An Oasis In A National News Desert: The Capitol Hill Citizen
One can argue the implosion of American journalism is the cause and not the result of the mess we are drowning in.
Citizens need to be informed, not indoctrinated by corporate media propaganda and numbed dumb with social media swill.
By Mark Taylor
DeMOCKracy.ink (2/29/24)
One of the gravest threats we face is the collapse of American journalism. Every week brings another news outlet declaring bankruptcy and shuttering their operations. The ones that struggle on are plagued with corruption, like the recent revelation of Israeli intelligence promoting grotesque Oct. 7th Hamas attack lies in the New York Times, cratering public confidence.
While it is an emergency to have such an information crisis during a time of two wars, crumpling national standing in the world and completely corrupt and addled leadership in both parties, one can argue the implosion of American journalism is the cause and not the result of the mess we are drowning in.
“Many media beat reporters regularly write about newspapers closing down. Why wouldn’t they want to write a feature on a rising newspaper, especially one reporting on Congress?”
I spent almost 20 years as a newspaper journalist, doing editorial cartooning and later outdoor and environmental reporting for the prize winning and now long-defunct Albuquerque Tribune. Soon after arriving at the paper, part of the legacy Scripps-Howard chain, I got a brutal comeuppance reality check of how even a good news operation often trots along muzzled and on a short corporate leash.
Candlelight
One candle of hope and inspiration is The Capitol Hill Citizen, a superb quarterly newspaper initiated in 2022 by American progressive hero and democracy defender Ralph Nader.
(Editor’s note: Full disclosure, about 30 years ago I did occasional cartoon and illustration work for Nader’s Public Citizen and a couple of their publications. I am not involved in this current publication or any other related projects. —MT)
The Capitol Hill Citizen is an interesting hybrid. It is a non-profit and currently publishes semi-monthly, but without a subscription model; issues are purchased individually for $5. The current February/March edition is a beefy 40 pages of insightful news presented in a wonderful layout and is fully engaging.
The paper is carving out a very different path in that it is print-only with only three sample pages available online at the website. Nader explained the unique approach noting "…online is a gulag of clutter, diversion, ads, intrusions, and excess abundance".
Can’t argue with that astute assessment.
News versus clickbait and the corporate rubber stamp
In a kick-off column, Nader described the mission of the Citizen as “devoted to empowering voters with news beyond official source journalism.”
Nader went on to note, “The mainstream press pushes reporters to rely on official source journalism and online clickbait stories. They miss major stories about Congress – the gigantically powerful institution that is delegated so much of our sovereign power under the Constitution. The trouble is that Congress has become a rubber stamp vis-à-vis the presidency and the sprawling Executive Branch. Congress lets the Executive Branch usurp its constitutional authority daily and use this authority to further the interests of corporate lobbyists.”
No one will be shocked to learn that the arrival of the new paper was largely ignored. Only Politico ran a story of the Citizen starting up.
“Many media beat reporters regularly write about newspapers closing down, “ Nader asked. “Why wouldn’t they want to write a feature on a rising newspaper, especially one reporting on Congress?”
Unfortunately, their corrupt billionaire and corporate owners don’t want light shone on or attention brought to a journalism venture free of such economic pollution.
The Citizen is beautifully laid out, visually pleasing, includes satire and work by my favorite political artist Mr. Fish.
Nader notes the Citizen’s “…motto is “Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight.” But democracy also thrives with broad-minded citizens who steadfastly exercise their power.”
And for that to happen, citizens need to be informed, not indoctrinated by corporate media propaganda and numbed dumb with social media swill.
To order your copy of the latest edition of The Capitol Hill Citizen, link here.
“You have to start with the truth. The truth is the only way that we can get anywhere. Because any decision-making that is based upon a lie or ignorance can't lead to a good conclusion.”
— Julian Assange
Thanks for letting us know about this great sounding publication, Mark!
This morning, on YouTube, I watched the interview of a WWll veteran. Listened to the story of the trials this man suffered in the name of freedom. I realized Americans don’t know the depth of what it means to be free, to be an American. Biden, and others, don’t know the true depth of what it should mean to be a Catholic… hell the Pope doesn’t know. We live in a vacuous culture of greed and lust. No wonder Trump is a god to so many. I see it now. He DOES represent what the USA has become… and Biden is no better. All is AI… AI is just a mirror of a mirror of soul-less-ness.