FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
Many of us can remember a time when “Red” seemed to be China’s first name. Throughout the ’50s and ’60s, Red China was such a media villain that it often looked like the world’s bastion of ultimate evil. That’s why, for Americans, one of the most astounding photos ever to appear on front pages was […]
Two recent events — the launch of a magazine about news media and the release of a survey about journalists’ opinions — illustrate the wide gap between the preoccupations of elite media professionals and the economic outlooks of most Americans. After lots of advance publicity, the premiere issue of Brill’s Content is hot off the […]
As summer gets underway, top politicians are eager to let us know that they believe in computers. "One of the goals should be to replace all textbooks with a PC," House Speaker Newt Gingrich said at a computer trade show in Atlanta. "I would hope within five years they would have no more textbooks." Meanwhile, […]
SAN FRANCISCO — After last Tuesday’s primary election in California, news outlets across the country were quick to provide a comforting moral to the story. As National Public Radio reported the next day: “Big money was a big loser.” The winner of the Democratic nomination for governor, career politician Gray Davis, spent “only” $12 million. […]
Warren Beatty’s new movie “Bulworth,” now showing in theaters nationwide, has caused quite a stir. The plot features a successful politician who begins to speak with absolute candor — a notion so outlandish that it’s apt to sound incredible. But the scenario might seem even more far-fetched if the film’s blunt protagonist were a TV […]
When I was a child, tall tales seemed wonderful. I liked to read about Paul Bunyan and his huge ox, tromping around in the wilds and creating natural wonders like the Great Lakes. But these days, there’s nothing fun or charming about tall tales written for adults under the guise of journalism. Consider a couple […]
The Bomb — nearly forgotten by many of us — has returned to the world’s center stage in a hurry. When India set off several nuclear explosions and President Clinton quickly responded with economic sanctions, the news coverage was jolting. Condemnation of India’s nuclear tests is certainly justified. But the story we’re getting is quite […]
By now, we’re so accustomed to the spectacle of state-run gambling that we rarely give it a second thought. Lotteries have spread across the country during the last couple of decades. From sea to shining sea, the get-lucky hype is hard to miss. If people want to gamble, that’s their choice. But is it proper […]
/ Creator’s Syndicate Many national media outlets are in a state of high moral outrage about Jerry Springer, the current emperor of daytime trash television. Some critics are charging that his program — a daily presentation of violence, bleeped-out profanity and verbal abuse — is all too real. Or, at the same time, not real […]
After a Pulitzer Prize went to Katharine Graham in mid-April for her autobiography "Personal History," media coverage added new luster to the book’s reputation. United Press International referred to Graham’s book as a "classic." On the CNN Financial Network, a correspondent lionized the author: "By unanimous acclaim, Katharine Graham is one of the most powerful […]
/ By now, the lines between media, politics, entertainment and commercialism have just about disappeared This month, Bob Dole spoke at the annual meeting of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. The former Republican presidential candidate reportedly got $40,000 for making the speech. That explains why he bothered. But why did the group invite him […]
A new term for an old problem has just emerged in the national press. We’re now told that much of the media industry has come down with “diversity fatigue.” Before this malady, the story goes, the American Society of Newspaper Editors was committed to racial diversity. Back in 1978, the group set a goal of […]
Whether by design or a random twist of fate, President Clinton’s scheduled return to Washington from his historic Africa trip came just before the 30th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. Another laudatory statement from the White House was predictable. Like countless other politicians, Clinton often pays tribute to King — while […]
/ In early 1898, the French novelist Emile Zola wrote an open letter disputing the false — but widely believed — charges against an army captain named Dreyfus. "My duty is to speak," Zola insisted. "I have no wish to be an accomplice." Within a few weeks, he was in jail. A century later, men […]
/ In the days since Kathleen Willey’s interview on "60 Minutes," media outlets have flooded us with renewed debates over President Clinton’s sexual conduct. But news coverage still fails to consider the Clinton scandals in the context of what he has long been preaching about welfare recipients and other low-income Americans. So far, the mass […]
/ Welcome to another episode of “Whitewashington Week in Review.” MODERATOR: “Thanks for joining us. I’m your host, Ben Mode. As always, our panel of esteemed journalists will toss around savvy questions that aren’t softball or hardball. Get ready — some very lofty beach balls are about to float across the table! So, let’s begin. […]
/ The nation’s biggest news weekly is celebrating itself. Time magazine has put out a special "75th Anniversary Issue," paying tribute to the vision of founder Henry Luce. Readers get an inspiring — and expurgated — story. Time began as a pathbreaking newsmagazine in March 1923, the latest edition recalls, and Luce was "its undisputed […]
/ While tracking the Monica Lewinsky scandal, many prominent journalists have resembled tigers, eager to pounce on President Clinton. With some other issues, in sharp contrast, they behave more like lapdogs. When reporting on the Lewinsky matter, the national press corps has ripped into Clinton’s statements to expose evasions and inconsistencies. But when it comes […]
/ Seven years ago, the Pentagon imposed strict curbs on media coverage of the Gulf War. American military activities in the region were mostly off-limits to journalists. Defense Department censors cleared photos, video footage and battlefield dispatches. Reporters were only allowed to travel in "pools" accompanied by U.S. military escorts. With some grumbling, major news […]
/ A Report From the Grim Reaper: Glory days are here again! Not that I’m complaining about the last few years. Some great events have made headlines. But, as the grim reaper, I’m not easily satisfied. And right now, I can hardly contain my excitement. With prospects growing for high-tech weaponry to shatter a lot […]
