Corporate media, as Mr. Bernie Sanders implies, is rooted in commercialism not civics, and he’s right.

—

The more I hear Mr. Bernie Sanders speak, the more I find common ground with his points of view.

The last time I authored a post about the Vermont socialist, who orates like an activist, I reviewed his racial justice policy paper, which has, in my opinion, set a standard in the presidential race.

My focus in the present, however, will be on Mr. Sanders’ frustration with corporate media, which he and others believe are not taking him or the campaign seriously.

Controversial sound-bites in which a candidate is attacked are what the mainstream media wants, Mr. Sanders suggested. Intellectual dialogue and discourse is what he would prefer, his attitude alluded.

It’s the saddest reality, but, in the world of media, the former is often expected to trump the latter, because that’s what attracts eyeballs and serves as a catalyst for advertiser’s interest.

To be fair, fault rest equally on the shoulders of media makers and consumers. It is, in most cases, the market, their demands and consumption behavior that drives what seen on television; read in print; displayed across big and small screens and pumped into our ears.

But even with that truth remaining, there could be a greater level of civic conviction among news directors and editors – two of the most influential positions within a news organization – to ensure their platforms are populated with content-rich stories that articulate the systemic nature of the subject matter being covered, while providing viewpoint diversity regarding solutions and mitigation.

Don’t like ads? Become a supporter and enjoy The Good Men Project ad free

So, while Mr. Sanders’ frustration with the Fourth Estate – which centers around their persistent ask of him to criticize Ms. Hillary Clinton – is valid, the plight goes beyond their insatiable appetite for drama, which leaves little room for substance, and extends into a space much more problematic: corporate media acting as the public relations arm for government, only releasing the information the bureaucracy wants public or quoted.

This is happening because the powers that be within government can promise hot leads on bloody stories if mainstream journalists remain, in a word, docile.

This impact of mass media not marketing the most important issues to the public has diminished voter participation among a key demographic.

Millennials don’t vote in local elections, reported the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, America’s largest journalism funder, particularly because they don’t feel that the media provides them enough information to tread to the polls confidently.

Here, in Philadelphia, the General election – in which voters will select a Mayor and vote for Judge Retention, among other positions – takes place in November, yet, to-date, the corporate media hasn’t marketed a single piece of information regarding judicial candidates and their records, nor have they produced or promoted a debate between the two mayoral candidates.

And at the height of the primary election, which was two months after the Department of Justice released an unflattering report of Philadelphia Police Department, no corporate media organization held a single-issue forum relating to aforementioned, leaving my news and event company, Techbook Online, and the Declaration, an online, alternative Philadelphia news source, to pick up the slack and produce #TransparencyNow: The Philadelphia Mayoral Forum on Police and Criminal Justice Reform.

The corporate media, as Mr. Sanders implies, is rooted in commercialism, not civics, and he’s right.

* Tune into 900amWURD or 900amWURD.com every Friday evening during the 6 o’clock hour to hear me relive #TheWeekThatWas*

Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™

—

Photo: Getty Images