I see two levels of media disseminating information.
Most cater to advertisers (who need to advertise to sell their spurious products) looking to reach the dumbest sector of the population (who are the most likely to be snookered) and it is the dumbest programs that attract that demographic.
Then we have those ‘insider’ media outlets that trumpet their independence and look to attract ‘smarter’ viewers to deliver to their ‘supporters’.
Neither add much critical thinking to their coverage but this week I noticed some insidious activity from two in the latter group.
New Jersey Globe: I went to David Wildstein’s website today and saw a popup from a group fronted by the NJEA propagandizing for Murphy who has consistently done the bidding of the NJEA.
NJSpotlight: From occasionally including useful articles on budget and pension issues this outlet has sold itself and according to Sunlight Policy Center:
1) The NJEA is listed as a funder of NJ Spotlight on its website.
2) From 2009 to 2017, the NJEA donated $175,000 to NJ Spotlight and its parent companies WNET and Public Media NJ (which operate NJTV). NJ Spotlight was acquired by WNET in 2019 and merged with NJTV News in 2020.
3) For 25 years, the NJEA has broadcast a weekly TV show on NJTV (and its predecessor, New Jersey Network) entitled “Classroom Closeup NJ.” From 2003 to 2019, the NJEA spent over $10 million producing Classroom Closeup NJ, and surely some – and perhaps a great deal – of this money went to NJTV.
4) The NJEA has been a daily advertiser on NJ Spotlight’s website.
5) The NJEA has sponsored NJ Spotlight conferences.
6) NJEA Vice President Sean Spiller is on the Community Advisory Board of NJTV.
7) The NJEA is a major funder of NJPP and Weber is a NJEA member.
Can either of these outlets be trusted to spotlight information that might be critical of their sponsors?
Burypensions Blog 
Posted by NJ2AZ on November 13, 2020 at 1:19 pm
i’m convinced legitimate news outlets are dead. the only thing a person can do is read enough garbage news from multiple sources at various ends of the spectrum and hope you can distill what’s going on.
its why i read fox news and cnn even though both are dogshit
Posted by Rex the Wonder Dog! 🐶🐶🐶🦴🦴🦴 on November 13, 2020 at 4:05 pm
i’m convinced legitimate news outlets are dead. the only thing a person can do is read enough garbage news from multiple sources at various ends of the spectrum and hope you can distill what’s going on.
Agreed. BUT, the question is, what % of us/people/citizens have enough brain power to figure out the REAL news and seperate it from the SPIN?? I think 99% of the people commenting here can. We know the score and can figure it out. BUT the HS drop outs, the mentally impaired, the aged, the GED Cops = can THEY?
Posted by Eric on November 13, 2020 at 1:51 pm
NJ2AZ
I hate to tell you, NJ2AZ, that Fox is merely “controlled opposition.” It is not news. If it were news, it would not be allowed to be broadcasted, and its licensing rights would be revoked if the “truth” were to be told. Both CNN and Fox are a waste of time.
The young, the old, and the mentally impaired are not able to differentiate what is true.
Unfortunately, you must read sources of information, from many different nations, which may involve a rudimentary understanding of other languages, since much of the true meaning is purposely lost during the translation phase.
Eric
Posted by E on November 13, 2020 at 2:35 pm
The young, the old, and the mentality impaired?
Painting with an awfully broad brush Eric.
Posted by NJ2AZ on November 13, 2020 at 2:48 pm
Eric,
you and i are in agreement. Usually i only look at those “news” outlets to see things that happened (Fox will ‘report’ on things that CNN would never cover and vice versa), but i try my hardest to ignore all the opinion and editorializing they pile on
Posted by Rex the Wonder Dog! 🐶🐶🐶🦴🦴🦴 on November 13, 2020 at 4:01 pm
Then we have those ‘insider’ media outlets that trumpet their independence and look to attract ‘smarter’ viewers to deliver to their ‘supporters’.
THIS is the category everyone here, well… except A/Anonymous/Dougie/Earth/Stephen, falls under 💖🐱🚀🐱🚀🐱🚀🐱🚀
Posted by boscoe on November 13, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Fake news and the usual paranoid innuendo from our beloved moderator/blog owner. NJ Spotlight lists all of its sponsors on one of its web pages. They include Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Group, PSE&G, New Jersey Realtors Assn., and RWJ Barnabas Health. Can you discern a tilt toward coal/gas/nuclear/insurance interests in their staff reporting (not their opinion section)? And the major donors to NJ Spotlight are your standard non-political philanthropic foundations. NJ Spotlight also has an editorial statement that explains their operating principles with regard to content https://www.njspotlight.com/about/code-of-ethics/
As far as Wildstein is concerned, he needs and he’ll take money from anyone who offers because he writes a glorified gossip column about the very people you purport to hate; i.e.,politicians.
And then we have all the brilliant comments here about the supposed lack of “legitimate” news outlets. Now even Fox News is thrown out of the tent because they’re not sufficiently loyal to the Dumpster. Keep moving down the dial kids, you’ve still got OAN, BlazeTV and NewsMax to speak your truth to power.
Posted by Tough Love on November 13, 2020 at 5:02 pm
More Election results …………
Biden wins Georgia and Trump wins NC.
Final Electoral vote count …… 306 to 232 …. and an exact reversal of Trump’s win over Hillery Clinton in 2016.
“The symmetry provides the President with yet another bitter pill to swallow. Trump has spent years tweeting and talking up his margin of victory against Hillary Clinton — one that has now been turned on its head in a final, national rebuke of his presidency.”
Posted by Tough Love on November 13, 2020 at 5:33 pm
If you want to choke on self-aggrandizement, turn on the TV and listen to Trump congratulating himself on his COVID-treatment accomplishments
Posted by Eric on November 13, 2020 at 8:28 pm
Tough Love:
I am more entertained by “lunch-bucket Joe”, “Sponge Brain-Stained Pants”, telling us that he is running for the US Senate. That we cannot have “4 more years of George”,that “Joe Biden’s husband is running for President”, that he, Joe, has hairy legs etc.
Is this the best we can do with 330 million people?
Tough Love, both are clowns, but Trump keeps my taxes much lower than Uncle Joe.
We are the absolute laughing stock of the world.
I did not vote for either of them.
Eric
Posted by Tough Love on November 13, 2020 at 8:59 pm
Your TLS is rearing it’s ugly head.
Trump is WAY more dangerous than his just being a “clown”. America is incredibly LUCKY that misfit hasn’t gotten us into a major new war.
I refuse to accept that America’s president shouldn’t be reasonably dignified and professional. Trump’s lack of good character, discipline, intelligent/reasoned thought, and acceptance of verifiable data and science in the decision-making process, make him beyond unfit for Office.
Posted by Tough Love on November 13, 2020 at 8:51 pm
https://www.city-journal.org/fiscal-nightmare-for-next-mayor-of-nyc
And The Nations Taxpayers should “bail out” such outrageous BAD-Behavior ?
Really ?
NYC’s Taxpayers shouldn’t pay for such extravagance either. Instead, these ludicrously excessive “promises” should be materially reduced ……. RETROACTIVELY (including for those already retired) …. just like many of the historical increases. This one-way/UP-ratchet is BS and needs to be REVERSED.
Posted by MJF on November 13, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Odd that you voted exactly opposite to your stated position. Can you close the circle? You know all of Japan’s ships have the word Maru. It means circle, the belief that they will come back from a sailing. I’m struggling with the logic here. Go on a rocket ride to hell but somehow come back? Not hostile, just asking.
Posted by Tough Love on November 13, 2020 at 9:49 pm
I decided that I SHOULD vote for one of them.
I held my nose while voting for Biden, not voting for Trump for the reasons I identified above.
Trump cares about NOTHING and NOBODY other than what benefits HIM, politically, financially, and what feeds his insatiable ego.
Posted by E on November 13, 2020 at 10:26 pm
You didn’t hold your nose. You held your head up high voting for “the person that is not Trump”. Lol.
Posted by Tough Love on November 14, 2020 at 1:02 am
Well, Biden certainly is ….. and that’s a very GOOD thing …. “the person that is not Trump”
Posted by Eric on November 14, 2020 at 10:11 am
Tough Love:
Just to be clear, did you vote for Joe Biden or Joe Biden’s husband?
Eric
Posted by boscoe on November 14, 2020 at 4:57 pm
Just to be clear, can you point us to an article or screenshot purporting to show Joe Biden claiming to be Joe Biden’s husband?
Posted by Eric on November 15, 2020 at 9:44 am
Hi Boscoe:
I watched it on a broadcast, and it was not commented upon. I do not know if it were subsequently “taken down” or not. I watched it in the company of others, who also confirmed what had been presented.
It was live, but I do not know how I could find a “screenshot.” It was witnessed by three other people in the room.
Thanks,
Eric
Posted by boscoe on November 15, 2020 at 2:29 pm
Perhaps it was this?
https://news.yahoo.com/joe-biden-embraces-love-life-033700910.html