Mainstream media

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{{cquote|Stop buying into this [alternative media] [[bullshit]]. You're getting played. If it's not a "main stream" news source, that means they don't have anyone to answer to and nobody will lose their job if they report inaccurate information. You're not "[[WAKE UP|woke]]" for reading alternate news, you're a dipshit. Rather than [[Shoehorning|poring over old news clips]] to prove that [[9/11]], [[Sandy Hook]], or the [[Boston Marathon bombing|Boston Marathon]] was an "[[inside job]]", you should go outside and get a job.|||[[Maddox]], ''Your alternative news site sucks''<ref>http://maddox.xmission.com/c.cgi?u=alt_news_sucks</ref>}}
'''Mainstream media''' is a catchall term referring to television networks (especially broadcast), newspapers, [[:Category:Magazines|magazines]], [[radio]], [[music]], and often the [[Films|movie]] industry. It is so named because it is designed to appeal to as large an audience as possible, hence "mainstream."

[[Conservative]]s, particularly [[Fox News]], like to accuse the mainstream media of having a [[liberal bias]], [[psychological projection|not realizing that]] [[Tu quoque|they themselves]] [[Irony|are a part of the mainstream media]].  In reality, the mainstream media is probably more [[conservative]] (in relation to its audience) than ever.{{cn}} Some [[Conspiracy theory|conspiratorial]] [[moonbat|lefties]] ([[9/11 truther]]s, for instance) make similar claims when their pet theories don't receive attention.

Among niche [[media]] — media designed to appeal to a smaller audience — and especially blogs, the term has taken on a slightly pejorative connotation, often abbreviating it as "MSM."  They view mainstream media as being beholden to special interests, particularly [[corporation]]s.  Hilariously, they do tend to sell out in a heartbeat if offered.

The term is also frequently used by hobbyists and others with specialized interests to refer to the same media outlets. In this context, the term is not necessarily negative.  In fact, most people are delighted to read about their favorite hobby in a major newspaper, provided the coverage is accurate and positive.

==Power of the mainstream media==
Despite common opinion, the [[Internet]] has had only a minimal impact on the power of the mainstream media; it still far outmuscles the Internet in terms of creating awareness.  For example, in 2006, [[Congress]]man Mark Foley was discovered to have [[child sexual abuse|texted creepy messages to sixteen-year-old Congressional pages]].  The resulting mainstream media frenzy rocketed his national name recognition from effectively no one outside the 720,000 people<ref>The district population arrived at by dividing the population of [[Florida]] when Rep. Foley last held office (approx. 18 million) by the number of Congressional representatives Florida is alloted in the House (25).</ref> in his district to a whopping ''86%'' of the nation's population in only two weeks.

The mainstream media will probably remain a major force in our society for some time to come. This is especially true when one considers that the mainstream media is dominated by large corporations on all of its fronts.<ref>"Who Owns the Media? | Free Press." Free Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2013. http://www.freepress.net/ownership/chart</ref> This includes the internet, with companies such as Yahoo! and Google at the forefront. The main appeal of all alternative media, including the internet, is that it appeals to audiences interested in very specific subjects.  There is no true "mainstream" on the Internet, and hence, no way for it to disseminate information effectively across a large population.  And unlike the Internet, which at this point still requires special equipment and a regular fee to access, the mainstream media saturates every medium for free (i.e. broadcast television and radio) or is readily accessible at any time (i.e. newspapers and magazines).

==Criticism==
As previously mentioned, mainstream media is treated like a magic [[scapegoat]] by critics as a source of sensationalism, repressing [[free speech]] by avoiding discussing controversial issues ([[wingnut]]s sometimes associate this with [[political correctness]]), and "dumbing down" the presentation of information<ref>[http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2001/1 Reporting Kepler 20e and 20f]</ref> and of oversimplifying issues.  Critics also accuse MSM of glorifying [[sex]] and [[war|violence]] and blame it for the hypercommercialization/[[consumerism]] of [[society]].

To conspiracy theorists, the mainstream media is a no go, because they're [[shill|government-paid shills]].

==Sadly there is truth to it==
While most kooks and conspiracy theorists give a mass exaggeration to the mainstream media, sadly it has, at times, only encouraged those views. The [[2016 U.S. presidential election|2016 presidential election]] certainly showed considerable bias towards [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Donald Trump]], giving them more screen time than other candidates. [[Bernie Sanders]]'s campaign run was plagued by a lack of coverage, dubbed by his supporters and, eventually, his staffers as the "mainstream media blackout";<ref>http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/dem-primaries/263037-sanders-campaign-slams-blackout-by-corporate-media</ref> his supporters were demonized without any legitimate evidence. Despite winning 23 states throughout the primaries, Sanders was ignored by most of the mainstream media, who instead framed him as the stereotypical socialist, despite his ideology being more in line with [[social democracy]]. At times, major news, such as reveals from [[Wikileaks]] in July, are purposely ignored. These actions will definitely encourage more anti-MSM sentiment (if that is even possible) for years to come.

==See also==
*[[Fox News]], 
the [[Republican Party|Republican]] propaganda wing
 the right-wing mainstream media
*[[MSNBC]], 
the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] propaganda wing
 the left-wing mainstream media
*[[CNN]], somewhere in between left/right (centrist), but focuses most of its efforts on in-depth coverage of minutia.
*[[The Daily Show|Jon Stewart]], who tackles the lulz found in the mainstream media
*[[Liberal media]], a version of the mainstream media as portayed by conservatives
*[[Media]], for the most uselessly generic term available

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Broadcasting]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorist scapegoats]]
[[Category:Journalism]]

Categories: Broadcasting, Conspiracy theorist scapegoats, Journalism