Back in the mid 1900's Firestone Rubber Co. purchased the rights to the trolley tracks in Los Angeles in an effort to sell more automobile tires. In doing so, it held back Los Angeles from making a transit system that did not use internal combustion engines, but utilized tires: Firestone Tires.
This is a picture of the Trolley in Los Angeles prior to removal by Firestone.
It is not just the savvy business decision that would make Donald Trump's hair part on the other side, and show corporations the money, it was the way business made consumers like Americans more dependent on Oil, Autos, and the road building mantra that defines pork in bills from US Congress.
The same thing is going on with alternative energy use. As Montana is rich in timber resources, it could be advancing in bio-fuels, and bio-mass burners to create everything from heat to diesel fuel. In Indiana the fight is over ethanol as traditional landfills are large revenue generators for their owners. When a business can't compete with new technology it reverts to local politics to save its share of the market, enter Lee Enterprises.
A Trash to Ethanol process
Coutesy news.cnet.com
As Lee Enterprises is directly invested in landfill companies, if it were to protect its investment, how would the readers know if LEE was subversively influencing the vote, opinion, and outcome of a project that they are in conflict of interest? Does a media company such as Lee Enterprises have to disclose to its readers where it has investments? Of course not.
As sources tell us Lee Enterprises is heavily invested in a landfill corporation, one which attempts to keep Mary Junk's terrible decisions afloat, Lee Enterprises is reluctant to give up that cash cow. In fact Lee Enterprises stock has trouble staying above $1 on the NYSE (we suggested Viagra)
As newspapers in America are doing favors for big business, and big government (like convincing us that Mitt Romney won the nomination, or Rick Santorum is "losing his "graceful" window to exit", or that Ron Paul really doesn't matter) media is nothing more than the convincing factory, or ground truthing that sells to the highest bidder. As newspapers need not inform the public of their conflicts, perhaps the payment for their newspaper leases, and salaries are coming from the corporate desire for mis-information. As Lee needs a public a buy-in for traditional landfills in Indiana, it is vilifying politicians, it is forcing the negotiations for financing for an alternative to landfill into banking problems. Lee is trying to convice its readers that the money needs to stay where it is, because it may be a big beneficiary of that old, tired, but very profitable industry.
guardian.co.uk
It is comparable to the US Government not pursuing alternative forms of transportation. The US just bought out GM, Chrylser, and the US President claims credit for "saving the Mid-West". There are too many American companies dependent on Auto parts, tires, car insurance, and road building to change to an alternative fuel for personal vehicles. As Lee Enterprises attempts to shape the view of alternative use of garbage into energy, it protects the big business interests (and its own).
The problem arises when competition of business (aka free enterprise; pardon the pun) is hindered by perception of a newspaper. Newspapers across the United States are becoming nothing more than corporate cheering sections for special interests, and usually not benefiting the public. As the trash to ethanol situation in Indiana becomes vilified to protect Lee's own interest, the public loses out on new technology, new business and new job growth opportunity. Competition is eliminated, and so is free economy as the US Press tries to fill its hands with corporate dollars to keep its presses rolling.
seeklogo.com
Is it an opinion that Lee Enterprises is engaging in the shaping of the public to benefit their own investments? Absolutely. Is it an opinion that a newspaper has ulterior motives in any story, without a doubt. Is it an opinion that Lee Enterprises needs to do whatever it takes to stay in business as it took on $27M in interest payments to restructure their $1B debt, yes.
Part of the same problem is the gullibility of the American citizen today. No one is taught to think critically, and critical thinking is not rewarded in the corporate world unless it makes more money for the corporation. Newspapers like Lee Enterprises are tapping into this void in America and plugging the paid message through it's reporting instead of hearing it on a 30 second spot on television. Bottom line is that newspapers are taking advantage of its position as a free press, and affecting free enterprise in America--or what is left of it.
The problem arises as Americans dont have recourse to the corporate message, and one sided slants in the US press. A four star General, Petraeus the pride of West Point would say counterinsugency, buy in, and careful use, and tracking of funds to not allow corruption. That is what he is doing in Afgansitan. That is what America needs to do to counter the corporate message from Lee and other newspapers in the US. Only then will the improper influence from the media STOP.
