Michael Moore: Greed Killed the Newspapers

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/09/17/Filmmaker_Michael_Moore_on_Capitalism_A_Love_Story

Documentarian Michael Moore argues that media executives have 'killed' newspapers by laying off beat reporters, dumbing down news coverage and endorsing "anti-education" Republican political candidates. "They've slit their own throats," claims Moore. "They've eliminated the very people they need to read their paper."

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Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do? Writer, director and producer Michael Moore has been trying to answer that question his entire filmmaking career. His latest film, Capitalism: A Love Story, investigates the powerful forces behind the calamitous predicament in which countless Americans are finding themselves: losing their homes, jobs and savings to foot the bill for past spending.

What is the price that America - and the rest of the world - pays for its love of capitalism?

From Middle America to the halls of power in Washington to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Moore takes filmgoers into uncharted territory as he tries to get to the heart of the matter. - Commonwealth Club of California

Michael Moore is an Academy Award-winning American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Sicko, three of the top five highest-grossing documentaries of all time.

In September 2008, he released his first free movie on the Internet, Slacker Uprising, documenting his personal crusade to encourage more Americans to vote in presidential elections. He has also written and starred in the TV shows "TV Nation" and "The Awful Truth."

Moore is a self-described liberal who has criticized globalization, large corporations, assault weapon ownership, the Iraq War, U.S. President George W. Bush and the American health care system in his written and cinematic works. In 2005, Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Also in 2005, Moore started the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. In 2008, he closed his Manhattan office and moved it to Traverse City, where he is working on his new film.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• news
• media
• liberal
• conservative
• left
• right
• bias
• reporters
• reporting
• journaiism
• cable
• tv
• fox
• cnn
• msnbc
• mcnews
• capitalism
• fora.tv
• foratv
• fora

[Krocotto]

@sbs9026 MM's point is that we cut our own throat by reducing the ability of our people to read, period.

Today, libraries are destroying books that have not been checked out in over two years. This includes reference books. These books aren't being digitalized, they are simply being destroyed outright and being replaced by such shit as "Twilight."

We must value an educated, literate public, or we will return to the feudal system of ignorant peasants with rich overlords.

What the church wants.

[atlantoon]

MM is soooo right

[432ps1]

Moore is only complaining because most newspapers are left wing propaganda rags anyway like the Washington Compost and the New York Slimes.

[432ps1]

@Krocotto Of course who the fuck needs to know how to read when Michael Moore is their sole source of information? He sounds like he's complaining about his best customers!

[432ps1]

80 million pre-packaged Moore fans.

[432ps1]

Of course by looking at Moore's ever expanding waistline, he himself, is never greedy.

[NewYorkSentinel]

Why do we keep denying that it is the internet that has killed the news paper. And why should it be seen as a problem. I used to deliver news papers, and honestly it is a waste of paper now. I used to read the newspaper every day. I finally gave it up and read the news online. It is faster. I was getting sick of reading yesterday's news. I would get the paper and read stuff that I had already read online the day before.

[caitlinjillybelle]

@FatherBrain Yeah you're totally right! I just felt like mentioning that they weren't doing so bad. I totally blame the internet for this, though I'm told a lot of internet news is just regurgitated from the newspaper companies/newspaper sites, so what do you think will happen to internet news if the whole industry gives way?

I think the smaller countries have done better (like mine, New Zealand), cos we're so remote it's a bit hard to actually get news that's relevant to us online...

[FatherBrain]

@caitlinjillybelle Conservatives often present their own politically motivated explanation for the decline of newspapers: their left-wing bias has alienated their potential readers. I don't deny that left-wing bias is a problem, but this is not the cause of dropping circulation. After all, the N.Y. Post and the New Hampshire Union Leader also have fewer subscribers than they did a decade ago.

[FatherBrain]

@caitlinjillybelle Some Asian papers are doing OK, but there is a global drop in newspaper readership. The reason is obvious: more and more people get their news from the internet. Why subscribe or buy the newspaper when you can get the same information, with real time updates, from a web site for free?

[caitlinjillybelle]

@FatherBrain Actually the Asian Newspapers are doing really well, the Asia Pacific's News Paper revenue went up 4% last year, and 92% of Japan's population still reads Newspapers.

America has definitely had the worst of it, in 2008-2009 it's Newspaper circulation went down 10.6%, where Europe only saw a 5.6% drop.

I still don't think that Moore's right about blaming the Republicans. I'd say it's because the content is rubbish, so people aren't gonna pay for something they can google.

[Natasha26]

It's the same thing with the government. The financial sector has kept growing over the years and the SEC (cops who monitor finance) have shrunk and shrunk. One documentary even said they have a floor with only 1 guy in it, to flip the lights off when he leaves. More corruption & ponzi schemes anyone?