"Good Night and Good Luck" is a movie directed by George Clooney. The movie deals with the CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow and his producer Fred W. Friendly who are trying to do a serious investigative journalism during the era of the Cold War. During that period Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin takes advantage of the paranoia that America may be overtaken by communists. McCarthy supported by the FBI of J. Edgar Hoover accuses many people for being communists. This turns into a witch hunt.
Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly's efforts against Senator McCarthy helped a FBI investigation to be started against McCarthy and his communist witch hunt. Even though that Morrow and Friendly's program demonstrates the power of the serious journalism, the program is moved to 04:00pm on Sundays because of people's demands to watch entertainment on television.
"Good Night and Good Luck" shows that journalism, if practiced as it is supposed to be practiced, could be truly the "fourth branch of government." Even though that Americans and the CBS owner experienced the power of the media, they betrayed this form of journalism for the commercial profits of the capitalist society. It is truly a shame that the American society gave up on the real journalism, because it proved that it could serve as a real social and political helper in a democratic society. Unfortunately, this form of journalism was "eaten" by commercial capitalism.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
New York Times and Bulgarian Mob
One of the top headlines of "The New York Times" newspaper on October 16, 2008 was "Mob Muscles Its Way Into Politics in Bulgaria." If this is a top headline for "The New York Times" in 2008, then this newspaper definitely has to be shut down, because this is not a piece of news. It could have been... 20 years ago, but today it is obvious for anybody who follows even a little bit what is going on in Eastern Europe that Bulgaria is ruled by the mafia.
Even though that the article contains embarrassing information about Bulgaria, it is true information. The article states that different mob groups fight for real estate deals and millions in European aid. The European Union froze $670 million that were supposed to be used for Bulgaria's economical and infrastructural progress. Presidents of soccer clubs were publicly shot. Former wrestlers transformed into gangsters. Mobsters hang out in night clubs. Wealthy businessmen buy local elections. The member of the Parliament Atanas Atanasov said: "Other countries have the mafia. In Bulgaria, the mafia has the country."
The article states that Nikolov-Stoykov group is involved in criminal actions. Liudnil Stoykov, part of this group, financed the campaign of President Georgi Parvanov. In the meantime Mario Nikolov, who is charged with fraud, gave $137,000 to Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his Socialist Party (the former Communist Party). All of this information was provided by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov.
An European or American reader would think that things in Bulgaria are pretty bad and they truly are, but a Bulgarian reader would see something more in this article. Bulgaria is presented in the worst possible political and social way. The President and the Prime Minister are internationally embarrassed by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov. For a Bulgarian, it is obvious that this is a pre-election campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Boyko Borisov who gives all this information is the unofficial leader of the political party GERB ("The New York Times" does not mention that) which is going to win 2009 parliamentary elections and he is going to be the future Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The article aims to embarrass the currently ruling coalition because it does not say anything at all about Mr. Borisov. The same Boyko Borisov was a bodyguard of the former Bulgarian communist leader Todor Zhivkov and a founder of a private security company, which was illegal at the time. Later he became a secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Simeon Saksgoburgotski. When Saksgoburgotski's party was not reelected, Borisov abandoned it.
Another reason to consider the article as a part of Borisov’s campaign is the fact that Bulgaria has never received so much attention by "The New York Times." The article is a headline on the front page and got an entire page in the political section of the newspaper. As mentioned before the information in it is not new and it hardly could be treated as a piece of news.
Even though that the article contains embarrassing information about Bulgaria, it is true information. The article states that different mob groups fight for real estate deals and millions in European aid. The European Union froze $670 million that were supposed to be used for Bulgaria's economical and infrastructural progress. Presidents of soccer clubs were publicly shot. Former wrestlers transformed into gangsters. Mobsters hang out in night clubs. Wealthy businessmen buy local elections. The member of the Parliament Atanas Atanasov said: "Other countries have the mafia. In Bulgaria, the mafia has the country."
The article states that Nikolov-Stoykov group is involved in criminal actions. Liudnil Stoykov, part of this group, financed the campaign of President Georgi Parvanov. In the meantime Mario Nikolov, who is charged with fraud, gave $137,000 to Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his Socialist Party (the former Communist Party). All of this information was provided by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov.
An European or American reader would think that things in Bulgaria are pretty bad and they truly are, but a Bulgarian reader would see something more in this article. Bulgaria is presented in the worst possible political and social way. The President and the Prime Minister are internationally embarrassed by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov. For a Bulgarian, it is obvious that this is a pre-election campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Boyko Borisov who gives all this information is the unofficial leader of the political party GERB ("The New York Times" does not mention that) which is going to win 2009 parliamentary elections and he is going to be the future Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The article aims to embarrass the currently ruling coalition because it does not say anything at all about Mr. Borisov. The same Boyko Borisov was a bodyguard of the former Bulgarian communist leader Todor Zhivkov and a founder of a private security company, which was illegal at the time. Later he became a secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Simeon Saksgoburgotski. When Saksgoburgotski's party was not reelected, Borisov abandoned it.
Another reason to consider the article as a part of Borisov’s campaign is the fact that Bulgaria has never received so much attention by "The New York Times." The article is a headline on the front page and got an entire page in the political section of the newspaper. As mentioned before the information in it is not new and it hardly could be treated as a piece of news.
Guardian: "Stalin" is Bulgaria's highest peak.
After the American television CNN aired a manipulated reportage about the gas crisis in Bulgaria in the beginning of the year, now the British newspaper "Guardian" publishes false facts about Bulgaria on April 18, 2009. "Guardian" published profiles of various countries including Bulgaria.
According to "Guardian," Bulgaria's highest peak is called "Stalin." The highest peak in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula was called "Stalin" between 1949 and 1962. After Stalin's cult of personality was taken down by Khrushchev, Stalin Peak and many other things named after him were given back their original names. It has been more than 45 years since Stalin Peak was renamed to its original name Musala, which means "Close to God" in Turkish, but the British journalists did not updated their information. For me, as a Bulgarian, this is offensive and shows disrespect towards my country. Besides, journalists are paid for their publications, which means that they could at least check their facts before publishing them. Another incorrect information published in "Guardian" is that the three languages spoken in Bulgaria are Bulgarian, Turkish, and Macedonian. Internationally, no authority has ever recognized the existence of a Macedonian language. According to a treaty signed in Paris, France the so-called Macedonian language is a dialect of the Bulgarian language.
"Guardian" newspaper did not change its information on Bulgaria until after the Bulgarian online news agency Vesti pointed out the mistakes. Now the edited version of the article states that the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula is called Musala and the three languages spoken in Bulgaria are Bulgarian, Turkish, and Roma.
It is obvious that western journalists pay less attention to the accuracy of their information regarding small countries, but the British journalists at least correct themselves when they realize they are wrong, unlike the American journalists of CNN.
According to "Guardian," Bulgaria's highest peak is called "Stalin." The highest peak in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula was called "Stalin" between 1949 and 1962. After Stalin's cult of personality was taken down by Khrushchev, Stalin Peak and many other things named after him were given back their original names. It has been more than 45 years since Stalin Peak was renamed to its original name Musala, which means "Close to God" in Turkish, but the British journalists did not updated their information. For me, as a Bulgarian, this is offensive and shows disrespect towards my country. Besides, journalists are paid for their publications, which means that they could at least check their facts before publishing them. Another incorrect information published in "Guardian" is that the three languages spoken in Bulgaria are Bulgarian, Turkish, and Macedonian. Internationally, no authority has ever recognized the existence of a Macedonian language. According to a treaty signed in Paris, France the so-called Macedonian language is a dialect of the Bulgarian language.
"Guardian" newspaper did not change its information on Bulgaria until after the Bulgarian online news agency Vesti pointed out the mistakes. Now the edited version of the article states that the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula is called Musala and the three languages spoken in Bulgaria are Bulgarian, Turkish, and Roma.
It is obvious that western journalists pay less attention to the accuracy of their information regarding small countries, but the British journalists at least correct themselves when they realize they are wrong, unlike the American journalists of CNN.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Assign. # 4 Network News vs. The Daily Show
The CBS network news show at 6:30 pm on March 31, 2009 was aired from London, Great Britain, hosted by Katie Couric. Its highlights were the first major visit of President Barack Obama in Europe and the upcoming G20 summit in London. The network news show revealed Obama's agenda and his popularity around different European countries. The second leading piece of news was Afghanistan, its development, and the fact that Afghanistan produces 90 percent of the world's supply of opium. The CBS news provided information about the new Israeli prime-minster Benjamin Natanyaho, the GM business problems, the 19 percent drop of the housing costs, the salmonella scare, and the fact that in London President Barack Obama will meet for the first time the British Queen Elizabeth II.
In contrast, The Daily Show, hosted by Jon Stewart, aired on the same date provided very different type of information. The major topic of the show was the new euphemisms used by the Obama administration. For instance, the expression "war on terrorism" is replaced by "oversea contingency operation" and "terrorism" is replaced by "non-casual disaster." Other pieces of "news" in the show were the fact that traffic and metal could actually kill people. The Daily Show played a video in which a man fights with a shark. Stewart's guest was the comedy actor Seth Rogen who commented on his new movie "Observe and Report."
People may get information from both TV programs. However, the CBS network news show provides much more relevant and important information in the sphere of politics, business, sports, and life. In the meantime, The Daily Show's news are informative and entertaining, but they could hardly serve as a serious and reliable source of information if one wants to know what are the current major news topics in the United States and around the world.
In contrast, The Daily Show, hosted by Jon Stewart, aired on the same date provided very different type of information. The major topic of the show was the new euphemisms used by the Obama administration. For instance, the expression "war on terrorism" is replaced by "oversea contingency operation" and "terrorism" is replaced by "non-casual disaster." Other pieces of "news" in the show were the fact that traffic and metal could actually kill people. The Daily Show played a video in which a man fights with a shark. Stewart's guest was the comedy actor Seth Rogen who commented on his new movie "Observe and Report."
People may get information from both TV programs. However, the CBS network news show provides much more relevant and important information in the sphere of politics, business, sports, and life. In the meantime, The Daily Show's news are informative and entertaining, but they could hardly serve as a serious and reliable source of information if one wants to know what are the current major news topics in the United States and around the world.
Assign. # 3 Local News
The local news of CBS aired on March 31, 2009 had many different topics. The leading news were the salmonella scare, the eventual MTA bailout, and a man who tried to kidnap girls with his car by offering them candies and money. The entire news show had only two political news. The first one was about the first European trip of President Obama. According to the CBS local news this was the sixth major important news of the day. The second reported political news was the fact that Benjamin Natanyahu became a prime-minister of Israel. This piece of news was pushed back towards the end of the news show.
The CBS local news show did not provide enough political news. I think that only two political news for a news show that is long over an hour is not enough. Moreover, the two political news were major ones and they were not even presented in the beginning of the show as leading news. The news of the G20 summit and Obama's European trip were not even in the top five news of the day. The other political news concerning the new prime-minister of Israel was pushed behind news such as "YMCA profits go up," "Bedbugs infections increase," "New pill - 5 in 1," the weather forecast, and many others.
The purpose of local news shows is to concentrate precisely on the local news. However, I think that political news, especially the ones having international implications, such as Obama's European trip, have to be the leading ones. It seems to me that the local news show was unnecessarily long and full of commercial breaks. The pieces of news were summarized to a couple of sentences or very short reportages. This made the CBS local news show uninteresting and even annoying at times.
The CBS local news show did not provide enough political news. I think that only two political news for a news show that is long over an hour is not enough. Moreover, the two political news were major ones and they were not even presented in the beginning of the show as leading news. The news of the G20 summit and Obama's European trip were not even in the top five news of the day. The other political news concerning the new prime-minister of Israel was pushed behind news such as "YMCA profits go up," "Bedbugs infections increase," "New pill - 5 in 1," the weather forecast, and many others.
The purpose of local news shows is to concentrate precisely on the local news. However, I think that political news, especially the ones having international implications, such as Obama's European trip, have to be the leading ones. It seems to me that the local news show was unnecessarily long and full of commercial breaks. The pieces of news were summarized to a couple of sentences or very short reportages. This made the CBS local news show uninteresting and even annoying at times.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Assign. # 12 Feminism and Abortion
The article "A Hurrah for Dr. George Tiller" posted on the feminist blog Feministing deals with the case of Dr. George Tiller who is one of the few late-term abortion providers in the United States of America. Prosecutors charged Tiller of having a financial relationship with the doctor that he frequently received authorization from. However, Dr.Tiller was acquitted on all 19 counts. The article is cheerful of the fact that the doctor was not found guilty and he can eventually practice late-term abortion manipulations again.
It is normal that such an article appears in a feminist blog, since probably the majority of the feminists, if not all of them, are definitely pro-choice of whether a woman should keep the baby or have an abortion. It has been a struggle for the American women to gain that right and it is natural for them to support all doctors who perform abortion procedures. However, a problem concerning the abortion issue is if the father is involved in some way. Some may say that no matter what, abortion should be treated as a murder. I think this should be left to the conscience of the mother.
I believe that a woman should have the right to either keep the baby or to get an abortion. Clergy and feminists have been discussing when exactly a women gets pregnant and when she should be considered pregnant with a real human being inside her. I think that such a discussion is pointless and it does not really matter if the woman has already taken a decision what to do with her body. The only case in which I do not approve the right of the women to do whatever they want with their bodies is if the life of the mother is endangered.
It is normal that such an article appears in a feminist blog, since probably the majority of the feminists, if not all of them, are definitely pro-choice of whether a woman should keep the baby or have an abortion. It has been a struggle for the American women to gain that right and it is natural for them to support all doctors who perform abortion procedures. However, a problem concerning the abortion issue is if the father is involved in some way. Some may say that no matter what, abortion should be treated as a murder. I think this should be left to the conscience of the mother.
I believe that a woman should have the right to either keep the baby or to get an abortion. Clergy and feminists have been discussing when exactly a women gets pregnant and when she should be considered pregnant with a real human being inside her. I think that such a discussion is pointless and it does not really matter if the woman has already taken a decision what to do with her body. The only case in which I do not approve the right of the women to do whatever they want with their bodies is if the life of the mother is endangered.
Assign. # 11 Global Warming Is Exaggerated?
According to the article Global Warming Is Exaggerated? posted on the blog The Environmental Blog a survey shows that 41 percent of the people think that actually the global warming is exaggerated. In contrast, the article discusses the fact that the ocean level truly rises which is illustrated by a picture of storm surge barriers in Rotterdam, Holland. Supposedly, Holland is one of the countries that would be most affected by the rise of the ocean level.
However, if I were one of the surveyed people I would have also expressed a skepticism in regards of the global warming. Some scientists say that people are causing the global warming and others say that it is a result of natural processes through which Mother Earth undergoes all the time. I would side with the latter group of scientists. Contemporary science in terms of meteorology, space, and global warming is not very competent.
Scientists say that there could be no life form if there are no water and oxygen on the other planets. Well, how do they know that the alien life forms need water and oxygen in order to survive? Maybe they do or maybe they do not need them, but the scientists have no ways of knowing that. By analogy, the case with the global warming is the same. Scientists have never experienced global warming before and they could not know what exactly is causing it and what impact it would have.
The science has discovered that Earth had experienced periods of warmings and coolings in the past too. I tend to believe that the global warming is exaggerated because the Earth has already had global warmings and coolings before and the life forms on it survived obviously.
However, if I were one of the surveyed people I would have also expressed a skepticism in regards of the global warming. Some scientists say that people are causing the global warming and others say that it is a result of natural processes through which Mother Earth undergoes all the time. I would side with the latter group of scientists. Contemporary science in terms of meteorology, space, and global warming is not very competent.
Scientists say that there could be no life form if there are no water and oxygen on the other planets. Well, how do they know that the alien life forms need water and oxygen in order to survive? Maybe they do or maybe they do not need them, but the scientists have no ways of knowing that. By analogy, the case with the global warming is the same. Scientists have never experienced global warming before and they could not know what exactly is causing it and what impact it would have.
The science has discovered that Earth had experienced periods of warmings and coolings in the past too. I tend to believe that the global warming is exaggerated because the Earth has already had global warmings and coolings before and the life forms on it survived obviously.
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