Customer Reviews

Censored 2003: The Top 25 Censored Stories

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As a longtime follower of the annual Project Censored guides, I was distressed by the last few editions, which were becoming marred by whiny conspiracy theories and a bleeding-heart editorial style (especially the 2001 edition). This latest 2002/03 edition gets back on track with a newly hard-hitting stance on the increasing weaknesses of the mainstream media. Given the partial revival of seriousness in the media world after 9-11, Project Censored has in turn hardened its stance on the new realities in the media and why certain types of stories continue to be censored. As usual, the problem is profit-driven media conglomerates that focus on lowest-common-denominator fluff to appease advertisers; and empty patriotism that actually becomes an unquestioning acceptance of simplistic government dogma, especially concerning the causes and effects of 9-11.

The control of most of the US media by a shrinking number of huge multinational corporations continues to be a very serious problem. This can be seen in this years preponderance of censored stories that involve corporate wrongdoing and corruption. You dont get these stories in the mainstream media because they will damage the profitability for shareholders in those controlling corporations. Another dangerously recurring theme this year is the harsh effects of globalization on sovereign nations and disadvantaged peoples, and the medias pathological disdain for globalizations opponents. There is mounting evidence that nobody benefits from globalization, NAFTA, or the WTO but corporations and their largest shareholders. But in the corporate media you wont hear this. Thats why the Project Censored analysis of these trends is so important.

This edition delivers strong treatments of these dire trends in the corporate-controlled media and offers in-depth coverage of these worthy but under-reported stories. There are also several supporting essays by media analysts and watchdogs that are fascinating in their own right. The only glitches in this book are two particular essays that detract from the analytical nature of the rest of the book and drift into self-serving opinions. These are "Power Sources" by Ina Howard, a mind-numbing and predictable parade of statistics with few big-picture conclusions; and "Truth About Afghan Casualties..." by Marc W. Herold, which contains useful information but an annoying amount of self-aggrandizement and a debunking of the author's opponents that seems like more of a personal crusade than a quest for the truth. Fortunately, overall this edition of the great Project Censored series achieves its goals in bringing tragically hidden and extremely important stories the attention they deserve.

The battle to free the press is still being waged on the fringes, but progress is being made. More and more people are losing faith in their corporate news sources, and there is good reason. People know that there is more than they are being told. That things are not merely black and white, good vs. evil. And more and more people are starting to view media reform as a viable subject for political debate. But you won't hear about it in the mainstream media. Luckily, people like Project Censored and Seven Stories Press are doing an excellent job of both getting the news out there and offering critique of the corporate news conglomerates. Censored 2003 offers an excellent introduction by Robert McChesney on the current state of the media in the U.S., the top 25 "Censored" stories and runners up from the late 2001 and 2002 (Censored in that they did not receive nearly the coverage the issues warrant in importance.) Also included is Mark Crispin Miller's diagram of the "Big Ten", the ten leading media conglomerates listing all of their media holdings and earnings... looking this over, you start to feel how enormous and just plain not right their power is. Also included is an essay on the New York School Systems censored standardized literature and reading comprehension tests, a detailed account of how the U.S. military works for big oil (the stuff of conspiracy theories one may think, but reading the hard facts and evidence will make you think again) and some excellent cartoons from the famed Tom Tomorrow. All this and more, and without commercial interruption. If you wanna know what you didn't know in the past year, pick this up.

Update: 1-2-02 This book now has the same cover and nearly the same number of pages as the edition directly from the publisher: Seven Stories Press, so I do not know if it is censored any longer. The cover is also now the same. I wrote the review below when I had the previous amazon.com version and the one directly from Seven stories Press and they were not the same.

This book reviews many of the most important stories censored from out Corporate$$$$ Media Cartel Propaganda Press. If you are reading this you undoubtedly know that the fast fading reputation of the press as free is FICTION. It is pro-corporate, anti-worker, anti-middle class and anti-poor tripe. There is a small problem with this "version" of the Censored 2003 book however. It is censored. It leaves out the 20 page article on the 1001 Problems of the 9/11 Fable as I term it. Major problems with America's 9/11 Reichstag. I suggest that you buy the uncensored version (different cover even and different number of pages) directly from Seven Stories Press. Do a search for them on the Internet. I hope that amazon.com will not censor this review as I am trying to help Americans get the truth or they will leave my review until they obtain the uncensored version. Pretty sad state of affairs when the ruling Junta censors a "Censored" book. Sick state of affairs acutally. I also recommend that you read up on Vote Fraud. The chickens are not voting for Colonel Sanders despite what the Corrupted Press tells you. Check out ...the book Censored 2001 for vote fraud.

United we stand against corporate owned government= fascism!!!