FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
When UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently declared the US-led invasion of Iraq “illegal,” he received a particularly hostile reaction from the press. But how much of Annan’s statement was true? Also this week: journalist Rory O’Connor of Globalvision on the decision by PBS to add right-wing programs to its lineup.
Stephen F. Cohen, an NYU professor of Russian studies, on the media and its coverage of Putin. And Danielle Worthy of the Pacific News Service on how discussions surrounding voting rights have been largely ignored by the mainstream media.
Heidi Boghosian of the National Lawyers Guild on protests against the Republican National Convention and the media tendencies that encourage the stifling of free speech. Also this week: what’s the deal with job creation?
Talk of the economy has dominated this election season. However the Bush administration’s changes in overtime rules, which has amounted to a massive pay cut for millions of U.S. workers, has received virtually no attention in the press. Also on the show: freelance journalist Jason Leopold on Dick Cheney’s corporate scandal.
Why have a series of unsubstantiated claims about John Kerry’s Vietnam service become the defining issue of the presidential race? Also: Kyle Johnson, host of “Radio Free Silver” shares what happened when his liberal talk show joined the right-learning radio station, KNFT, in Silver City, New Mexico.
How accurate is U.S. media’s portrayal of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez? Also this week: what will the future of TV look like following the changeover to digital technology?
Greg Nojeim of the ACLU on the privatization of surveillance and how the Bush administration’s so-called “war on terrorism” is infringing on our civil rights. Also this week: Lucy Dalglish of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press discusses Behind the Home Front, a new project that serves as a resource for journalists covering the Bush administration’s anti-terrorism initiatives.
How did news outlets report on the Democratic convention? Also this week: Kim Crenshaw discusses Al Sharpton’s speech from the Democratic convention and how it was covered by the media.
Workingforchange columnist Bill Berkowitz on White House hopes to drive the Iraqi occupation “underground.” Also: more on the UN oil-for-food “scandal” with FAIR contributor Seth Ackerman.
The Nation Magazine’s John Nichols joins CounterSpin this week to sort through a flurry of important elections stories. Also: discussion with George Farah of Open Debates on what changes could be implemented to actually make the Presidential debates a helpful forum for the public.
The Senate Intelligence Committee report found that the intelligence about Iraq’s weapons programs was severely flawed, but is there more to this story than what we’ve been reading from mainstream media? Also this week: Robert Greenwald on his new documentary, Outfoxed, which analyzes the relationship between the Fox News Channel, conservatives, and the Bush White House.
Download MP3 This week on CounterSpin: the transfer of power ceremonies in Iraq happened ahead of schedule, filling the media with stories about sovereignty and a historic transfer of power in Iraq. But what– if anything– has changed? We’ll ask Patrick Cockburn, the foreign correspondent for the Independent newspaper who has been reporting recently from […]
Media coverage of Sudan has been lacking, surfacing only when the crisis has reached catastrophic levels. What’s the US role there and where is the press on this story?
Attempts by the Bush administration to deflect criticism over its leniency toward the harsh treatment of Iraqi and Afghan prisoners have failed to gain traction in the mainstream media.
What’s the real deal on the economy? And how have harsher immigration policies impacted foreign reporters in the US?
How has media misrepresented Reagan, both during his presidency and currently?
Just how inaccurate are Bush’s claims on Iraq? Also on the show: the politics of NPR.
The New York Times offers a lukewarm response to criticism of its flawed reporting on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. Also: GOP dominance and how this is impacting the media landscape.
Discussion with Democracy Now!’s Amy Goodman on her new book, The Exception to the Rulers.
Discussion with writer Jen Banbury on her reports of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Also with week: Professor Stephen Doig on newsroom diversity.
