Orwell rolls in his grave [videorecording] / Sag Harbor-Basement Pictures presents ; a Sky Island Films release ; in association with Magic Lamp ; a film by Robert Kane Pappas ; written, directed, filmed and edited by Robert Kane Pappas ; produced by Miriam Foley.
Danny Schecter, Mark Crispin Miller, Charles Lewis, Robert W. McChesney, Mark Lloyd, Michael Moore, Bernie Sanders, Aurora Wallace, Greg Palast, Jim Ryan, Joe Klines, Vincent Bugliosi, Jeff Cohen, Jeff Chester, John Nichols. Originally produced as an American documentary in 2004. Special features: Additional interviews (72 min.). New DVD -- May -- 2013
Contents:
Credits and introduction -- Problem of the media -- Economic stagnation -- Public psychology -- News methodology -- Greg Palast, BBC -- Media lobby -- Media's response -- Corporate media -- Media deregulation -- Conflict of interest -- Corporate power -- Rep. Sanders -- George W. Bush -- Ignoring major scandals -- October surprise -- Ideological warfare -- 2000 election -- Ties that bind -- 1996 Telecommunications Act -- Internet -- Bottom line news -- Pundits -- Orwellian language -- Florida revisited -- White House critics -- Fox and GE -- Liberal bias -- NORC -- Exit polls -- Permanent war -- It's all PR -- FCC hearings -- What can be done -- Epilogue.
Summary:
"They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality. . .and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening." So wrote George Orwell in his novel "1984" a striking similarity to the current state of civic cluelessness. "1984" is no longer a date in the future. This documentary points out that today in America, media outlets are owned by five or six corporations, and the likes of Rupert Murdoch, GE, Sony, and the Disney Corporation are beholden to nothing but the bottom line. The seeming multiplicity of choices belies the actual concentration and vertical integration of the media in the hands of a few super-rich individuals. This film avers that a media monopoly is fatal to a democratic society, and raises several questions about this state of affairs: How is news reporting affected? How much influence do media lobbyists have over federal communication policies? Most frighteningly, do the corporate media reflect public opinion or create it? Brings together an ex-"60-Minutes" producer, a United States congressman, as well as some of the country's leading intellectual voices on the media to examine the mix of business, politics and idealogy that is the modern mainstream media. From the very size of the media monopolies and how they got that way to who decides what gets on the air and what doesn't, this film moves through a troubling list of questions and news stories that go unanswered and unreported in the media. Does the corporate media reflect public opinion or create it?
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.