‘Straight Shooter’ Chris Christie and the Occupied Territories
What happened when Republican ‘straight shooter” Chris Christie accurately called the West Bank occupied territory? He apologized.
Pundits Never Have to Say They’re Sorry—but They Can Demand Others Apologize for Being Right
National Review editor Rich Lowry slams Putin’s invasion based on “lies and force of arms.” You see, he’s against that kind of thing–except when it was the invasion of Iraq.
FAIR TV: Delusional Putin, Conflicted Pundit, We’re All Rich!
Tracing the “Putin is delusional” storyline. CBS gives viewers an energy expert who just so happens to work for the oil industry. And there’s good economic news: We’re all rich again! Well, not all of us.
No More Media Silence on TPP
The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal has drawn heavy criticism. Over 500 labor, environmental and farm groups oppose granting the White House “fast track” authority to speed the pact through Congress. The deal, still being negotiated in secret, has spawned protests around the world.
But there’s one thing that TPP hasn’t generated: news. Let’s try to change that.
CBS Fails to Disclose Energy Guest’s Industry Ties
A CBS guest is asked about Ukraine and “the energy equation.” But viewers weren’t told that he’s a lobbyist for the oil/gas industry.
Pundits Bemoan Failure to Cut Social Security
Media comments after the Obama administration backed off attempts to cut Social Security benefits exhibited a curious notion about where the “middle” is and what “majority support” means.
Bob Schieffer Is Tired of Your Fancy Talk
Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer had a classic example of anti-populist populism.
ABC on Food Stamp Cuts: Hey, It Could Be Worse
Are cuts in food stamp benefits really good news to those receiving them?
The Real Mitt Romney Should Have Run for President!
The documentary Mitt is causing many journalists to wonder why the Mitt Romney in the film wasn’t the one who ran for president. It’s a bit like asking why drinking a particular brand of beer doesn’t make you as popular with attractive strangers as the beer ads promised.
Snowden Is a Janitor Working for the Russians
If lawmakers are making unfounded allegations about a whistleblower, and those allegations are being repeated across the media, one might think the real problem is with a media culture.
TV Hires That Keep the Debate Narrow
Corporate media aren’t looking to expand the debate on important issues. They’re interested in keeping things as narrow as they already are.
It’s Sunday and It’s Snowden
It’s Sunday, and that means time for the network chat shows to present one-sided discussions about the NSA, Edward Snowden and mass surveillance.
FAIR TV: Christie’s Temper, CBS on France, Time’s Clinton Cover
This week on the show: Does Chris Christie have a temper problem? Fox‘s Brit Hume has some thoughts. CBS covers French politics–well, mostly a French politician’s sex life. And Time puts Hillary Clinton’s nonexistent presidential campaign on its latest cover. Watch:
Can We Persuade CBS to Abandon Its Inaccurate Rhetoric on Iran?
CBS’s Major Garrett says “the next big step” is “persuading Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program entirely”–but it’s never been established that Iran has a nuclear weapons program to abandon.
An American Reporter in Paris
It’s odd that CBS went to an American living in France for a sense of how the French feel about their president’s personal life. But perhaps that was because the French mostly don’t think it’s an issue.
FAIR TV: CBS and the NSA, Yemen Drone Attack, Afghanistan
This week on FAIR TV: The NSA has been having a rough time, but 60 Minutes did them a favor with a long piece that was more like public relations than journalism. Also on the show: a look at how the New York Times covered a suspected US drone strike in Yemen, and what it […]
A Wedding Was Bombed—Don’t Worry, It Was by the US, Not in the US
What seemed to be a US drone strike hit a wedding convoy in Yemen, killing over a dozen people. What kind of coverage does an event like that get on US television?
FAIR TV: Problems With Populism, Amazon Drone PR, TV ‘Knockout Game’ Hype
The Washington Post warns Democrats not to veer too far to the left, CBS helps Amazon.com with some drone PR, and we take a look at the media hype about the so-called “knockout game.”
Obamacare as a ‘Big Government’ Failure
Pundits’ discussions of the Affordable Care Act rollout assumes that the law represents some kind of “activist government” intervention to disrupt the normally smooth workings of the private sector. But that is neither the intent nor the effect of the law.
60 Minutes and Benghazi: When a Hoax Sounds Like a Hoax
Someone at CBS should have known the Benghazi story being peddled by their star witness didn’t add up.
