WASHINGTON - April 14 - FAIR's radio show CounterSpin takes a look this week at the "Massachusetts miracle," the health care plan passed by the Massachusetts legislature and touted by Gov. Mitt Romney. The legislation made front pages last week, with many accounts calling it a plan for universal health care. Our guest says that's just what it's not. So how are is press getting it wrong? We talk with Steffie Woolhandler, associate professor of medicine at Harvard University and cofounder of Physicians for a National Health Program.

Also on the show: A contributor to the New York Post's Page Six gossip column reportedly tried to shake down a subject for hundreds of thousands of dollars for "protection" against negative coverage in the column. CounterSpin talks to New York Observer columnist Joe Conason, who says the gossip columnist may have been just following the example of Post owner Rupert Murdoch, who has long used his media holdings to trade favors and punish enemies.

CounterSpin can be heard on more than 125 noncommercial stations across the United States and Canada—find your station here. You can also listen to the show online or subscribe to our podcast.

CounterSpin, hosted by Janine Jackson, Steve Rendall and Peter Hart, provides a critical examination of the major stories every week, and exposes what the mainstream media might have missed in their own coverage. Combining lively discussion and a thoughtful media critique, CounterSpin is unlike any other show on the dial.

CounterSpin exposes and highlights biased and inaccurate news; censored stories; sexism, racism and homophobia in the news; the power of corporate influence; gaffes and goofs by leading TV pundits; TV news' narrow political spectrum; attacks on free speech; and more.

www.fair.org/counterspin

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