. Didn't we learn ANYTHING about managed news after 2003? The Italian Press had the Niger forgeries down pat before the war, not NBC. But, they got Imus, they planted a tree, they smiled and hugged. We lost.
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Sad Comment, Joan!
[Read the article: Firing Imus was the right thing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, if you're right, then you have to be right everywhere. Like a law, you've created an opinion precendent that you must apply equally to all broadcasts. Therefore, if you believe yourself correct, you must support the firing of all radio/tv hosts that meet these loose prerequisites. You will have a busy lifetime applying these loose elements and standards. I suppose the jury will be determined by the heat of the issue, the words stated, the popularity of the host, the attention of the media, the other news in the cycle on the day it was said, the power or lack thereof of the hosts enemies (government itself?), etc...
Joan, I expected a lot more thoughfulness from you!
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Issima; Corporate Censorship.....Exactly
[Read the article: No more whining excuses]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You hit it on the head, I say, while too many people are on a totally different planet weighing in only on personal opinion. In the last few years, Imus has become so relevant on the issues you raised (Big Pharma, war, etc...) there is little doubt he created plenty of enemies that were waiting in the weeds. He increasingly made people anxious, specific committee members of congress holding up bills on behalf of big pharma, the administration, etc.. He was specific and relentless. There is no one like him currently on the air that attracted the quality of guests. When they couldn't shut him up on the issues, they got him (and he got himself) on another issue altogether. That's what makes this so tragic. It is so tragic in a way that most people don't understand. I turned on other Salon, Nation, and pregressive reasers to the show only in the last year. They felt empowered by Imus' serious challenge to power, franly, they loved the guy. He got to say things to powerful people that Salon readers, for example, could only wish the opportunity. Non-listeners simply do not understand how serious, relevant, and progressive this show was. Like an eclipse, this comment and that low, base humor, blotted out arguably the very best radio voice against the abuses of power. Tragic!