FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
Some people are suspicious that President Bush will go for a “wag the dog” strategy — boosting Republican prospects with a military assault on Iraq shortly before Election Day. But a modified approach now seems to be underway. Let’s call it “wag the puppy.” After a number of GOP luminaries blasted his administration’s war scenarios, […]
Now that the deadline has passed for hundreds of top corporate executives to certify the truthfulness of their financial books, we may expect more honest accounting in the future. But what if the heads of major firms were compelled to engage in other types of candor? Let’s imagine that the CEO of a leading media […]
To fend off the threat of peace, determination is necessary. Elected officials and high-level appointees must work effectively with reporters and pundits. This is no time for the U.S. government to risk taking "yes" for an answer from Iraq. Guarding against the danger of peace, the Bush administration has moved the goal posts, quickly pounding […]
Three and a half years ago, some key information about U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq briefly surfaced on the front pages of American newspapers — and promptly vanished. Now, with righteous war drums beating loudly in Washington, let’s reach deep down into the news media’s Orwellian memory hole and retrieve the story. "U.S. Spied on […]
With huge financial scandals causing turmoil in the United States, this year has seen some vigorous reporting about high-level misdeeds and corporate manipulation. But many news stories just take the lead from top officials. In the months ahead, we’ll find out how deep American media outlets are willing to go. Big scandals always generate plenty […]
With the “New Economy” now in shambles, it’s easy for media outlets to disparage the illusions of the late 1990s — years crammed with high-tech mania, fat stock options and euphoria on Wall Street. But we hear very little about the fact that much of the bubble was filled with hot air from hyperventilating journalists. […]
Just about every politician and pundit is eager to denounce wrongdoing in business these days. Sinners have defiled the holy quest for a high rate of return. Damn those who left devoted investors standing bereft at corporate altars! On the surface, media outlets are filled with condemnations of avarice. The July 15 edition of Newsweek […]
If you call the toll-free number on the TV screen during one of those upbeat Army commercials, a large envelope will arrive with a white t-shirt inside. On the back is a slogan in big block letters: "AN ARMY OF ONE." The only other thing in the package is a videotape called "212 Ways to […]
Speaking with grace and ease, a pensive network anchor compared the America of today with the one of a year ago. His script had the ring of media truth at the start of a new season. “How different the summer is going to be for all of us,” CNN’s Aaron Brown told viewers. A minute […]
Many Americans feel under siege from advertising that insults intelligence and helps to degrade the nation’s cultural environment. While serving the interests of advertisers, the daily ad-mania makes us sick — sometimes quite literally. What can we do about it? No easy solution is in sight. The ad craziness has gotten extreme in a context […]
American journalism has devoted massive attention to reporting on business in recent years. Overall news outlets are enthralled with efforts in our society to maximize corporate profits and personal wealth. Top executives and shrewd investors are good bets to emerge as media heroes, unless or until they appear to be headed for prison. Insatiable avarice […]
Thirty years have passed since Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein began to cover the Watergate story. The investigative journalism that they did back then still stands out as exceptional. Unfortunately. For a long time after the arrests of five burglars at the Democratic National Committee’s executive offices in the early morning of […]
American media outlets roused themselves from outright denial early this month, spurred by belated warnings from top U.S. officials that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan would kill millions of people. The tone of news coverage shifted toward alarm. Meanwhile, atomic history remained largely sanitized. "Even one military move by either of these nuclear-armed […]
Two countries — each with dozens of atomic bombs — are threatening to make war on each other. Large numbers of troops have mobilized. Deadly cross-border clashes are intense. And people in charge of both governments have become more bellicose by the day. Maybe you think this situation calls for U.S. officials and American media […]
To: George, Dick and John Re: Counteracting the Media Evildoers Damage control efforts are on track after those rough days in mid-May. First, let’s note a silver lining. John’s move to prosecute Arthur Andersen pushed Enron off a lot of front pages, and the recent media commotion about "advance warnings" has helped too. However, complacency […]
Politicians are often eager to outdo their foes with media images of greater patriotism or piety. But in recent days, Republican and Democratic leaders have also vied to appear more offended than their opponents. The catalyst was a GOP effort to boost campaign donations by offering the faithful a Sept. 11 photo taken as President […]
A basic principle of democracy is that every person’s vote should have equal weight. So we might expect some public discourse about the fact that the U.S. Senate is fundamentally undemocratic. But it’s a complete non-issue among politicians and journalists alike. One of the key roles of news media should be to raise important questions […]
In a twist of fate, obituaries appeared for the inventor of the Barbie doll just as a $50 million advertising campaign got underway for an anti-wrinkle drug with a name that memorably combines the words "botulism" and "toxin." Expensive injections of Botox are already popular among women eager to remove lines from their faces. The […]
Weeks before the 20th century ended, the pundit Michael Kinsley was uncommonly direct in a Time essay that defended the virtues of the World Trade Organization with these closing words: "But really, the WTO is OK. Do the math. Or take it on faith." Delivered by the flagship magazine of the Time Warner conglomerate (soon […]
Alice climbed out of the news hole. She seemed badly shaken. "I thought Wonderland was curious indeed," she said, "but Medialand is even more peculiar." Responding to my quizzical look, she quickly added: "Don’t worry, I stayed away from the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the ‘Drink Me’ bottle and the ‘Eat Me’ cake. I did not converse […]
