The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many issues to the forefront, including the role of the media in shaping public opinion and understanding. Comedian and podcaster Russell Brand recently went head-to-head with MSNBC analyst John Heilemann over the media’s coverage of COVID-19 and the interests of the corporations behind them.
Brand accused MSNBC of being a mouthpiece for Big Pharma and Wall Street, shutting down debate and spreading propaganda during the pandemic. He argued that the media’s failure to cover stories like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange’s struggles to bring real journalism to the American people was evidence of their lack of journalistic integrity.
Heilemann dismissed Brand’s argument, claiming that he had no actual facts to back up his claims. However, Brand did provide examples of what he called “nut-crackery” from MSNBC, such as attacking Joe Rogan for taking ivermectin and spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.
But beyond the media’s handling of the pandemic, Brand pointed to a larger issue – the incentives for corporations to keep America in a state of perpetual crisis. He argued that pharmaceutical companies benefit from medical emergencies, the military-industrial complex benefits from war, and energy companies benefit from energy crises. All of these industries have a vested interest in maintaining a state of crisis, which in turn serves their interests at the expense of ordinary people.
!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src=”https://rumble.com/embedJS/u3tznz”+(arguments[1].video?’.’+arguments[1].video:”)+”/?url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+”&args=”+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, “script”, “Rumble”); Rumble(“play”, {“video”:”v29f34c”,”div”:”rumble_v29f34c”});Brand’s comments are a reminder that the media is not an objective entity and that it operates within a larger economic and political system. The interests of corporations and their owners play a significant role in shaping the stories we see and hear, and it’s important to be aware of these underlying interests when consuming news.
As consumers of media, we must take responsibility for our own perspectives and seek out diverse viewpoints that challenge the dominant narrative. Only by doing so can we hope to form a well-rounded understanding of the world around us and make informed decisions about our lives and our communities.
Where do we go from here…
