RANT: YOU ARE DEAD TO ME, MSM.

 

I THOUGHT I WOULD LIST a few websites/news sites, bloggers and vloggers that I read, listen to, and watch, that have helped me over the years to broaden my perspective and provide me with news and commentary that I otherwise would not have been exposed to from mainstream media (MSM) outlets, print and otherwise. One of the main culprits in the wasteland of today’s media reporting is a lack of diversity from news outlets—not the DEI (“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion”) type—but diverse opinions and perspectives, and importantly, investigative reporting that challenges our government and corporate elites. And in doing so provides the public with information by which it can make informed decisions.

TODAY, corporations increasingly consolidate media outlets (print, TV, radio, online, social media), into ever-larger corporate structures. Newspaper chains grow, placing local and regional print media into fewer and fewer hands. As a result, local reporting languishes, newspapers shutter their doors, layoff staff, and much editorial and news content is curated at a distant head office and syndicated throughout the chain’s outlets. In the United States only six corporations control 90% of the media. Is it any wonder that news reporting, not to mention entertainment productions, are as homogeneous as a bucket of warm lard, and just as interesting. Is it any wonder that you can channel surf, if you still watch MSM on cable TV, and hear and see the same tired headlines and “News Flashes”, sitcoms and dramas from one station to the next? 

IN NEWS REPORTING, diversity, and even truth, dies in the hands of corporations and their billionaire overlords. News and information are disseminated to the public in a way that promotes corporate interests, usually at the public’s expense. Social media can have similar deficits when it comes to honest and timely reporting and investigative journalism. In recent years, tech giants Facebook, X and Google have been criticized for censoring alternative news outlets that are not beholding to corporate interests, and that offer challenging perspectives to mainstream opinion. X (Twitter) has improved under Elon Musk’s ownership, but it has a ways to go, as de-platforming and “shadow-banning” of content providers* who are dis-favoured by internal X censors or government poo-bahs continues to some extent, though not as much as Meta (Facebook). They have also been criticized by government and pro-censorship groups for not censoring enough. Point is, there is a struggle between freedom of speech advocates and those who would dole out curated narratives in support of this or that elite interest. With the increase, globally, in the number of new “Hate Speech” laws and other censorial initiatives being put in place to constrain alternative viewpoints via the internet and on social media platforms—even to point of threatening peaceful public protestors¹ with serious jail time, as is the case in Britain—all these suggest the fight is far from over. I call it the ‘Global Information War’. And the rush by authorities and censorship advocates to limit the public’s access to multiple viewpoints and sources of information will define how free our societies will be, going forward.

 

👉FUN FACTS: In Canada, (57%) of the population says the consolidation of media – such as the 2023 proposed merger of media giants Torstar and Postmedia (which did not go through in the end) should be discouraged so that “there is more competition in news coverage in Canada”. In 1911, there were 143 daily newspapers in Canada; today there are 76. In 1990 17.5% of daily newspapers were independently owned. By 2017, that number fell to 6%.

 

“In 2023, the majority of Canadians got their news and information from the Internet (33%), television (28%) or social media (24%). A smaller proportion of the population preferred getting news and information through the radio (8%), print media (5%) or other sources of information (2%)…. The majority of young people aged 15 to 34 (85%) reported getting news or information from social media (48%) or the Internet (37%).” Statistics Canada

 

THE IMPORTANT StatsCan statistic here is the breakdown by age. Eighty-five percent of young people between 15 to 34 get their info from social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.) in Canada, today. Does anyone think that as they age and newer generations come after them they’ll all revert to the TV and cable-news programs their Grandpap watches in the old folks home? It's highly unlikely.

 

Youth are increasingly breaking with mainstream media (MSM) which is why political and economic elites are scrambling to control the internet and social media platforms with new laws and increasingly draconian censorship measures. As mentioned, in Britain the new public protest laws come with harsh prison sentences in some instances, including hefty fines. [“Public Order Act 2023”] But my favourite elite tactic is freezing the bank accounts of protestors that worked so well in Canada against the truckers. Was that a one-off in the True North Strong and Free? Not on your life! And look to see such shenanigans occur elsewhere around the globe in the years ahead. And a further point: elites in government and elsewhere aren't attempting to censor the internet etc., for fun. They're doing it because free and transparent access to information and the ability to talk about it, and share it freely is a threat to their power centres and pocket-books. 

 

The more people understand and are aware of elites' hidden machinations, the more they will press for changes to the status quo. For elites, pulling back the curtains to reveal who is pulling the levers and just how the 'sausage is made' is their greatest fear.

ANOTHER elite tactic is ‘mind-fuckery’, in this case the use of the “mis/dis/mal” suffixes to form horrid new bullshit words like “mal-information” that unfortunately have entered the English lexicon:

 

“…[C]ritics of the term argue that "unlike 'disinformation,' which is intentionally misleading, or 'misinformation, which is erroneous, 'malinformation' is true but inconvenient". [Italics mine. Ed.]  Journalists have raised concerns that terms such as malinformation expand the definition of "harmful content" to encompass true information that supports non-mainstream views, resulting in people who hold dissenting viewpoints being censored and silenced even if those views are substantiated." (Mir)

 

SO, until government apparatchiks close down all the alternative news sites and ban dissent in all its forms (including on the streets, of course), here are a few places and people to visit, read and listen to.

👉I usually start the day by reading news from the BBC, CBC and RT. Then I pick from the following websites and people:

 

ANTI-WAR.COM: American site. Like the name says it is a website and also a YouTube channel where hard-working editor/writer Dave Decamp reads the daily news, providing a 12-15-minute synopsis of conflicts around the globe. Helpful and honest.

REDACTED: Helpful YouTube news site. Primarily U.S. news. Anti-war and critical of U.S. foreign policy. Conservative hosts Natalie and Clayton Morris, former MSM talking heads. 2.3 million subscriptions. I like many of their reports.

THE GRAYZONE: American site. Some of the sharpest political commentary around. Chief editor Max Blumenthal with a crew of dedicated journalists who have not forgotten what journalism is all about. Max, Aaron Maté, Anya Parampil and others regularly appear on various YouTube news sites in addition to their written work at The Grayzone.

CATLIN JOHNSTONE: Australian journalist. Writes prolifically in her blog. Almost daily. Produces short articles (5-7 minutes) that shred to pieces mainstream media narratives. She’s been writing passionately for months on the genocide in Gaza. Honest and bracing reportage. Tim Foley, her spouse, I believe, narrates each article so you can read along with his recitation. He can put a real ‘edge’ to Catlin’s words.

WHITNEY WEBB: Writes long form deep dives into a variety of subjects: internet, censorship, CIA, Jeffry Epstein, military-industrial complex. She does interviews on various YouTube channels and has a rapid-fire, encyclopedic knowledge of her topic. Lives in Chile.

SHEERPOST.COM: Set up a few years ago by 88-year-old (!) veteran American journalist Robert Sheer. Has regular contributors that provide non-MSM political and social commentary. Magazine format.

CHRIS HEDGES: Pulitzer Prize winning American journalist. Articulate, passionate writer on political and social issues. Author of several books. He does YouTube podcast interviews as well. His weekly column can be found at Sheerpost.com. He also has a Substack column that is behind a paywall

JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: American. Has column entitled: “Clusterfuck Nation” on Substack. Writes two articles a week. Author of The Long Emergency, the Geography of Nowhere, and the World Made By Hand novels. Sharp political and social commentary with, at times, a blistering edge. Does not suffer fools gladly. Always a fun read.

ECOSOPHIA: John Michael Greer’s (JMG) main website. JMG writes on magic (of the non-Harry Potter type) and in addition writes on current events in a weekly column. He ran for a number of years the “Archdruid’s Report” which was about peak oil and where our society is at, and where it may be going. He’s a prolific writer (30-plus books!) and his website has a large archive of his previous writings. Witty, mordant at times, he’s always worth reading. Check out his earlier stuff and his columns on current events if magic isn’t your thing.

CONSORTIUM NEWS: Offers news and commentary and is a solid alternative to MSM.

THE DURAN: A 'go-to' YouTube channel for political commentary. Run by Alex Christoforos and Alexander Mercouris. The two have made daily, and I mean daily, podcast episodes concerning the Ukraine conflict and they provide additional content on their personal channels. Alex is based in Cyprus and Alexander is in London. Very helpful in understanding the mish-mash of today’s politics.

JUDGE NAPOLITANO: Another 'go-to' site. Host of the “Judging Freedom” YouTube channel. Former judge and Fox News commentator. Has on numerous guests each week that provide a variety of perspectives on American and international politics.

DIALOGUE WORKS: Long-form interviews with a variety of guests. Hosted by Nima Alkhorshid, an Iranian living in Brazil. Allows guests to speak at length on a variety of topics. Very helpful.

DANIEL DAVIS DEEP DIVE: Hosted by Colonel Dan Davis (ret. U.S. Army). Discusses war and conflict with a variety of guests. Helpful analysis on current conflicts and flash points. Engaging, sincere and humorous.

NEUTRALITY STUDIES: Has a variety of guests with a European slant on things. Hosted by Pascal Lottaz who lives in Japan. Topics include international relations and world affairs.  

YVES ENGLER: Canadian activist. Writes short articles on Canadian and world politics. Is ‘tuned in’ to the activist scene in Canada, and sheds light on governments' malfeasance here and abroad.

 

I'LL LIST HERE additional names of individuals who provide alternative news and analysis. Many are guests on “Judge Nap’s” YouTube channel, as well as “Dialogue Works”, “Neutrality Studies”, “Daniel Davis Deep Dive”, "Redacted" or else they have their own YouTube channel or internet website: (not in any order)

 

Glen Greenwald (of course!)

Dr. John Campbell

George Galloway

Craig Murray (fmr. British ambassador to Uzbekistan; wrote on the Julian Assange case; new MP in British parliament.)

Lowkey British rapper who is an articulate and passionate speaker on Palestinian rights and politics in general.)

Professor Norman Finkelstein

Professor Michael Hudson

Professor Ted Postol

Professor John Mearsheimer

Professor Jeffry Sachs

Professor Mohammad Marandi

Ali Abanimah

Richard Wolff (economist)

Michael Tracey

Russell Brand

Richard Medhurst

Jimmy Dore

The Mel K Show

The New Atlas hosted by Brian Berletic

The Real Politick with Marc Sleboda

Tucker Carlson

Ray McGovern

Larry C. Johnson

Phil Giraldi

Alastair Crooke

Scott Ritter

Matthew Hoh

Chas Freeman (fmr. U.S. Ambassador to China)

Colonel Jaques Baud (ret. Swiss Army)

Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski (ret. U.S. Air Force)

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (ret. U.S. marines)

Colonel Douglas Macgregor (ret. U.S. army)

Dan Kovalik

John Kiriakou

Dr. Gilbert Doctorow

Dimitry Orlov

Andrei Martyanov

Pepe Escobar

Roger Waters

Danny Haiphong

 

https://www.antiwar.com/blog/  

https://www.youtube.com/@antiwarnews

https://www.youtube.com/@RedactedNews

https://thegrayzone.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@thegrayzone7996

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/

https://scheerpost.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisHedgesChannel

https://jameshowardkunstler.substack.com/

https://www.ecosophia.net/

https://www.youtube.com/@consortiumnews8744

https://www.youtube.com/@TheDuran

https://www.youtube.com/@AlexChristoforou

https://www.youtube.com/@AlexMercouris

https://yvesengler.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@dialogueworks01

https://www.youtube.com/@DanielDavisDeepDive

 

 

Yep. A lot of names, but they are people with something to say. The list seems long but, in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a beginning….

 

Cheers, Jake.______________________________________

 

* i.e., ‘slow walking’ user traffic to a content provider’s X or YouTube channel.

 

1. IN CANADA, of course, we are reminded of the Canadian Truckers in Ottawa and out west protesting vaccine mandates and lock downs in 2022, and how our Prime Minister called these peaceful (if noisy and inconvenient) protestors, “Nazis”, and who, along with his execrable finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, froze protestor’s bank accounts and used the “Emergencies Act” (i.e., the revised “War Measures Act”) to shut down the protest encampment outside the Parliament buildings in Ottawa.

BYW, it was only the second time the Act has been used since WWII. In 1970, Prime Minister Pierre Eliot Trudeau used the WMA to send Canadian troops into Quebec to deal with separatist violence, an action looked askance at, even today, by critics who saw it as overkill and an abuse of power.

 

FIFTY-PLUS YEARS LATER, Trudeau’s son, Justin, enacted the same legislation that could have sent armed troops to remove 'insurrectionists' like these two.👉

INSTEAD, police were given greater powers to remove the protestors and haul away their trucks. 

Several protestors were denied bail and have cases that are still pending before the courts. It all smacks of government overreach and Overkill 2.0.

ALSO, WITH RESPECT to Trudeau’s despicable smearing the “Freedom Convoy” protestors as “Nazis”, we should recall it was his government that invited an actual Nazi to attend President Zelensky’s ceremonial visit to Parliament in the fall of 2023. Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of the Waffen SS during WWII, was lauded and applauded by government and opposition members alike. And we should note that Chrystia Freeland’s grandfather worked with the Nazis as the editor of a newspaper in occupied Poland. How far do apples fall from trees these days?

 

 

 "I know your power over me is a mirage, 

but can you please tell me what to do, anyway?"