I note the three networks are guilty of the same thing - carefully noting that the union wants 40%, but some of them don't show the union leader's mentioning that the bosses got a 40% raise. Why don't any of the news folks have a chart showing wages, cost of living, and bosses' salaries - for some real newsy education? It would be good to show what the gap between worker and boss used to be and what it is now.
Please remember that the WSJ is owned by NewsCorp, just like Fox. So... it's reporting has been more than suspect ever since it was bought out. Not that this doesn't mean that corporate media tends to side with capital instead of labor, just saying.
Always consider the source your media is really coming from - who owns it and which way do they lean? Sadly, much of the media today continue to be more interested in making money at the expense of real hard honest in depth journalism. Or they are worried about being "fair" to present both sides, to their and our detriment. Case in point, CNN now trying to have it both ways and NOT calling out pure worthless lying BS. 60 Minutes and Meet the Press "interview" of the liar - which was nothing more than the typical BS and steamrolling of the interviewer.
The challenge for the UAW is the marketing. If they cannot break through the corporate control of the media, including those considered to be liberal, they they will have to seek alternatives. They can start by getting on every social media aimed at every demographic.
The other minor but important factor is that the emphasis remains on monetary compensation. The UAW is letting the corporations drive the narrative and control the message. Instead, they should emphasize the CEOs packages and recent increases but give greater weight to what I have heard from workers in bits and pieces. The mandatory overtime, instead of the companies hiring more workers, is mind numbing for many and interferes with having a normal social and family life.
"He who controls the media controls the minds of the public." ~ Noam Chomsky
[There are a lot of Black Americans in the UAW workforce. They should appreciate the source of these two quotes.]
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." ~ Malcolm X
"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." ~ Malcolm X
As in today's News Analysis published by The New York Times: the article's title demonstrates your point, Jim. From the walkout, media reports lean on labor's responsibility. Taking this approach is a bias that implies that labor has the responsibility for negative consequences should their efforts fail to secure the benefits they truly deserve.
"Strike Is a High-Stakes Gamble for Autoworkers and the Labor Movement: Experts on unions and the industry said the U.A.W. strike could accelerate a wave of worker actions, or stifle labor’s recent momentum."
Today's Op-ed in the Wash Post has Catherine Rampell headline "The UAW might be demanding too big a slice". So many assertions made without back up of what is really happening. 40% is over 4 years which is 10% a year and not the 40% given to CEOs for one year. Also not discussed is the wage gap between top management and rank and file. Let's see a chart that show how that has widened over the last 10 to 20 years. When management cries poverty, bankruptcy, shutting down the company if they were to meet the union demands is an indicator of bad management and NOT overpaying their employees.
This strike is about more than auto workers geting a pay raise. I have lived in the middle of car manufacturing companies, and I know what a difference decent pay and retirement benefits can make. This strike is about whether the middle class survives. If you study history the atmosphere that we have now is similar to the Lords and the serfs. The serfs worked very hard but never got ahead because all the money went to the Lords. Mr. Fain is brave leader.
My comment to Dan Rather on his Sept. 14th Substack is applicable here. Too bad no copy/paste is allowed. Rather posed the ?"should Joe Biden run?". The way his age is batted around by the corporate media is exactly as twisted as this WSJ key words are. You also see it in most newspaper headlines. The power and "truth" of the message is controled by the choice of words. Why do we we see photos of "villagers" in some foriegn country during a disaster, but no villagers live in Malibu when the fires rage through. The denigration of the "other" is as important as the event, in sevice to the powers that be. The Real news is what these "non partisn " journals leave out. Like all the accomplishments of the Biden administration because there is no draw to good news. Ad rates are set by viewership, whitch is driven by blood and gore disaster of all kinds. Good news if hard to sell when selling is the driving force that corporate media needs for ROI for shareholders.
I could blather on....
Keep up the great work Jim. Like I told you, I've been a Lowdowner since it's paper and slowmail beginnings.
I was about to write the same as Bill Rising. Murdoch is junk, as is his paper. There's no question that executive pay is totally out of line with reality and proportion to worker's compensation. And media bias has been around forever. I've almost stopped reading the daily Press because it has no balance and is
I like that your readers “get it”. We all have our biases that is a part of being human. But being aware of what they are is the first step in being more objective. The media is a human institution and therefore subject to biases just as individuals are. But let’s be honest with ourselves which means
being aware and up front in our biases as a first step. How do make the employees of newspapers or any other means of communication to the public admit to the fact they are expressing the biases of the guys who are signing their paychecks. Where does one go for objectivity and transparency to both sides of a story? That is the question?
I note the three networks are guilty of the same thing - carefully noting that the union wants 40%, but some of them don't show the union leader's mentioning that the bosses got a 40% raise. Why don't any of the news folks have a chart showing wages, cost of living, and bosses' salaries - for some real newsy education? It would be good to show what the gap between worker and boss used to be and what it is now.
Good idea.
Please remember that the WSJ is owned by NewsCorp, just like Fox. So... it's reporting has been more than suspect ever since it was bought out. Not that this doesn't mean that corporate media tends to side with capital instead of labor, just saying.
Always consider the source your media is really coming from - who owns it and which way do they lean? Sadly, much of the media today continue to be more interested in making money at the expense of real hard honest in depth journalism. Or they are worried about being "fair" to present both sides, to their and our detriment. Case in point, CNN now trying to have it both ways and NOT calling out pure worthless lying BS. 60 Minutes and Meet the Press "interview" of the liar - which was nothing more than the typical BS and steamrolling of the interviewer.
The challenge for the UAW is the marketing. If they cannot break through the corporate control of the media, including those considered to be liberal, they they will have to seek alternatives. They can start by getting on every social media aimed at every demographic.
The other minor but important factor is that the emphasis remains on monetary compensation. The UAW is letting the corporations drive the narrative and control the message. Instead, they should emphasize the CEOs packages and recent increases but give greater weight to what I have heard from workers in bits and pieces. The mandatory overtime, instead of the companies hiring more workers, is mind numbing for many and interferes with having a normal social and family life.
"He who controls the media controls the minds of the public." ~ Noam Chomsky
[There are a lot of Black Americans in the UAW workforce. They should appreciate the source of these two quotes.]
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." ~ Malcolm X
"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses." ~ Malcolm X
And fill the minds with Propaganda.
As in today's News Analysis published by The New York Times: the article's title demonstrates your point, Jim. From the walkout, media reports lean on labor's responsibility. Taking this approach is a bias that implies that labor has the responsibility for negative consequences should their efforts fail to secure the benefits they truly deserve.
"Strike Is a High-Stakes Gamble for Autoworkers and the Labor Movement: Experts on unions and the industry said the U.A.W. strike could accelerate a wave of worker actions, or stifle labor’s recent momentum."
Aaghhhhhhhh!
WSJ's target audience and hence its "reporting" isn't hidden. It is explicitly shown by the first two words of its name😒
Today's Op-ed in the Wash Post has Catherine Rampell headline "The UAW might be demanding too big a slice". So many assertions made without back up of what is really happening. 40% is over 4 years which is 10% a year and not the 40% given to CEOs for one year. Also not discussed is the wage gap between top management and rank and file. Let's see a chart that show how that has widened over the last 10 to 20 years. When management cries poverty, bankruptcy, shutting down the company if they were to meet the union demands is an indicator of bad management and NOT overpaying their employees.
This strike is about more than auto workers geting a pay raise. I have lived in the middle of car manufacturing companies, and I know what a difference decent pay and retirement benefits can make. This strike is about whether the middle class survives. If you study history the atmosphere that we have now is similar to the Lords and the serfs. The serfs worked very hard but never got ahead because all the money went to the Lords. Mr. Fain is brave leader.
The "anonymous" dialog you quote is from a Fred Wright cartoon. You can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/SolidarityUS/photos/a.363759107324/10152676243687325/?type=3
Journalistic ethics went out the window when mainstream media became mainstream media.
My comment to Dan Rather on his Sept. 14th Substack is applicable here. Too bad no copy/paste is allowed. Rather posed the ?"should Joe Biden run?". The way his age is batted around by the corporate media is exactly as twisted as this WSJ key words are. You also see it in most newspaper headlines. The power and "truth" of the message is controled by the choice of words. Why do we we see photos of "villagers" in some foriegn country during a disaster, but no villagers live in Malibu when the fires rage through. The denigration of the "other" is as important as the event, in sevice to the powers that be. The Real news is what these "non partisn " journals leave out. Like all the accomplishments of the Biden administration because there is no draw to good news. Ad rates are set by viewership, whitch is driven by blood and gore disaster of all kinds. Good news if hard to sell when selling is the driving force that corporate media needs for ROI for shareholders.
I could blather on....
Keep up the great work Jim. Like I told you, I've been a Lowdowner since it's paper and slowmail beginnings.
High on Hightower!
RIGHT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
For additional context, the GM CEO's salary is 745 times that of an entry-level worker or 435 times the highest paid autoworker.
I was about to write the same as Bill Rising. Murdoch is junk, as is his paper. There's no question that executive pay is totally out of line with reality and proportion to worker's compensation. And media bias has been around forever. I've almost stopped reading the daily Press because it has no balance and is
frequently hysterical.
I like that your readers “get it”. We all have our biases that is a part of being human. But being aware of what they are is the first step in being more objective. The media is a human institution and therefore subject to biases just as individuals are. But let’s be honest with ourselves which means
being aware and up front in our biases as a first step. How do make the employees of newspapers or any other means of communication to the public admit to the fact they are expressing the biases of the guys who are signing their paychecks. Where does one go for objectivity and transparency to both sides of a story? That is the question?