The Fight Against 'Big-News'

Still from The Young Turks, TYT Democratic Debate Night Coverage (c. 2016)

Do you have any pet causes or issues that you are truly passionate about? Do you ever wish that your local news, or the big media networks [CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc.] covered issues that you feel they are ignoring? I know I do. It's hard not to get hooked into the political narrative and bias that drives the corporate media. All the pretty people, the expensive sets, and big name guests are compelling; waiting for all those commercial breaks touting new pharmaceuticals, investment funds, big banks, big oil, and medical insurance annoy me no end. Is there anything out there that you can really turn to for factual stories and non-mainstream talking points? You bet there is, and it isn't all 'fake' news.

Fake news is the cause celeb of the moment, it's what happens when the mainstream media screws over it's viewers so routinely that they look elsewhere for both information and entertainment. In the information age, it is all too easy to get phished in by propaganda sites that seem to reflect a viewer's own agenda and opinions. Unfortunately these sources routinely and maliciously plants stories with no basis in fact or only a marginal association with reality. They are meant to appear as credible sources of news, but often offer up recycled urban legends and conspiracy theories.

The danger of these faux news sources cannot be understated. Recently, we saw a vigilante shooting outside a small neighborhood pizza restaurant. The act was inspired by a false rumor about a politically linked child molestation ring in the pizzeria's basement. After receiving a number of threats and much abusive behavior, the circulation of the 'Pizzagate' story went viral. Culminating in an armed man firing off a live round of ammunition in a misguided attempt to find justice, it was discovered there was no such basement at all. The fired bullet, which embedded in a nearby structure, narrowly missed patrons and pedestrians. This is a small scale example of the seriousness with which internet propaganda should be consumed, a larger operation was at play during the recent US Election.

TYT Politics reporter Jordan Chariton corners DNC Interim-Chair Donna Brazile. (c. 2016)

So where can you turn for reliable alternatives to 'Big-News'? The answer is independent journalism and small local operations that are free from corporate influence. If you see large private company advertisements, be wary. For example, if your favorite news source is funded by 'Big Pharma', you have to think critically about the medical stories they offer. How likely is it that a news anchor, and the organization he or she represents, would report a story about the cost of prescription medications if it would mean losing that commercial sponsor. If a news channel is owned by the same people that own McDonald's restaurant, how inclined might they be to report on the dangers of fast-food? Not very likely.

When media sources are funded at the grassroots with small donations from everyday consumers, free of corporate bondage, they are more likely to present important stories that matter to those viewers. What you then find is that the reporting is more responsive to the audience, fact finding becomes paramount, and commentary or discussion can vary from one presenter to the next. It is the viewership feedback, it's rise or fall, that puts journalists feet to the flames of truth. Without all the shiny new 'pop-news' tricks, it's much easier to see any biases and decide for yourself whether you will continue to patronize a provider of information content.

Friday Funny: Trump's "Unrelated Assertions"

Donald J. Trump speaks with Matt Lauer at the Commander-In-Chief Town Hall on NBC.

This brilliant 'Security Questions Asked' vs. 'Unrelated Assertions' tally and score is my favorite new video. This video deserves to go viral in the most important way. Donald J. Trump hangs himself with his own words by dancing around, never actually answering a question directly. He has the most obvious 'ADHD Thinker' presentation I have ever listened to. The more you listen, the more disturbing his inability to stay on topics becomes.

The video is part of The Young Turks Network of channels, this one is specifically from TYT Politics. In it's bleak simplicity, it shows how Donald can never stay on subject, never focus his answers, and just simply links subjects in a bizarrely tangential way. He actually never really firmly says anything, lies endlessly about how world conflicts of the past evolved, and seems to double-down on his exposed lies and assertions. According to Trump, all past and present military conflicts are the result of what he calls the 'Obama-Clinton' regime, completely ignoring VP Joe Biden or current Secretary of State John Kerry;

The official TYT Politics description of this video;

Donald Trump supporter and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who had been on the short list as Trump's running mate, thought he was doing his candidate a favor by letting him go on stream of consciousness rants rather than answer his questions about how he would deal with ISIS, Iran, Libya, Syria, and Iraq. But he might have given Trump a little too much rope for his own good.

Trump responded to 7 softball questions about U.S. foreign policy, terrorism, and the Middle East with 5 wafer-thin answers and 87 wildly unrelated assertions, according to a count by TYT Politics.

The audience cheered for answers like, "We have to solve it bigly and strongly," which was in response to the question, "What is your Iraq strategy as Commander in Chief?" As silly as that sounds, we scored it as an answer, rather than a non-answer because it does reveal what is going on in Trump's head when it comes to military affairs.

The Q and A spectacle was moderated by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who had been on the short list as Trump's running mate and spoke at the GOP convention. Incredibly, Flynn, who has had some experience in military affairs and foreign intelligence, responded to each rambling non-answer as if he had just heard something vaguely coherent. Although he did hover around the Middle East region with his questions, at one point asking the same question twice, hoping for at least one utterance that showed a basic grasp of U.S. foreign policy and national security interests.

We did not score the accuracy of Trump's statements, but we'd love it if our viewers could do that part!

The event took place on Sept. 6, 2016 at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach, VA, ostensibly as a tuneup for the Commander In Chief Forum on Sept. 7, 2016, the first time that Republican presidential nominee would appear on the same stage (albeit at different times) with his Democratic opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I am not certain who on the TYT Politics team, including Jordan Chariton, put this together, but it is the best example of the absurdity of a Donald J. Trump presidency. Well done TYT Network, always bringing a different perspective and a healthy dose of laughs. Remember, if you are able to become a member of The Young Turks, please consider it.

To start your membership, all you have to do is visit the The Young Turks online and join. You can become a part of the TYT Nation for just $10 US per month via PayPal, or less with a one-year plan. The Young Turks is a true fifth estate establishment; bloggers, journalists, hacktivists, and media outlets that operate outside of the mainstream media. TYT is your source for daily news, political coverage, human interest stories with witty analysis and diverse opinions. We need to support independent media both locally and abroad if we want real alternatives to the mainstream media propaganda machine.