Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Corporate Media Is Hostile to You and Your Religious Beliefs

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by

James A. Bacon
in

by Kerry Dougherty

Chances are you were too busy last weekend, or too smart, to bother with The New York Times.

But had you glanced at it, as I did, you would have seen this piece, promoted on the front page:

“In This Time of War, I Propose We Give Up God.”

The editors of The Times ran this story on a weekend that is holy to all three major religions: for Christians, it was Easter. For Jews, Passover. And for Muslims, this is part of the holy month of Ramadan.

I read the piece, by the way. Written by a Jewish man apparently still haunted by some of the metaphorical stories he heard in his youth about the ancient Jews.

In my opinion, it was drivel. But even drivel has its place.

But why was it published on this particular weekend? Did anyone at The Times consider that the article might be offensive to those with a religious bent? Who at that newspaper thought the timing was exquisite?

I spent 42 years in daily newspapers and I believe this wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate thumb in the eye to believers.

Coverage of religion has always been anemic at most American newspapers. When forced to dabble in a news story with a religious twist, reporters tend to treat the faithful as simple, quaint curiosities whose lives are driven by belief in the supernatural.

I can’t find a recent survey of the religious beliefs of American journalists. The closest was a 2008 study conducted by the Pew Research Center that found that just 8% of those working at national publications attended religious services weekly. That was far below the national average of nearly 40% for the general population.

Perhaps that explains why the media was mute when blue state governors closed churches two years ago — on Easter, no less! — in a heavy-handed and fruitless attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19.

It was unthinkable then. It’s unthinkable now.

Don’t be fooled into believing that news outlets care about American values.

The corporate media doesn’t like you, doesn’t respect you and sneers at your belief in God.

Act accordingly.

This column has been republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited.

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Comments

25 responses to “Corporate Media Is Hostile to You and Your Religious Beliefs”

  1. DJRippert Avatar
    DJRippert

    In the great “race to the bottom” for “eyeballs” this article was designed to inflame people. The algorithms don’t lie. People read things (including the ads that get dragged along) for a number of predictable reasons. One reason is to find tribal disagreements whereby a reader’s group’s position is confirmed, especially when it opposes another position put forth by another tribe. A second strong bit of eyeball bait is a sensational article timed at a sensitive moment. That is what The Times did in this case.

    For all their high-falutin talk of journalism and ethics, the MSM is as algorithm and profit based as the most wacked-out fringe websites.

    1. VaNavVet Avatar
      VaNavVet

      Kind of like Kerry’s blog post?

  2. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
    f/k/a_tmtfairfax

    By endorsing Kamala Harris for Vice President, the Post and many other MSM outlets effectively support religious bigotry as they ignored her attempt to impose a facially unconstitutional religious test on a candidate for a federal district judgeship.

    1. DJRippert Avatar
      DJRippert

      That dimwit wouldn’t know the difference between The Knights of Columbus and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        Yet, she is VPOTUS and you are not. What is it about successful Black women that drives white elites crazy?

        1. Matt Adams Avatar
          Matt Adams

          “VaNavVet DJRippert • an hour ago
          Yet, she is VPOTUS and you are not. What is it about successful Black women that drives white elites crazy?”

          Who would’ve thought that a fake sailor is also a “racist”.

        2. DJRippert Avatar
          DJRippert

          And Joe Biden is President of the United States which, unfortunately, does not make him mentally “with it” or very smart.

          Strom Thurmond was successful too. He retired from the US Senate at age 100.

          Richard Nixon was successful too. I assume you supported him.

          As for successful Black women, I was always a fan of Shirley Chisholm. Unbought and unbossed.

        3. kls Avatar
          kls

          KamHar was successful in ‘hooking up’ with Willie B — he drove her wagon to success, so to speak

        4. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
          f/k/a_tmtfairfax

          Yet, the then- California Senator proposed a facially unconstitutional religious test on a judicial nominee. The MSM generally ignored that and, therefore, must be regarded as accepting of religious bigotry.

      2. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        Gladys has reason to be.

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      No no no, TMT, only Democratic nominees to the court are subjected to unfair or aggressive hearing processes. Didn’t you notice how the MSM totally forgot what Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett went through while their hair was on fire as future Justice Brown ran the same gauntlet (and NONE of it in her case involving religion or BS allegations from high school.) Absent a double standard they would have no standards at all.

      1. VaNavVet Avatar
        VaNavVet

        The whole SCOTUS confirmation process has become a sham on both sides of the aisle. At least the one for future Justice Brown was bi-partisan as a few Republican Senators were able to rise above the nonsense.

  3. VaNavVet Avatar
    VaNavVet

    So what action is Kerry promoting? She once again seems to have found a place for drivel.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      “… you were too busy…, or too smart,…. But… I did,…”

      Not(a or b) = not(a) and not(b). QED

  4. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    Did Ms. Dougherty actually read the NYT piece? It is overwrought but the bottom line is that the holy season should be about peace and not about exaggerated violence in some interpretations of the Old Testament. That’s what seems to be the message. I don’t see what “corporate journalism” has to do with it.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      She’s not superstitious, just stitious.

      Well Pete, she does confess to only “glancing” at it, but it’s not clear that her applying all of her attention at “deep thought” would have led her to any other conclusion.

    2. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      And the guest contributor doesn’t always write the headline! 🙂

    3. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      She’s not superstitious, just stitious.

      Well Pete, she does confess to only “glancing” at it, but it’s not clear that her applying all of her attention at “deep thought” would have led her to any other conclusion.

  5. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    I found the silver lining: line to heaven is getting much shorter.

  6. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    “Chances are you were too busy last weekend, or too smart, to bother with The New York Times. But had you glanced at it, as I did, you would have seen this piece, promoted on the front page:”

    Proving both my conjectures about Karen, hobbies and IQ.

  7. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Magic and mystery.

  8. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    You are correct. The timing was intentional and the contempt obvious.

  9. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    Paul Craig Roberts attributes it to Jewish attacks on public displays of Christian religious symbols. Seems in his view the NYT as media could be a secondary characteristic. https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2022/04/17/he-is-risen/

  10. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    With only 33% of Americans reportedly attending church regularly, should it not be appropriate to ask that question given the focus on religion elsewhere in the media this past weekend. In short, they weren’t talking to you, so butt out, Kerry!

    1. Matt Adams Avatar
      Matt Adams

      Your data a faulty and relies on word games to achieve what you want. Attending a religious services isn’t required to be religious and Church only applies to Protestant Christian faith.

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