Monday, December 24, 2018

'Democracy Dies in Darkness' That's a D.C. Media Joke, Right?

Hey, Yupette,

I have to laugh at the Washington Post's slogan 'Democracy Dies in Darkness'. In fact, the Post keeps us in the dark regarding important matters we don't deserve to know about (like Amazon's secret memorandum of understanding with Arlington County and all the unwritten promises agreed to by the County and Amazon) while spending huge amounts of ink demonizing Republicans and Conservatives over the past 50 years.

It's gotten worse since Amazon bought the Post. For many years the Post maintained a Northern Virginia News Bureau and a Post Reporter almost always attended County Board meetings. No longer. Amazon raised the newsstand price and cut local coverage. Post reporters seldom cover newsworthy events in Arlington and Alexandria. Don't expect the Post will publish anything negative about Amazon.

Local news blogs and weekly newspapers aren't any better. Their publishers and editors are out for as much revenue as they can get from advertising and various kinds of infomercials. They aren't going to significantly oppose the status quo as determined by the 1% who control everything and own almost everything, including non-residents who make and facilitate the approval of 'growth for the sake of growth' done deals. Nor are they going to forego opportunities for exclusives with County VIPs.

The ArlNow news blog is the worst. ArlNow's publisher, editors, and reporters are out to makeover Arlington into Millennial County, helped by comments from various pro-urbanization 'revitalization through infill gentrification' boosters. Never mind the consequences from cramming 70,000 more residents into 15 square miles of Arlington over the next 25 years.

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