On January 26, serving as a guest on Fox News, TV talk show host Montel Williams bashed all the media outlets and Fox News for all the attention on a single death previously in the week rather than the continuously mounting deaths in Iraq.
Heath Ledger had passed away on the 22 of January and as Montel Williams was introduced onto the show, the commentators for Fox where discussing this tragedy. Upon Williams introduction he was asked to express his feeling on the actor's passing. After briefly sending out his condolences to the family he went on a 3 minute tangent bashing the networks lack of coverage on the 28 deaths that have occurred in Iraq since January 1 and more on the untimely death of a young actor.
One of the hosts cut Mr. Williams off to break for a commercial, stating "We will have more with Montel in just a moment." Following the break, Williams was no where to be found on the set and four days later he was cut from his job as host of "The Montel Williams Show" after 17 years. Fox had decided sealed the deal for Montel and his show when they opted not to renew for the 2008-2009 season.
Williams may have known this before airing his distaste for the collective media outlets in America or maybe the comments pushed him out the door. What ever the case Montel Williams has done something that I have seen very few celebrities and even fewer TV personalities do, voice thier disgust for all the mindless media coverage in America when we have soldiers dying for the democracy we enjoy every day.
Williams had served in the the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy for 22 years, reaching the level of Lieutenant and serving on the USS Sampson during the U.S. invasion of Grenada. Williams should be respected and feel proud for what he said backing this nations soldiers while most the media wants to cover mindless incidents involving the ridiculously rich young stars of America and not the selfless hearts of America fighting in the trenches.
YouTube Video: Montel turns the tables on a Fox Morning Television show
Montel Williams Loses Job after Defending Troops on Fox News
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Out of the Kitchen and Into the Newsroom
Big news continues to pour out of the Middle East with freedoms for women, thought absurd 10 years ago, as women are pushing their way into the newsrooms and given the respect a true journalist deserves.
Sabria Jawhar, a female journalist from the Saudi Gazette, who wears a veil reveling only her eyes, was allowed into a Saudi Foreign press conference and given the honors by the minister to not only speak but asked the first and last questions during the conference. Along with women being allowed, at the Um al-Qora public university, to begin taking media and international relations courses, winds of change seem to abroad for women journalists in Saudi Arabia.
There are many problems still surrounding females in news reporting in Saudi Arabia, such as being advised to write using pseudonyms or not being allowed into editing rooms, this shows major progress into women's rights in the Middle East.
With a group of recommendations being given to better describe what the women's career ladder looks like in journalism, removing obstacles preventing women from being in journalism, and putting laws in place to better protect Saudi women, it is beginning to look like Americanization is starting to take off even in these, thought to be lost of all hope, Middle Eastern countries.
For women to begin receiving these privileges in Saudi Arabia that women in America have been granted for decades, great strides have been made and are still being made for Saudi women and hopefully that can catch on and women will be given their due respects that should be granted for hard work and dedication and they won't have to follow five steps behind their husbands anymore.
Saudi Women Journalists Are Coming Out Of The Closet
Sabria Jawhar, a female journalist from the Saudi Gazette, who wears a veil reveling only her eyes, was allowed into a Saudi Foreign press conference and given the honors by the minister to not only speak but asked the first and last questions during the conference. Along with women being allowed, at the Um al-Qora public university, to begin taking media and international relations courses, winds of change seem to abroad for women journalists in Saudi Arabia.
There are many problems still surrounding females in news reporting in Saudi Arabia, such as being advised to write using pseudonyms or not being allowed into editing rooms, this shows major progress into women's rights in the Middle East.
With a group of recommendations being given to better describe what the women's career ladder looks like in journalism, removing obstacles preventing women from being in journalism, and putting laws in place to better protect Saudi women, it is beginning to look like Americanization is starting to take off even in these, thought to be lost of all hope, Middle Eastern countries.
For women to begin receiving these privileges in Saudi Arabia that women in America have been granted for decades, great strides have been made and are still being made for Saudi women and hopefully that can catch on and women will be given their due respects that should be granted for hard work and dedication and they won't have to follow five steps behind their husbands anymore.
Saudi Women Journalists Are Coming Out Of The Closet
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mainstream America vs. Corporate Media
Time Warner, Disney, Bertelsmann, Viacom and Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp. are the five media giants who control what American's see daily on there news reports and controls most of what the globe sees when it tunes into the news.
The Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) organization has stated that our nations "Mainstream Media" is a far cry from what "Mainstream America" feels and believes. In fact they have even dubbed our media friends (found far to the right) as "Corporate Media."
While a Republican congress of the 1920's enacted the Fairness Doctrine for clean, middle of the road reporting, allowing for the American public be able to generate their own opinions, today's "Corporate Media" will only show us what they want us to know and then inform us or persuade us with one-sided reporting to believe a certain way about an issue.
Thankfully with websites just like this one, Blogger.com, a new media outlet has been created to allow for individuals or smaller organizations to get there voice heard without buying up seven television stations, building theme parks around the world or publishing books to generate more revenue to dominate globally.
While the "War on Terrorism" is pushing so tirelessly forward and Global Warming tugs on the heart strings of so many Americans, I turn on my TV in the morning to a aerial shot of Britney Spears house after she gets sent to rehab or I open up the paper and read about Barron Hilton, Paris' younger brother, not having a drivers license, maybe Thomas Jefferson's "eternal vigilance" will live on through the internet to help true middle of the road, Mainstream Media persevere.
There's Nothing Mainstream About the Corporate Media
The Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) organization has stated that our nations "Mainstream Media" is a far cry from what "Mainstream America" feels and believes. In fact they have even dubbed our media friends (found far to the right) as "Corporate Media."
While a Republican congress of the 1920's enacted the Fairness Doctrine for clean, middle of the road reporting, allowing for the American public be able to generate their own opinions, today's "Corporate Media" will only show us what they want us to know and then inform us or persuade us with one-sided reporting to believe a certain way about an issue.
Thankfully with websites just like this one, Blogger.com, a new media outlet has been created to allow for individuals or smaller organizations to get there voice heard without buying up seven television stations, building theme parks around the world or publishing books to generate more revenue to dominate globally.
While the "War on Terrorism" is pushing so tirelessly forward and Global Warming tugs on the heart strings of so many Americans, I turn on my TV in the morning to a aerial shot of Britney Spears house after she gets sent to rehab or I open up the paper and read about Barron Hilton, Paris' younger brother, not having a drivers license, maybe Thomas Jefferson's "eternal vigilance" will live on through the internet to help true middle of the road, Mainstream Media persevere.
There's Nothing Mainstream About the Corporate Media
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Freedom of Press Not for Everyone
Since the US's invasion of Iraq in 2003, 174 journalists and media support staffers have been executed, with one journalist sitting on death row in Iran.
In the Arab nations of Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Yemen among others the freedom to write what you feel or bring up certain issues or policies worth question can get you incarcerated, tortured or killed.
There are periodic, unexpected crackdowns throughout the media outlets in the Middle East that prevent news worthy topics making it to the general population. While there are several independent media outlets in the Middle East, many succumb to self-censorship for fear of being a target by the political leaders of their respective countries.
With Iran ranking fourth in 2007 for arresting journalist, Iraq remains the most dangerous place to be reporting the news for the fifth year straight, and Israel has been known to use tear gas and stun-grenades to subdue editors and reporters.
While we in America may moan and groan that some issues do not make it to the national stage to become issues that we may attempt to change, journalists in Egypt can not question the health of 79 year-old president Hosni Mubarak with out backlash, as one journalist faces charges for even raising concern of the issue.
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