| ashu |
Posted
on 26-May-01 03:57 AM
In a documentary called "Manufacturing Consent", the venerable MIT professor Noam Chomsky has argued (as he has in his other writings, and that's regardless of whether you agree with him or not) how the New York Times and other mainstream US media do not
cover foreign stories as well and as deeply as they should/could have.
For that, he blames, as Sally has pointed out here,
"corporatization" of the media in the US. This is serious
and a tangential issue altogether.
But to say that NYT editorials are actually drafted by
the CIA and the State/Justice Department is to enter
into a new realm of paranoia.
Look, I have no trouble imaginining that the CIA and DOS/J-- like government organs everywhere -- do their best to influence the private-sector media to their advantage.
But to see them actualy dafting NYT editorials? The NYT people
may be insular in some or many ways, but they are not stupid
to hand editorial control over to the CIA or DOJ/S.
Like I said, do I think that the US is the perfect, perfect,
wonderful, wonderful, problem-free country?
No.
En Oh.
And I'd be happy to discuss the left-wing/right-wing critiuqe
of America.
But, despite many serious problems, the US remains a
remarkably, relatively OPEN country in a lot of ways, and
that is its attraction to the rest of the world.
Philosophically, the US Constitution -- crafted by people in their late 20s and early 30s in Philadelphia some 200-odd years
ago -- remains a stunning achievement.
Xinhua, by the way, is supported by the Chinese government.
So, Xinhua's bosses are UNLIKELY to bite the hand that
feeds them.
Still, I do not know as much about China; so I'm really
looking forward to my Chinese language classes :-)
oohi
ashu
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