Dictator: Media Code for ‘Government We Don’t Like’
The “dictator” label is also a powerful cue, used by media to prime the reader to see a particular country or leader a certain way.
To Ramp Up Fear of Russia in Africa, NYT Downplays Massive US Military Presence on Continent
With a report on Russian influence in Africa, the New York Times added to its series of reports depicting Official Enemies surpassing the US in the race for global dominance.
For WaPo, ‘What Next in Africa?’ Doesn’t Include US Getting Out
“What Next in Africa?” read a recent Washington Post headline. Among the possible answers not considered by the Post article: “Close US military bases,” “End US drone strikes” or “Stop US special forces raids.”
Danny Schechter, ‘News Dissector’ and Creator, Dies at 72
Danny Schechter, groundbreaking media critic and legendary producer for both corporate and alternative media, died on March 19 at the age of 72.
Ebola Story Puts Old Fears in New Virus
Ebola is less a story about a bizarre new disease and its unpredictably disastrous capacities, and more a sad old story about poverty and priorities.
CBS Covers Liberia’s Ebola Crisis–Without Liberian Voices
CBS presented a very moving and dramatic account of the fight against ebola in Liberia. But no Liberians spoke in the piece.
FAIR TV: August 29, 2014
On the show this week: On the day of his funeral, the New York Times declared that Michael Brown was “no angel.” We look at that and other shoddy reporting from Ferguson. Plus Newsweek spreads farfetched fear about Ebola and African immigrants, and we look at how often union leaders appear on the Sunday chat […]
Newsweek’s Monkey Meat Ebola Fearmongering
Newsweek’s cover story is built around the idea that illegally imported “bushmeat”–what we would call “wild game” if it were being eaten in the United States–could carry the deadly Ebola virus.
But is there any evidence that imported meat could actually carry Ebola? On that score, Newsweek comes up empty.
Vijay Prashad on IS and Iraq, Emira Woods on Africa Summit
This week on CounterSpin: With the Islamic State, or IS, occupying large swathes of Iraq and Syria, a common refrain from politicians and pundits is to suggest that the group would not be a menace had the US intervened earlier and more deeply in the Syrian civil war. Author and professor Vijay Prashad will join us to address that canard and other misconceptions about Iraq, the US and the Islamic State.
Also on the show: The recent summit of African leaders in Washington DC was criticized by some for soft-pedaling human rights issues, but that only meant in African nations; media seemed to have no question at all about the beneficent goals of the policy of increased ‘investment’ on the continent by US corporations. We have some questions; we’ll ask them of Emira Woods of ThoughtWorks and the Institute for Policy Studies.
And Now, Our Expert on Africa… US Billionaire Michael Bloomberg
African leaders are in DC for a big summit, so CBS Face the Nation turns to noted Africa expert…Michael Bloomberg?
No, Putin Isn’t Following ‘Reagan Playbook’ in Ukraine—Thank God
When the Washington Post’s David Ignatius writes a column headlined “Putin Steals the CIA’s Playbook on Anti-Soviet Covert Operations,” is that supposed to be a criticism or a compliment?
Mandela and Misremembering US History
U.S. media coverage of Nelson Mandela’s legacy celebrates the late icon’s forgiveness. But one area that gets relatively little attention is US support for the racist government Mandela fought against.
NYT Takes Mandela’s Death as a Chance to Mock His Fight to Free His Country
In his obituary for Nelson Mandela, the Times’ Bill Keller went into detail about Mandela’s armed efforts to overthrow the apartheid state–seemingly in an effort to belittle them.
Rehabilitating Bush at ABC News
George W. Bush doesn’t speak to the press much, but based on the fawning treatment he got from ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, he might want to re-consider.
Authoritarian Allies & the Myth of U.S. ‘Leverage’
The record of the U.S. government’s support for authoritarian, corrupt and/or murderous regimes is not really up for debate. The only question is whether one believes that the U.S. extends such support despite a deep-seated preference for democratic rule and human rights.
Celebrating French Intervention in Mali
The French military commenced Operation Serval against separatist rebels in Northern Mali on January 11, 2013. The air and ground intervention was undertaken with the cooperation and support of the United States, as well as several European and African states. U.S. press reporting has provided a simplistic account of the intervention as a heroic effort […]
What U.S. Commitment to African Justice and Human Rights?
It was not altogether surprising to see a headline in the New York Times, “Leader of Vote Count in Kenya Faces U.S. With Tough Choices.” The “tough choice” is apparently that the candidate in the lead, Uhuru Kenyatta, has a terrible human rights record.
Emira Woods on Mali, William Black on Jack Lew
What’s missing from the Mali storyline? And what is the likely impact of this latest military action on the Malian people? CounterSpin talks to Emira Woods from the Institute for Policy Studies. And Barack Obama’s nomination for Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew, has been celebrated in the financial community and corporate media. William Black joins us to talk about how the Lew nomination is just another brick in the Wall Street on the Potomac.
NY Times and the Myth of ‘U.S. Ideals’
There’s nothing quite like the demise of a U.S-allied dictator to get the Paper of Record talking about the “clash” between U.S. “ideals” and the actual policies the country carries out. Today’s New York Times (8/22/12) carries the headline “Ethiopian Leader’s Death Highlights Gap Between U.S. Interests and Ideals,” under which Jeffrey Gettleman lays out […]
Military Intervention in Africa
The viral video Kony 2012, a call by the U.S.-based group Invisible Children to “make famous” the brutal African warlord Joseph Kony and capture him through military action, has been seen by an unprecedented 87 million people, according to YouTube. The video has come under fire for inaccuracy and for what many see as a […]
