Bernie Sanders Unveils Plan To Defend The News Media, Says Democracy Requires It

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

Sanders noted that much of that cash still exists, and as of this year, digital advertising outpaces both print and television ad revenue. But the money largely flows to Google and Facebook, who control about 60% of the digital advertising market.

(snip)

Were he to unseat Trump in the 2020 election, Sanders said he would issue an “immediate moratorium” on mergers of major media corporations and instead focus on protections for local, independent news outlets. The senator also said he would appoint an attorney general to oversee tech giants like Facebook and Google to stop efforts to “cannibalize, bilk, and defund news organizations.”

“Trump’s authoritarian bullying of the media is totally unacceptable and it must be denounced and rejected,” he wrote. “But let us be clear: that alone will not solve the journalism crisis. Moreover, a further expansion of oligarchic business models in the media industry could make matters worse.”

Sanders said he planned to further support initiatives to unionize newsrooms as well as pushing for a plan that could see employees buy their media outlets through a stock-ownership plan before the companies are sold.

(snip)

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-journalism-news-industry_n_5d64a535e4b0d2fa2daff30b

[crazytown]

1. This ought to be fun

[Year Zero]

2. Ok..

This is a good plan, but I think the direction is off. He shouldn't be focusing on protecting entities that are out to destroy him.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Bernie doesn't view a free press nor the First Amendment as

being "out to destroy him."

He does view monopolistic or oligarchic control of information and ad revenue as being anathema to a free press.

Welcome to D.U. Year Zero.

[LanternWaste]

4. Wow... that's pretty much a 180 of the narrative from as recently as last week.

'Bernie doesn't view a free press nor the First Amendment as being "out to destroy him."'

[Uncle Joe]

5. "Free press" and "oligarchic" are the keywords.

[gopiscrap]

9. welcome to DU

[George II]

6. Is this related to his assault on the news media he released yesterday (I believe you posted it)?

[Uncle Joe]

7. If you mean this thread, the one you obviously never read, the answer is yes,

George II (41,790 posts)

14. Is he going to repeal the First Amendment?


https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287255186

or perhaps you did read it and were just being deliberately obtuse?

[comradebillyboy]

8. This is just risable.

Bernie defends the right of the press to praise Bernie.