Media

Addicted to Fake Outrage

I'm not sure if it's because we're strung out on "Lost" episodes, or if it's because we're still suffering from a post-9/11 stress disorder that makes us crave "breaking news" alerts, or if it's because the economy has turned us into distraction junkies. But one thing is painfully obvious after Michael Phelps' marijuana "scandal" erupted last week: Our society is addicted to fake outrage - and to break our dependence, we're going to need far more potent medicine than the herb Phelps was smoking.

Posted in culture, Media

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2009
1:21 PM

CONTACT: Media Matters for America

Jessica Levin (202) 772-8162 jlevin@mediamatters.org

Rush's Voice Leads Conservative Echo Chamber

Talk radio host spearheads rapid spread of health IT falsehood

WASHINGTON - February 12 - In taking on one of the latest examples of misinformation about the economic recovery package, Media Matters for America has documented Rush Limbaugh leading several conservative media outlets in parroting former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey's falsehood that a provision in the House-passed version of the bill grants the government authority to "monitor treatments" and "make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate."

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Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

Media Matters for America Links:

Posted in Media

New Media Breaks in, but Tradition Lives On

WASHINGTON - It was a bookend moment.

President Obama on Monday evening became the 10th American president to call on Helen Thomas at a White House news conference. And he was the first to call on Sam Stein, a reporter for The Huffington Post, whose Internet publication sprung to life during Mr. Obama's candidacy.

For years, Ms. Thomas has held the honorific title as dean of the White House press corps. At 88, she has been questioning presidents since John F. Kennedy.

Posted in Media, obama

Fundamentally Flawed Stimulus Coverage

If there's one fact that should be made clear in every news report about the stimulus package working its way through Congress, it is this: Government spending is stimulative.

That's a basic principle of economics, and understanding it is essential to assessing any stimulus package. So it should be an underlying premise of the media's coverage of the stimulus debate. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. Indeed, reporters routinely suggest that spending is not stimulative.

Posted in Media, stimulus

Counter-Terrorism Logic

BBC - March 11, 2004:

Powerful explosions have torn through three Madrid train stations during the morning rush hour, with latest reports speaking of 173 people killed.

Near simultaneous blasts hit Atocha station in the centre of the Spanish capital and two smaller stations.

Guardian - March 15, 2004 (4 days later):

Posted in Media, war on terror

Bipartisanship=Shifting Right?

Many journalists and pundits have reached one very early verdict about the Obama White House: The new president has not lived up to his campaign rhetoric when it comes to reaching out to Republican lawmakers. The evidence? Not a single Republican voted in favor of the White House-backed economic stimulus bill.

Posted in Corporatism, journalism, Media, rightwing, stimulus

Nader Throws Hat in the Ring Against Limbaugh

Another combatant joined the ever-expanding Limbaugh wars Monday.

Consumer activist Ralph Nader challenged Rush Limbaugh to reimburse the American public for his multimillion-dollar salary -- adding more discord to the life of the radio host, who skirts the line between media heavy and uber-politico.

"It's amazing how he gets away with it. Rush Limbaugh hammers away about big government and welfare and yet he's the corporate welfare king," Mr. Nader said. "He's an unctuous megalomaniac."

Posted in Media, Politics

GE Uses Yip Harburg to sell its Oz Mythology

You've heard of pre-emptive strikes. Now welcome to the era of pre-emptive co-optation. That's the kindest word for what millions of viewers heard during the 2009 Superbowl, when GE used the work of the Great Depression's most famous songwriter to sell its myths about prosperity.

Posted in Corporatism, Media, socialism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2009
1:59 PM

CONTACT: FAIR
Isabel Macdonald
FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting)
212-633-6700 x 310
imacdonald@fair.org

FAIR Study: Human Rights Coverage Serving Washington's Needs

NEW YORK - February 2 - A new FAIR study finds that leading newspapers have been putting political considerations ahead of humanitarian concerns in their editorials on human rights in Latin America.

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FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints.

FAIR Links:

Posted in Human Rights, Media, Latin America

NBC Has an Erin Burnett Problem

One of the big journalistic lessons of the Iraq War was that "embedded" reporters who get one side of the story are not well suited to give accurate information to the public.

Americans now depend on the media for accurate information about the financial crisis. This Sunday's Meet The Press made something absolutely clear: Journalists who are "embedded" on Wall Street and depend on Wall Street execs for access on a day-to-day basis are ridiculously unqualified to give the public good information about the economic crisis.

Posted in bailout, financial crisis, Media