FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
When Republican senators filibustered President Clinton’s economic stimulus bill in 1993, columnist George Will vigorously defended the Senate rule that requires the votes of at least 60 senators, a so-called supermajority, to impose an end to debate. In a column headlined “The Framers’ Intent” (Washington Post, 4/25/93), Will praised “the right of a minority to […]
In the following quotes, well-known cable news hosts express anti-war feelings to hawkish guests. Can you guess which quote is “anti-American”? * “Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?” * “We’re sending 250,000 of our […]
Since the invasion of Iraq began in March, official voices have dominated U.S. network newscasts, while opponents of the war have been notably underrepresented, according to a study by FAIR. Starting the day after the bombing of Iraq began on March 19, the three-week study (3/20/03-4/9/03) looked at 1,617 on-camera sources appearing in stories about […]
In the weeks before the invasion of Iraq, a FAIR study documents, network newscasts were dominated by current and former U.S. officials, and largely excluded Americans who were skeptical of or opposed to an invasion of Iraq. Looking at two weeks of coverage, FAIR examined all 393 on-camera sources who appeared in nightly news stories […]
In a nation where news media are criticized from every imaginable direction, it’s reasonable to assume that a media criticism show would include guests offering a wide range of critical viewpoints. With that in mind, FAIR took a look at CNN‘s Reliable Sources, studying its guestlist to see how many critical voices were heard on […]
Recent statements made by Ann Coulter raise the question of whether the author is not merely careless with facts but deliberatively deceptive.
“[Public broadcasting] should provide a voice for groups in the community that may otherwise be unheard…[and] help us see America whole in all its diversity.”– 1967 Carnegie Commission Report, which served as the basis for the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 An Extra! survey finds that the dominant voices on the leading public radio stations […]
Mainstream US media rarely quoted international law or challenged the administration’s designation of detainees as “unlawful combatants.”
“Everyone is genuflecting before the Pentagon powerhouse,” noted Washington Post media reporter Howard Kurtz (12/13/01). Since the war in Afghanistan started, Kurtz observed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was “getting better press than Rudy Giuliani.” Rumsfeld, Kurtz wrote, was “America’s new rock star.” Why do so many journalists revere Rumsfeld? His “rough-hewn charm and no-nonsense demeanor” […]
After suggesting in a November 5 column that the U.S. consider subjecting terror suspects to torture, Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter is trying to change his story. Responding to a critical letter to the editor in Newsweek‘s November 19 issue, Alter claimed, “At both the beginning and the end of my column, I wrote that I oppose […]
“When op-ed pages first became the rage some 25 years ago, they were supposed to be places for nontraditional voices to be heard.” — Allan Wolper, Editor & Publisher ethics columnist (5/29/99) Whether the mainstream daily op-ed page was ever a true forum for debate or for “nontraditional voices” is questionable. But during the weeks […]
Perhaps the most reliable method of gauging an outlet’s perspective is to study its sources. If Fox News Channel is the bastion of balance that it claims to be, then its pool of guests should reflect a full spectrum of debate, from left to right, and neither major party should dominate over the other. To […]
The Pacifica radio network has been known for decades as the home of “listener-sponsored free speech radio.” But recent incidents in which Pacifica stations have failed to air regularly scheduled shows featuring discussions of Pacifica have left the network’s listener/sponsors in the dark about the growing Pacifica debate, even as mainstream media outlets are reporting […]
The Associated Press‘ long-time Bolivia correspondent, Peter McFarren, resigned late last year after his extensive involvement in Bolivian politics was revealed. What is still unclear, however, is why AP allowed someone with so many conflicts of interest to be a correspondent in the first place. The Internet-based Narco News Bulletin (10/6/00) was the first to […]
No sign of journalistic caution attended the pulsating graphic Fox News flashed across screens late on Election Night 2000: George Walker Bush, 43rd President of the United States Tom Brokaw was no more circumspect in interrupting NBC’s broadcast to announce, “George Herbert—George Walker Bush wins!” And CBS’s Dan Rather left no doubt when he announced: […]
“In a time of peace and prosperity, Al Gore is betting that Americans want to go to war.” That was the lead of a Los Angeles Times article by political reporter Ronald Brownstein (8/18/00) the day after Al Gore’s speech to the Democratic Convention in August. Brownstein was referring to Gore’s pledge to take the […]
Rush Limbaugh’s commentary indicates a willingness to exploit prejudice against blacks to further his on-air arguments.
The current scandal involving Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott’s long-term association with a white supremacist hate group, the Council of Conservative Citizens, arose almost by accident. Its emergence as a major story is the result of the dogged reporting of one Washington Post reporter and a handful of mostly African-American columnists, with help from independent […]
When we started out, Heritage was routinely referred to as an “ultra-conservative,” “far right” or “extreme right wing” organization. Today our ideas—which are based on the same philosophical principles as they were two decades ago—are considered mainstream. —Heritage Foundation Annual Report, 1993 Paul Weyrich: Co-founder and first Heritage president, Weyrich was a long-time associate of […]
“Today, my friends, we’re going to do everything the media accuses us of doing, that we never have done, but we’re going to do it,” Rush Limbaugh announced on his March 10 radio show. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today we’re going to give you marching orders, and today we will ask you to follow us […]
