MSNBC's Bashir Touts Murdoch's Power as Reason For Why Government Must Regulate Media Ownership
MSNBC's Martin Bashir argued on Wednesday's Morning Joe that the News of the World hacking scandal demonstrates why government should be allowed to regulate private ownership of media. "All of this reveals the fact that people like Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, talk about government getting out of the way, well this is what happened in this country. In 1968, Rupert Murdoch bought one newspaper, and government got out of the way. Then he bought a second, then he bought a third. "
Bashir warned against allowing the close ties between media and government that exist between Rupert Murdoch and British politicians. "Eventually people began to wake up to the fact that his power base in the country was bigger than anybody else's," said Bashir. Although Murdoch is highly influential, it is not as though he is without competition. Murdoch's other papers still have to compete with other major British national papers including The Guardian, The Financial Times, and The Daily Telegraph.
It is also odd for an MSNBC anchor to complain about media conglomeration. Bashir's network is itself part of the larger NBC-Universal company, which also operates CNBC and Telemundo. The company is currently owned by Comcast, which owns several operations in both television programming and interactive media. NBC is also part owned by General Electric, which also has interest in other media ventures. Bashir can also hardly get away with criticism close ties between the press and politicians. Joe Scarborough, on whose show Bashir was saying all of this, is a former politico who has now ventured into media, as are former political staffers and current MSNBC hosts Lawrence O'Donnell and Chris Matthews. It would thus also be interesting if Bashir would opine on his network's yanking of Mark Halperin after a phone call from the White House press office.
A transcript of Bashir's remarks, which aired at 7:21 on Wednesday's Morning Joe, follows below.
MSNBC
MORNING JOE
07/20/2011
7:21 am EDT
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Defiance on Cameron's part. And Ed Miliband leaned in with, I thought, some very damaging questions, a damaging line of questions. But then Cameron came back with a good bit of evidence that this is how business was done with Brown and Blair that the entire culture has been this way for some time. Explain British politics and the British press, and how intertwined it's been.
MARTIN BASHIR: Well, what you've just seen is an antagonistic interaction on both sides, but what it all reveals is the fact that Rupert Murdoch has actually corralled and controlled so many of these politicians that, so when Ed Milibanda throws certain criticisms at the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister is able to say "well Mr. Miliband of your 32 lunches with the media, 11 of them were with Mr. Murdoch and his company." All of this reveals the fact that people like Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, talk about government getting out of the way, well this is what happened in this country. In 1968, Rupert Murdoch bought one newspaper, and government got out of the way. Then he bought a second, then he bought a third. Within 25 years he owned four national newspapers. Then he established a satellite television company, and eventually people began to wake up to the fact that his power base in the country was bigger than anybody elses.
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Comments
Nothing new here.........
Submitted by Herbster on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 3:59pm.
What Bashir MEANT to say, was, "Government must regulate CERTAIN media ownerships." Wasn't there a fellow with a moustache in the 30's who held the same beliefs? Instead of the FCC to do his bidding, there was a chap named Goebbels.
We live in (Very) dangerous times.
You are correct....
Submitted by nonncom on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:08pm.
Ze Furor Obama would love to have that power....he could use comrade Bashir to do his bidding....
Maybe Bashir prefers BBC
Submitted by Galvanic on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:30pm.
Afterall, he's from the UK.
O/T Breaking: GOP passes Cut, Cap, & Balance Act
Submitted by jdhawk on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:17pm.
Breaking: GOP passes Cut, Cap, & Balance Act!
This is a significant milestone. Our conservative House representatives ought to be congratulated on the passage of this bill. If your representative vote affirmative for this bill, give him/her a call, e-mail or letter thanking them.
When you send your congratulations, send a copy to your two senators. Tell them that is what they should be doing and you will expect nothing less from them. If they can't get this done, you will work for their defeat upon the next election.
I think he is a "dick," too!
MSNBC is proof that the government should NEVER touch media
Submitted by Slyrr on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:19pm.
Ha! I would say BS-NBC is definitive PROOF that government should NOT control the media in any way, shape or form! Through GM/GE, Hussein Obama the man-child owns MSNBC - lock, stock and barrel. Each and every employee of MSNBC is nothing more than an Obama media whore. Obama signs their paychecks directly, which means that MSNBC whores itself to Obama, taking taxpayer money in exchange for favorable, slavish coverage of every story.
MSNBC is a government owned, government controlled, government manipulated media wing of the Democrat party and everyone knows it. MSNBC's stooges are nothing but hate-filled troglodytes who indulge in violent fantasies about murdering Republicans and raping conservative women. They're so inbred with government that you can see the webbed fingers and toes on every 'reporter' who works there.
MSNBC is the pus-filled wart which throbs visibly on the nose of the wicked witch that is today's media, oozing it's green slime down the media's face and spurting rancid chunks of raw hatred at the slightest touch.
It is proof positive of what happens to a 'media' organization when the government gets it's filthy claws into it. Proof that any media group that is allied to ANY political party should be destroyed forthwith and it's employees should be immediately fired without one more penny being stolen from the pockets of the American people.
The Line of Fools is Neverending
Submitted by FVF on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:33pm.
FROM THE DESK OF F. VENGENCE FLOOK:
I wrote this Monday night so it has lost some of its zip. Our liberal friends are worked into a frenzy HOPING this phone hacking scandal will bring down Rupert Murdock. (How many times did Brian Williams mention Rupert’s name in his last two “news” reports?) Let me tell you what this hubbub has caused me to do with my investments. I have, over the past few months, sold ALL of my stocks. I am assuming Obama will veto the Republicans’ final debt ceiling offer and will throw us into absolute financial crisis. Then I can buy stocks of good companies for very reasonable prices. But, this Murdoch deal may be an even better short-term opportunity. Someone said last night that News Corp’s (NWS) stock was down 30%. Let’s assume that is accurate. I’ll use make-believe numbers to so we can all do the math in our heads. NWS was selling for $10; now it is selling for $7. If I buy it at $7 and it goes back to $10, I have made 46%. ($3/$7) And, once Murdoch is cleared – as he will be – the stock will go back up and I will make my $46+%. Unless, of course, Obama has ruined the country. But, I’m a pig; I’ll wait for NWS to go even lower and make more than 50%. (WARNING, I AM NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR.)
Tues., PM – I watched Brian Williams again. I refuse to call what he does “news.” He spent even more time attacking Murdoch. Is Murdoch a conservative? Or do libs simply hate him because he owns FNC? And the attack on Murdoch’s wife!! No decent news person would have EVER done that! To what has America come?
Then the Michele Bachmann story regarding the migraines that will keep her from being president. Why try to hide the disgust you have for Rep. Bachmann, Brian? Why don’t you just say it the way you normally would when you are off the air, “When, Rep. Bachmann, did you stop hiring four swarthy guys to tie up your husband so you could force him to watch you have sex with those four swarthy guys”? (For those of you who did not notice, this is my variation of the “When did you stop beating your wife, Senator” story.)
And FNC and MRC meekly point out how awful the MSM has become. And conservatives sit around and complain about how awful it is.
Yours in truth,
F. VENGENCE FLOOK
Funny they don't complain about Soros
Submitted by Russian55 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:57pm.
It isn't that the media shouldn't be controlled by key individuals, it is WHO those individuals are.
I am certain that Obama would be fine with George Soros buying up networks,
How many people get their news from newspapers?
---
Those who beat their swords into plowshares will end up plowing for those who kept their swords in the first place!
Amend The First Amedment?
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 4:59pm.
Constitution? Constitution be damned, says infiltrator.
______________________________________________________________________________
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
Has this imported Muslim commie never heard of George Soros?
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 5:01pm.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Why doesn't "Bashir"
Submitted by MightyMouth on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 5:04pm.
(if that is indeed his REAL name) ever ask the question: who is supposed to regulate the Gooberments power? Got an answer for that one ...eh bashy??
Mary Bashturd is Just Sad
Submitted by Motormouth KOS on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 10:28pm.
That she can't follow Michael Jackson around anymore
The Obamination... A crisis leading to a catastrophe..(please donate to MRC)
A fusion of novels come to life
Submitted by Simplicity101 on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:02pm.
Reading the news these days is like reading a fusion between Atlas Shrugged and 1984.
These idiots really don't get it do they?
Hmmm, looks like Mika got
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 3:44am.
Hmmm, looks like Mika got more than a raise - Willy's stand in for "Way Too Early" is doing the "boring" news items, while Mika only does the "juicy" ones, like on Murdoch.
So it looks like she convinced them of her "value"
Ronald Reagan
Fascists just can't stop their authoritarian knees from jerking
Submitted by ChuckySchmucky on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 11:03am.
Isn't it funny how the left deemed media independence sacrosanct until Rupert Murdoch came along?
Question on WikiLeaks...
Submitted by MaximusBraveheart on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 11:46am.
How did the media treat WikiLeaks? That information was obtained at a more critical level of illegality to the level of treason it seems. What did you observe as I didn't really keep up on that much & don't recall specific media treatment? And are not all the Washington insider leaks technically illegal (or no, who has authority to release secret info)? Do they not participate & report on that action?
It is groupy media having virtual sex with the quite literal "god" of theirs. What they write & say is again their literal "offering" to the "great one."
-- Maximusbraveheart -- Is TRUTH knowable? Moral Relativism is the abandonment of Truth. Truth is knowable. Truth conforms to Reality. Reality is observable by evidence & witness in this day & from history. Relativism is Sesame Street play land.
Martin Basher, 1st amendment advocate
Submitted by donaldduck on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 2:21pm.
How shocking. A flaming progressive who wants the government to control the media, like the progs don't already have control over most of it. We ought to check back with that dingleberry in Jan.2013 when the GOP controls both Houses of Congress and THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
It's all about media ownership - and blackmail
Submitted by 1389 on Thu, 07/21/2011 - 3:15pm.
Murdoch and his news outlets are far from conservative – if anything, they’re pretty much centrist. But of course, that’s too much for the liberals to handle. MSNBC (represented by Bashir) is losing too much viewership to Fox News.
Another dimension of this story is that the pro-Muslim contingent (also represented by Bashir) will continue to make common cause with the hard left media and politicians, until they feel powerful enough to discard them.
There's much more to this story - including the unbelievably incestuous interlocking ownership of the big media companies, as well as the leftist hit squad being operated by Hillary Clinton and George Soros via Media Matters.
See:
Who owns the media - and what can we do?