Download MP3 This week on CounterSpin: As one might've predicted, some of it's just been inane, as when Time magazine said "Reagan gave Reaganism a human face," but some of the many hours and pages of coverage devoted to former president Ronald Reagan have been downright dangerous in their omissions and distortions of the historical record. What are reporters forgetting or getting wrong? And what does the wave of largely uncritical treatment of Reagan say about the current state of the US press? We'll talk with veteran reporter Bob Parry about the Reagan history being left out of the media [...]
Jun
09
2004
Reagan: Media Myth and Reality
June 9, 2004 As the media spend the week memorializing Ronald Reagan, journalists are redefining the former president's life and accomplishments with a stream of hagiographies that frequently skew the facts and gloss over scandal and criticism. Reagan's Popularity "Ronald Reagan was the most popular president ever to leave office," explained ABC anchor Elizabeth Vargas (6/6/04). "His approval ratings were higher than any other at the end of his second term." Though the claim was repeated by many news outlets, it is not true; Bill Clinton's approval ratings when he left office were actually higher than Reagan's, at 66 percent [...]
Aug
01
1987
Media Put Reagan Spin on Arias Plan
The signing of the Central America peace accord in Guatemala City set off a U.S. media reaction that showed once again the extent to which White House assumptions are shared by the national press corps. While some reporters have questioned whether President Reagan sincerely supports the Arias plan, virtually all mainstream media accept the administration's contention that its goal is to bring about "a democratic outcome in Nicaragua." Over the years journalists have at times challenged the tactics of the contra policy (mining harbors, assassination manuals, lying to Congress), but they never doubt its objective: to promote "democracy." It is [...]
