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CNN Live Sunday

A Look at 'Media Junky' Martin Bell

Aired March 09, 2003 - 18:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Whether a battle is fought in Baghdad or elsewhere or not at all, the media's handling of the showdown with Iraq boils down to one thing: Ratings. That's what some people say. That's creating a whole new type of media junky, and as CNN's Eden Ponce (ph) tells us, he's singing his own tune.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EDEN PONCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beating war drums have musicians like George Michael and Blur beating their own drums. Calling the tune against the media is the former BBC war correspondent and British member of parliament, Martin Bell. The latest career move for the 64-year-old man in the white suit has Bell mixing politics and hip-hop music. He lampoons the spread of tabloid news values into mainstream media in a new CD single, "Media Junkies."

With this transformation, the message aims at a new audience.

MARTIN BELL, FORMER BBC CORRESPONDENT, MP: I think that young people do care about big issues. And this is one way to tell them, hey, you're being shortchanged by the press, radio and television.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A radical edge? No, I think it's good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a great idea. I think he needs to break (UNINTELLIGIBLE), or maybe we could put a bit of cardboard down, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who are in the public eye should do more to publicize things like this.

PONCE: Andy Lawson is behind the concept.

ANDY LAWSON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, "MEDIA JUNKIES": It should be an interesting symbol for integrity of the message that we're putting over, how whether we like it or not, we're all to some degree influenced by the media.

PONCE: From bombings in Afghanistan to Posh Spice, the songs lyrics say a lot about the degree to which people are or aren't informed about what's news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), mate. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

PONCE: Distributors have high hopes for the song. Portion of the earnings will be donated to charity.

BELL: I'm concerned in particular when the Iraqi emergency is over that we don't go back to this obsession with celebrities at the expense of the news.

PONCE: Eden Ponce, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired March 9, 2003 - 18:08   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Whether a battle is fought in Baghdad or elsewhere or not at all, the media's handling of the showdown with Iraq boils down to one thing: Ratings. That's what some people say. That's creating a whole new type of media junky, and as CNN's Eden Ponce (ph) tells us, he's singing his own tune.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EDEN PONCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beating war drums have musicians like George Michael and Blur beating their own drums. Calling the tune against the media is the former BBC war correspondent and British member of parliament, Martin Bell. The latest career move for the 64-year-old man in the white suit has Bell mixing politics and hip-hop music. He lampoons the spread of tabloid news values into mainstream media in a new CD single, "Media Junkies."

With this transformation, the message aims at a new audience.

MARTIN BELL, FORMER BBC CORRESPONDENT, MP: I think that young people do care about big issues. And this is one way to tell them, hey, you're being shortchanged by the press, radio and television.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A radical edge? No, I think it's good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a great idea. I think he needs to break (UNINTELLIGIBLE), or maybe we could put a bit of cardboard down, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People who are in the public eye should do more to publicize things like this.

PONCE: Andy Lawson is behind the concept.

ANDY LAWSON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, "MEDIA JUNKIES": It should be an interesting symbol for integrity of the message that we're putting over, how whether we like it or not, we're all to some degree influenced by the media.

PONCE: From bombings in Afghanistan to Posh Spice, the songs lyrics say a lot about the degree to which people are or aren't informed about what's news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), mate. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

PONCE: Distributors have high hopes for the song. Portion of the earnings will be donated to charity.

BELL: I'm concerned in particular when the Iraqi emergency is over that we don't go back to this obsession with celebrities at the expense of the news.

PONCE: Eden Ponce, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com