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Bourgeois media: Difference between revisions

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'''Bourgeois media''' is means of communication that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] class.<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Lenin]]|year=1917|title=Draft Resolution On Freedom Of The Press|chapter=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/nov/04.htm|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref> Bourgeois media can be either state-owned, such as [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|UK]]'s [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] or [[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]]'s [[Al Jazeera]], or for-profit media, such as [[Cable News Network|CNN]]. In common political discourse, the term "corporate media" is also used to specifically refer to means of communication controlled by for-profit corporations promoting their own interests.<ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/08/17/corporate-media-the-enemy-of-the-people/ Corporate Media: the Enemy of the People] by Paul Street on [[CounterPunch]] on Aug 17, 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/09/22/after-20-years-of-failed-war-corporate-media-stills-give-wars-of-empire-a-pass/ After 20 Years of Failed War, Corporate Media Still Give Wars of Empire a Pass] by Robin Andersen on [[CounterPunch]]</ref>
 
Bourgeois media is media that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the ruling class (the [[bourgeoisie]]).<ref>{{Citation|author=[[Lenin]]|year=1917|title=Draft Resolution On Freedom Of The Press|chapter=|page=|quote=|pdf=|city=|publisher=|isbn=|doi=|lg=|mia=https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/nov/04.htm|title-url=|chapter-url=|trans-title=|trans-lang=}}</ref>
 
A prime example is how in the United States, 6 corporations control 90% of all of broadcast media, which is referred to as the [[corporate media]].<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Nickie Lousie|date=2020-09-18|title=These 6 corporations control 90% of the media outlets in America. The illusion of choice and objectivity|url=https://techstartups.com/2020/09/18/6-corporations-control-90-media-america-illusion-choice-objectivity-2020/|newspaper=techstartups.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> Individual billionaires also bankroll their own propaganda outlets, ranging from liberal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] like Bill Gates<ref>{{News citation|journalist=[[Alan Macleod]]|date=2021-11-15|title=Revealed: Documents Show Bill Gates Has Given $319 Million to Media Outlets|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/documents-show-bill-gates-has-given-319-million-to-media-outlets/278943/|newspaper=[[Mintpress News]]|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> to right-wing oil billionaires behind the [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] PragerU.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Claire Goforth|date=2019-10-25|title=PragerU is conservatism for the youths—brought to you by old billionaires|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/prager-u-benefactors-dan-wilks-sheldon-adelson/|newspaper=|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=Right-Wing Views for Generation Z, Five Minutes at a Time|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html|newspaper=|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> Additionally, the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos (the owner of Amazon), owns and controls the Washington Post in order to promote his own financial interests.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=[[Alan Macleod]]|date=2021-06-18|title=With Bezos at the Helm, Democracy Dies at the Washington Post Editorial Board|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/jeff-bezos-at-helm-democracy-dies-at-washington-post-editorial-board/277738/|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203143509/https://www.mintpressnews.com/jeff-bezos-at-helm-democracy-dies-at-washington-post-editorial-board/277738/|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref>


In the [[United States of America|United States]], 6 corporations control 90% of all of broadcast media, which is referred to as the [[corporate media]].<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Nickie Lousie|date=2020-09-18|title=These 6 corporations control 90% of the media outlets in America. The illusion of choice and objectivity|url=https://techstartups.com/2020/09/18/6-corporations-control-90-media-america-illusion-choice-objectivity-2020/|newspaper=techstartups.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> Individual billionaires also bankroll their own propaganda outlets, ranging from liberal [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] like Bill Gates<ref>{{News citation|journalist=[[Alan Macleod]]|date=2021-11-15|title=Revealed: Documents Show Bill Gates Has Given $319 Million to Media Outlets|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/documents-show-bill-gates-has-given-319-million-to-media-outlets/278943/|newspaper=[[Mintpress News]]|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> to right-wing oil billionaires behind the [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] PragerU.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=Claire Goforth|date=2019-10-25|title=PragerU is conservatism for the youths—brought to you by old billionaires|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/prager-u-benefactors-dan-wilks-sheldon-adelson/|newspaper=|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|journalist=|date=|title=Right-Wing Views for Generation Z, Five Minutes at a Time|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/dennis-prager-university.html|newspaper=|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref> Additionally, one of the richest individuals in the world, [[Jeff Bezos]] (the owner of [[Amazon.com, Inc.|Amazon]]), owns and controls the [[The Washington Post|Washington Post]] in order to promote his own financial interests.<ref>{{News citation|journalist=[[Alan Macleod]]|date=2021-06-18|title=With Bezos at the Helm, Democracy Dies at the Washington Post Editorial Board|url=https://www.mintpressnews.com/jeff-bezos-at-helm-democracy-dies-at-washington-post-editorial-board/277738/|newspaper=[[MintPress News]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203143509/https://www.mintpressnews.com/jeff-bezos-at-helm-democracy-dies-at-washington-post-editorial-board/277738/|archive-date=|retrieved=}}</ref>
==Support for war==
As US General Smedly Butler said, [[Library:War is a racket|war is a racket]]. The corporations that own the media are usually the beneficiaries of this racket, either directly through investments, or indirectly through the economic activity as a result of imperialist war.<ref>[https://miscellanynews.org/2021/05/13/opinions/the-improper-meshing-of-the-corporate-media-and-the-military-industrial-complex/ The (im)proper meshing of the corporate media and the military-industrial complex]</ref><ref>[https://www.huffpost.com/entry/push-for-war-highlights-need-for-independent-media_b_58ee8b0ce4b04cae050dc423 Push for War Highlights Need for Independent Media]</ref><ref>[https://truthout.org/articles/corporate-media-are-erasing-uss-long-term-culpability-for-afghanistan-war/ Corporate Media Are Erasing US’s Long-Term Culpability for Afghanistan War] on [[TruthOut]]</ref>
==Attacks against progressive candidates==
Despite the fact that many "progressives" are merely social-democrats who do not challenge the [[Capitalism|capitalist]] system, they're still attacked by the corporate media for threatening the reign of corporations over society, no matter how mild their reforms.<ref>[https://politicsdoneright.com/2019/11/corporate-media-progressive-candidates/ Corporate media attacks Progressive candidates after Democratic Debate]</ref><ref>[https://btlonline.org/bias-against-progressive-candidates-evident-in-corporate-media-coverage-of-democratic-primary/ Bias Against Progressive Candidates Evident in Corporate Media Coverage of Democratic Primary]</ref><ref>[https://truthout.org/articles/the-people-vs-the-democratic-establishment-the-coming-attack-on-progressive-candidates/ The People vs. the Democratic Establishment: The Coming Attack on Progressive Candidates]</ref>
== References ==
== References ==
[[Category:Capitalist progaganda]]
[[Category:Capitalist progaganda]]
<references />
[[Category:Bourgeois media]]

Revision as of 19:53, 2 January 2022

Bourgeois media is means of communication that is owned, controlled, or otherwise serves the interests of the bourgeois class.[1] Bourgeois media can be either state-owned, such as UK's BBC or Saudi Arabia's Al Jazeera, or for-profit media, such as CNN. In common political discourse, the term "corporate media" is also used to specifically refer to means of communication controlled by for-profit corporations promoting their own interests.[2][3]

In the United States, 6 corporations control 90% of all of broadcast media, which is referred to as the corporate media.[4] Individual billionaires also bankroll their own propaganda outlets, ranging from liberal Democrats like Bill Gates[5] to right-wing oil billionaires behind the anti-communist PragerU.[6][7] Additionally, one of the richest individuals in the world, Jeff Bezos (the owner of Amazon), owns and controls the Washington Post in order to promote his own financial interests.[8]

Support for war

As US General Smedly Butler said, war is a racket. The corporations that own the media are usually the beneficiaries of this racket, either directly through investments, or indirectly through the economic activity as a result of imperialist war.[9][10][11]

Attacks against progressive candidates

Despite the fact that many "progressives" are merely social-democrats who do not challenge the capitalist system, they're still attacked by the corporate media for threatening the reign of corporations over society, no matter how mild their reforms.[12][13][14]

References