Rupert Murdoch Heads West
The strategy of Rupert Murdoch, always arch-conservative in his politics, has been to start or take over and use media to further his political viewpoint.
Billionaire’s Mouthpiece Searches for Reasons to Avoid Taxing Billionaires
The Washington Post, which serves the interests of its mega-billionaire owner Jeff Bezos, unsurprisingly thinks taxing billionaire wealth is a bad idea.
Media Like Newsom’s Fighting Words—But Are Words Enough to Beat Trump?
Newsom seems to think that all he needs is one splashy issue he can fight Trump on–and a little help from his corporate friends, donors and media outlets.
For Media, Unruly Protesters Are Bigger Problem Than Trump’s Police State
While major media sources described LA protests as “mostly peaceful,” they nevertheless tended to dwell on what was depicted as rioting and protester violence.
Politico Plays With Polling to Manufacture ‘Trump-Resistance Fatigue’
A recent Politico article gave readers an excellent lesson in how not to report on a poll—unless the goal is to push politicians to the right.
Right-Wing Sleuths Find the LA Fires Culprit: Once Again, It’s Wokeness
Coverage of the LA fires demonstrates that in the Murdoch fantasyland, “wokeness” can be used to blame literally anything.
Corporate Fearmongering Over Fast Food Wage Hike Aged Like Cold French Fries
The narrow focus on whether a Big Mac costs 15 cents more, and if it does, shouldn’t you yell at the people behind the counter, is a distortion, and a tired one,
‘The Problem Is, There’s No Place for Anyone to Go’:
CounterSpin interview with Keith McHenry on criminalizing homelessness
“Millions of dollars have been spent just driving people from corner to corner, with no even slight effort, really, to house people.”
Reporting on California’s Fast-Food Minimum Wage Raise Comes With Side Order of Fear
There’s an apocalyptic tone to much of the coverage of California’s decision to raise the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $20 an hour.
‘What Californians Really Need Is Community-Centered, Truly Local and Responsive Journalism’
“There is no guarantee that any of the money funneled through this bill would go to supporting high-quality local content and journalists.”
LA Times Frames School Board Melee as Clash of Protesters, Not Far-Right Attack
The LA Times downplayed the fact that outside far-right activists have been driving much of the hostility.
The Character Assassination of San Francisco
The media narrative holds that permissive policies protecting the homeless have allowed a zombie army of criminals to control San Francisco.
‘We Need to Transform What It Means to Be an Academic Worker; the Status Quo Is Untenable’
“This is the way issues get put on the agenda, on the state and the national agenda, by making social disruptions.”
WSJ Hates Tax Breaks: California Edition
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has a long history of liking tax relief only when it benefits the wealthy.
Turning a San Francisco Recall Into Rout for Police Reform
San Francisco’s successful DA recall was portrayed as a watershed moment, with progressive voters turning against police reforms.
‘The Times Is Telling You to Choose Between Rights and Safety’
“The only way we’re going to get to real safety in our society…is by actually investing in the things that lead to safety.”
‘Proposition 22 Is a Backlash to Victories Workers Have Had’
“We’ve seen the most explosive and energetic worker organizing on the ground that has ever been present in the gig community.”
US Media Can’t Think How to Fight Fires Without $1-an-Hour Prison Labor
Coverage dances around the fact that there are plenty of workers available in a state with 2.5 million people currently unemployed.
Naomi Walker on Covid-19 Relief, Johanna Bozuwa on the Last ‘New Normal’
The $150 billion designated for state, local and tribal governments as relief from the Covid-19 crisis is nowhere near what those governments will need—and not just that, but forcing them to cut budgets just as they need to be spending more is going to drive a cycle that only hurts more those already hurting.
Weather From Another Planet: Wildfires and Climate Change
Extreme drought, extreme heat and extremely devastating wildfires in Southern California are big news for TV journalists. But don’t mention climate change.
