MLive: Reporting on and Taking Money from Betsy DeVos

MLive: Reporting on and Taking Money from Betsy DeVos
by Jeff Smith (GRIID)
It would be a bit misleading to promote the notion that journalism in the US was once a noble profession and only in recent decades has it lost credibility.screen-shot-2017-02-07-at-10-40-54-am

Media scholars like Bob McChesney have made it clear that there was never a heyday of journalism in the US and that news agencies have always been compromised because of the relationships they have with centers of power, because of the increasing consolidation of ownership and because news agencies are also businesses.

The reliance on advertising for most news agencies inherently compromises their ability to practice journalism without financial consequences. I was on a panel years ago with local news managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and one TV executive said…
Read the full blog post here: https://griid.org/2017/02/07/mlive-reporting-on-and-taking-money-from-betsy-devos/

Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

It would be a bit misleading to promote the notion that journalism in the US was once a noble profession and only in recent decades has it lost credibility.

Media scholars like Bob McChesney have made it clear that there was never a heyday of journalism in the US and that news agencies have always been compromised because of the relationships they have with centers of power, because of the increasing consolidation of ownership and because news agencies are also businesses.

The reliance on advertising for most news agencies inherently compromises their ability to practice journalism without financial consequences. I was on a panel years ago with local news managers in the greater Grand Rapids area and one TV executive said,

“My job it to make sure that the shareholders with this company are happy. The only way to keep them happy is to get good ratings and good…

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Proposals could mean even higher tuition at Michigan universities

LANSING — Proposals in the House and the Senate to eliminate the state income tax could devastate Michigan’s public universities, already coping for years with dramatic drops in state support, a higher-education consortium says.

“You would see continued increases in tuition,” said Daniel Hurley, chief executive officer of the Michigan Association of State Universities. “The sky would fall.”

Funding for public colleges and universities in Michigan has declined for decades, and the institutions have raised tuition to maintain high-quality programs.

The state income tax represents 67 percent of the state’s general fund and 22 percent of public school aid fund, Hurley said. Phasing out the tax with no plan to replace the revenue could force universities to scale back on enrollment and new initiatives.

“Often when you have a discussion about higher ed, it’s about affordability,” Hurley said. “Quality is so important.”

READ MORE HERE: Props could mean even higher tuition at Michigan universities | News, Sports, Jobs – The Mining Journal

More Right Wing money gets behind Betsy DeVos nomination for Secretary of Education in Ad Campaigns

More Right Wing money gets behind Betsy DeVos nomination for Secretary of Education in Ad Campaigns
by Jeff Smith (GRIID)
screen-shot-2017-02-07-at-8-30-06-am

Yesterday, the watchdog organization, the Center for Public Integrity noted that two conservative non-profit organizations are spending lots of money to run ad campaigns in states with Senators who haven’t as yet completely committed to voting for DeVos.

The two groups are Club for Growth and America Next . Founded in 1999, Club for Growth has focused much of their energy around economic issues, such as taxes and pushing a pro-capitalism agenda. Club for Growth has also aggressively back candidates running for federal office, candidates like West Michigan’s Justin Amash.

According to the Club for Growth website, under the heading, We Are Determined to see Betsy DeVos win confirmation, it states:
FOLLOW THIS LINK TO READ THE FULL BLOG POST…
https://griid.org/2017/02/07/more-right-wing-money-gets-behind-betsy-devos-nomination-for-secretary-of-education-in-ad-campaigns/

Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Yesterday, the watchdog organization, the Center for Public Integrity noted that two conservative non-profit organizations are spending lots of money to run ad campaigns in states with Senators who haven’t as yet completely committed to voting for DeVos.

The two groups are Club for Growth and America Next. Founded in 1999, Club for Growth has focused much of their energy around economic issues, such as taxes and pushing a pro-capitalism agenda. Club for Growth has also aggressively back candidates running for federal office, candidates like West Michigan’s Justin Amash. 

According to the Club for Growth website, under the heading, We Are Determined to see Betsy DeVos win confirmation, it states:

The Club for Growth released the following statement from its president, David McIntosh, about its new television ad supporting the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:

“The Club for Growth enthusiastically endorsed Betsy DeVos when President Trump…

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