Twitter should create a “deep state-affiliated media” category.
I listen to NPR daily, but they’re totally full of it here. NPR never criticizes the US. They are happy to run critical coverage of domestic politics, but when it comes to foreign policy and imperialist aggression? Nothing but cheering, whitewashing, or crickets.
Caitlin Johnstone makes a good point here:
[T]he problem with the “state-affiliated media” label hasn’t so much been that it exists, but that it will always be unevenly applied. The label gets pinned to outlets like RT and China Daily while left off of known US propaganda outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and Voice of America. This designation is also nowhere to be seen on other outlets which receive a far greater share of their funding from the state than NPR does, like the UK’s BBC, Australia’s ABC, Canada’s CBC, and the Saudi Press Agency.
There is no valid reason why NPR should carry the label of “state-affiliated media” while those outlets I just listed should not. So while NPR is unquestionably state-affiliated, the fact that it is the sole anomaly in Twitter’s otherwise consistent policy of pro-US, pro-western bias is a pretty clear sign that this designation did not come about because of an interest in truth or facts.
Does Caitlin argue against the blue check mark? Because everything that exists is unevenly applied. Perfect equality or equity is not possible. I would agree with the argument if he was arguing that the BBC and others should also be given the label. I am not as big a robber as my neighbor is not a great defense in my book. As far as I am concerned the label they should put on all “news” sites is a few things:
- Who owns this media outlet.
- A measure of bias. Something like what John W commented on about measuring the political position of Chat AI
As a side note or tangent. I think political ads should be obligated to clearly state who is funding the ad. Not “Those For the American Dream” or whatever. Something like the names of the top 10 or so contributors. By names I mean an individual and their State of residence. If they have to dig through multiple organizations to get to the individual, even better.
All signs indicate nearness to target. Tough beans.