 |
Thursday,
January 29, 2004
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Media
cannot have bias toward ads
CBS
cuts controversial Super Bowl commercial
The
Super Bowl is a spectacular media event. Aside from the
thrill of the game, there is the plethora of commercials
made specifically for those half-minute intervals between
game coverage. Sponsors spend millions for the spots alone,
so the commercials are usually worth the time.
But one commercial did not make the cut. Not because it
was poorly made or couldn’t front the funds, but
because CBS deemed it too controversial for its anti-advocacy
ad policy. The ad was created through a competition hosted
by MoveOn.org, a liberal activist organization, with the
purpose of showing “the truth” about the Bush
administration. While several of the submitted ads were
admittedly controversial — some even comparing Bush
to Hitler — the winning ad was far from scandalous.
Though the intentions of such a commercial may be obvious,
it is not the media’s place to question them. Despite
CBS’ supposedly strict policy of not running advocacy
ads, we will still see anti-smoking spots and another
reefer-madness ad courtesy of the White House itself.
It’s no coincidence that a media conglomerate with
such slanted views on what advocacy means is currently
working with the White House to expand media ownership
laws.
If this is any indication of where our media is headed,
we can expect more propaganda and less balance. As media
conglomerates grow, information becomes controlled by
few but dispersed to many. In order to make informed decisions,
the public should be entitled to all sides and all opinions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
