Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The Koch brothers may have gained some editorial control over Time Magazine, and that cannot be good news.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Charles Koch, the chief executive of Koch Industries, and David Koch have long sought to shape political discourse through their support of nonprofit organizations, universities and think tanks. But in its announcement of the deal, Meredith said that the private equity fund, Koch Equity Development, would not have a seat on Meredith’s board of directors and would “have no influence on Meredith’s editorial or managerial operations.” 

Steve Lombardo, a spokesman for Koch Industries, also said that the Kochs had no plans to take an active role in the expanded company. “This is a passive financial investment made through our equity development arm,” Mr. Lombardo said. The company’s role in the transaction, he said, was similar to that of a bank.

However that is just the official position. It may not reflect that actual long term goal:

Some Koch allies have suggested that the brothers would view their investment purely as a moneymaking opportunity. But others familiar with the Kochs’ thinking speculated that they could nonetheless use the media properties — which reach millions of online and print readers — to promote their brand of conservatism. The investment would also give the Kochs a way to combine the arsenal of voter information held by a data analytics company controlled by their network, i360, with the publishers’ consumer data. 

Remember that one of goals for these conservative money men is to somehow take over the mainstream media and start making sure that they print a version of reality that supports their political ideology.

Strictly speaking facts simply do not often lend themselves to such support.

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:33 AM

    The vile and greedy Kochs also funded the most recent attempted 'veritas' fake news scam. Nice boys, ol Charlie & Dave. Ready to croak so they double down on their fantasy to leave the world in chaos, civil war and turmoil for we proles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:38 AM

    This is our (your) president. He wants to fire African-American athletes (son of a bitches - his words), he wants owners to bench African-American athletes, he wants to fire the media who doesn't kiss his ass, wants to stop media mergers if they don't kiss his ass, fire FBI and DOJ personnel if they uncover his ill behavior and don't kiss his ass.

    Welcome to the new Russian-American regime.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:08 AM

    Need to kNOW:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJx63xDRqjc&feature=youtu.be

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:27 AM

      https://www.amazon.com/White-Working-Class-Overcoming-Cluelessness/dp/1633693783

      'White Working Class is a blunt, bracing narrative that sketches a nuanced portrait of millions of people who have proven to be a potent political force. For anyone stunned by the rise of populist, nationalist movements, wondering why so many would seemingly vote against their own economic interests, or simply feeling like a stranger in their own country, White Working Class will be a convincing primer on how to connect with a crucial set of workers--and voters.'

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:47 PM

      9:27
      That concept is being spread at the pulpits like a deadly virus.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous9:13 AM

    NY Times editorial board tells readers to call senators to oppose GOP tax bill

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/28/opinion/senate-tax-bill.html

    NY Times editorial board tells readers to call senators to oppose GOP tax bill

    http://thehill.com/homenews/media/362370-ny-times-editorial-board-tells-readers-to-call-senators-to-oppose-gop-tax-bill

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous9:26 AM

    Donald Trump’s Empty Chair Stunt Backfires Hilariously

    https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-empty-chairs_us_5a1e4d97e4b0dc52b02a33db

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous9:28 AM

    Inside the tweet that broke Trump's day, again
    The White House played the president's online taunts of Democratic leaders Pelosi and Schumer as a strategic effort to reassure his base — at risk of a government shutdown.

    https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/28/trump-twitter-schumer-pelosi-shutdown-267816

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous9:38 AM

    It's Not an Act

    It’s no longer possible to pretend that President Trump is simply playing at bigotry, hypocrisy, and detachment from reality.

    https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/its-not-an-act/547010/

    Donald Trump is a madman: The President's Wednesday Twitter spasm confirms what many Americans have long suspected

    http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/donald-trump-madman-article-1.3665163

    New Reports Suggest Trump Might Not Be a Liar at All, But Truly Delusional

    http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/11/new-reports-trump-not-a-liar-is-truly-delusional.html

    Donald Trump is just as delusional in private as he is in public.

    https://newrepublic.com/minutes/146018/donald-trump-just-delusional-private-public

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:49 PM

      OMG stop already! We already know these things or are capable of finding them on our own. You really should just start your own blog. Post the link here, and I promise to look at it.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous10:09 AM

    This is the problem with some peoples kids that inherit money. They misuse it. There is nothing wrong with money but something wrong with people that have money and no soul. When you use money to harm others. Bad. Use money to rig cheat and steal. Bad. Use money to better the world. Good. There is another Koch brother and he is not like these 2. No one should be allowed to dominate media or even attempt 2.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:14 AM

    They funded Citizen United the single most damaging decision made by the supreme court in usa history. A corporation is not a person. OVERTURN CITIZEN UNITED, get Koch brothers out of our elections and media.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:05 AM

      "In the case, the conservative non-profit organization Citizens United sought to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton and to advertise the film during television broadcasts shortly before the 2008 Democratic primary election in which Clinton was running for U.S. President. Federal law, however, prohibited any corporation (or labor union) from making an "electioneering communication" (defined as a broadcast ad reaching over 50,000 people in the electorate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of an election), or making any expenditure advocating the election or defeat of a candidate at any time. The court found that these provisions of the law conflicted with the U.S. Constitution.

      However, the court upheld requirements for public disclosure by sponsors of advertisements. The case did not affect the federal ban on direct contributions from corporations or unions to candidate campaigns or political parties.

      The decision was highly controversial when announced and remains a subject of much discussion"
      'A corporation is NOT a person.' <TRUE FACT.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous10:17 AM

    Nope I don't buy it. Trump knows what he is doing and saying. He is just hateful ugly until he gets caught. He is a typical abuser, liar and con.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:51 PM

      A number of nationally respected psychiatrists have weighed in and declared him mentally ill.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous11:53 AM

    The Koch brothers are so creepy.
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous11:55 AM

    Ivanka Trump and ‘rich kid career grifter’ partner sued for stiffing Italian jeweler: report
    https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/ivanka-trump-and-rich-kid-career-grifter-partner-sued-for-stiffing-italian-jeweler-report/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous12:07 PM

    This is why we can't have nice things. This is a comment from a story about Roy Moore.

    This is why having the media taken over by the right wing is so damn dangerous.

    "A vote for the Democrat Doug Jones is a vote for transgender bathroom bills. It is a vote for the promotion of homosexuality and sodomy in our elementary schools. It is a vote for the Deep State which rules like kings and subjugates southerners. It is a vote for an IRS that will destroy conservatives and Christians. A vote for Doug Jones is a vote for an increase in immigration of radical Islamic militants and terrorist. It is a vote for unlimited abortion up to the day before a natural birth. It is a vote to let the NY Times, Washington Post and AL com pick the Senator of Alabama and perhaps most important a vote for the Doug Jones is a vote for a Supreme Court Justice who will deny the constitution and all it stands for. So is all that better than forgiving a man who may have kissed a girl 40 years ago. Let’s be real. Vote for Roy Moore."

    Let me highlight this phrase -
    "a man who may have kissed a girl 40 years ago."

    I sometimes lose faith that this country will survive.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous12:45 PM

    Gryphen,
    Maybe it's time to revisit the "seven pillars of society" to explain just what is in store for America.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous3:24 PM

    CBS, PBS and several stations are down. Hope it has nothing to do with this.

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.