This week’s events proves that the traditional mainstream media failed
The complaints about the traditional mainstream media is constant. The problem is that complaints are not enough. For those that believe that competition forces good behavior it is imperative that it is followed up with action. What is that action? The creation and/or support of alternative media.
This week a story broke in which the immature thirty two year old Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli raised the price of the drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750.00 per pill overnight. That is an increase of over 5555%. And under our current system it is completely legal however immoral or evil to do such a deed. It is the definition of unfettered and unregulated capitalism. It is the practice of maximizing profits even if such maximization causes death by neglect or inability to pay. Of course this is not a practice that is good for America.
While this story hit the airwaves with a vengeance it did not do so until it got traction in the alternative media. What is the alternative media exactly? The alternative media is you. The alternative media comprises YouTube channels, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram,Twitter, and every form of communication that have eyeballs and eyes associated with it. Most importantly the alternative media comprises public radio stations not funded by corporations but by those that comprise the body politic, the community, ‘el pueblo, nuestra comunidad’.
You see for some time now, big drug manufactures and financial sharks have been buying up the generic drug companies and/or the rights to drugs that are way past their patent life. This is not being done in secret. It is simply not reported by the big media corporations that many Americans listen to, watch, or read.
In fact FierceBiotech explains the reason why the rights to Daraprim was purchased.
Since founding Turing last year, Shkreli has taken a page from what made Retrophin a high-profile–and controversial–player among small biotech companies. Retrophin’s stated goal was ferreting out value in biopharma by acquiring assets with potential in rare and neglected diseases, a process that can mean acquiring an underused drug and jacking up its cost to take advantage of rare disease pricing.
Watch any of the major networks and one sees a seemingly continuous parade of drugs being marketed like candy. Many of the drugs have no business being advertised on TV as the average citizen without a medical degree cannot discern whether said drugs should even be considered.
There is a duality of purpose for drug ads however. First they create a false market as patients request drugs instead of doctors deciding if said drug is best. Second, it serves as crack to the corporate media. Corporate media gets addicted to the high profits from drug advertising. Does anyone believe the traditional mainstream media will run any stories or investigative report on an industry it is prostituting itself to? That is very unlikely.
This week the alternative media exposed the immoral behavior occurring in one company that comprises Big Pharma. These shenanigans can be found in industry after industry. The behavior has a material economic effect on most Americans. Most of the times it is hidden. The angst felt by Americans is real. The angst will only be relieved when corporations and government are meant to come clean. The traditional mainstream media won’t do that. The alternate media is our only salvation lest we continue our slide to serfdom.