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April 23, 2009
Pakistan
The U.S. has a predominently commercially-driven "news" media, which serves up multiple channels of 24-hour talk, talk, talk . . . and often misinforms Americans.
This strange, tragic and dangerous system, is how the most powerful nation on earth conducts its national dialog. U.S. news is based almost entirely upon "market" forces. And it's apparently more profitable for the news corporations to trivialize, manipulate and misinform, than it is for them to provide thoughtful, enlightening programming.
In Britain and in Europe these "market forces" don't pervert the presentation of information nearly as much. For instance the BBC is publically-funded competitor to Britain's commercial news corporations. The BBC is not trying to make a profit for shareholders. It concentrates solely on educating and informing. KIW speculates that this small investment (financed by a $200 annual fee collected from each household), raises the level of the national dialog in Britain - even among the commercial news outlets.
Programing like spring 2009's The Taliban Generation - documenting what is currently happening inside Pakistan is one example of BBC programming . . . while U.S. viewers are saturated with shallow foolishness like Hardball and The O'Reilly Factor.
The reporter who brings us this documentary clearly risked her life to do so. Sadly, KIW's media watchdogs state that very little of what is presented to U.S. viewers by our commercial news corporations these days even approaches this level of journalism.
"Education is like a ray of light and I want that light" says one little girl, to reporter Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy during this 48 minute report.
Pakistan's Taliban Generation; BBC Channel 4; 16 March, 2009
watch this episode in a pop-up window
Posted by williamfrick at 1:17 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2009
oh . . . . the artisticness
What makes good art?
Some combining of beauty and truth (?)
Maybe some art emphasizes truth . . . while other art dwells more on beauty.
Whatever . . . and we are not sure what this guy's art is all about. But Mr. Jonathan Mann's song strikes a chord with KIW's vast worldwide staff.
We think it's well worth 2 minutes and sixteen seconds . . .
Posted by williamfrick at 7:19 PM | Comments (0)