ABC and Darren Wilson’s ‘Serious Injury’
Back in August ABC reported on Darren Wilson’s ‘serious facial injury.’ What will they say now?
Why ABC Thought Suffering Palestinians Were Israelis
ABC misidentified a suffering Palestinian family as being Israeli. It shouldn’t be seen as just an honest mistake.
American TV to Chinese Spies: Do as US Says, Not as US Does
US TV networks played up the FBI’s economic espionage charges against China–without mentioning that the NSA does something very similar.
The Good Kind of Protesters—and the Bad Kind
The complex anti-government protest movements in both Venezuela and Ukraine were boiled down by US corporate media to send a clear message to their domestic audience: These are the good guys.
ABC on Food Stamp Cuts: Hey, It Could Be Worse
Are cuts in food stamp benefits really good news to those receiving them?
Why Did the US Invade Iraq? The Answer in 2014
Reports of Al-Qaeda linked fighters taking over the Iraqi city of Fallujah have prompted a lot of media coverage about the US sacrifice there. In the process, the history of the war is being dramatically rewritten.
Iran’s Suspicious Smile
Tom Friedman of the New York Times opened up his November 13 column with this: It goes without saying that the only near-term deal with Iran worth partially lifting sanctions for would be a deal that freezes all the key components of Iran’s nuclear weapons development program It goes without saying that this is deeply […]
Student Loan Rates Drop—or Maybe They Rise?
The new student loan law lowers rates–and then, almost certainly, raises them in the near future. But hey–at least it’s bipartisan.
This Time, Trust Anonymous WMD Claims—They’ve Got ‘Specific Intelligence’
The theatrics of WMD claims about Syria–satellite images, anonymous sources and so on–are obviously reminiscent of the lead up to the Iraq War. But media stress that this time–it’s different.
This Just In: Hillary Clinton’s Scrunchie
Take my word for it. Diane Sawyer, ABC World News (6/21/12): And now to the ongoing master class in letting your hair down, by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.These past few months, we’ve been watching her swig a beer, brandish a scrunchie without apology, and makeup free and telling everybody she doesn’t care what they […]
ABC: European Elections Matter, Mostly to American 401(k)s
Parliamentary elections in Greece saw the conservative-leaning New Democracy party win a narrow victory over the left-wing anti-austerity Syriza coalition. This was good news for an array of major players who prefer Greece to stick to the current punishing bailout plan arranged by European countries. ABC World News showed which angle mattered most when anchor […]
Oily Propaganda on ABC World News
If you watch TV news you’re bound to see a lot of commercials for oil companies. As Miranda Spencer reported in Extra! (2/12), there are far more commercials about energy companies and natural gas than there are actual news reports about controversial industry practices like hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” But then there are the news […]
ABC and the (Still) Growing Iran Threat
ABC World News was responsible for a flagrantly propagandistic report about Iran on January 31. They’re still at it. At the top of the March 5 report, anchor Diane Sawyer announced that Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were talking about “the growing nuclear threat from Iran.” Sawyer warned that it might be […]
ABC and the ‘Family Budget’ Fallacy
Last year New York Times columnist Paul Krugman (7/8/11) wrote a sharp critique of those who argue that the federal government’s budget should be compared to a family. He called it one of the “right’s favorite economic fallacies,” pointing out: No, the government shouldn’t budget the way families do; on the contrary, trying to balance […]
Great Moments in Campaign Journalism…
Three moments, actually: —NBC‘s Chuck Todd yesterday on Meet the Press (12/10/11), commenting on Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich: Well, first of all, those are a couple of nimble debaters. They are pretty good. I think we have seen it. This is the final two. I’m old enough to remember when Todd had the campaign […]
ABC Exclusive: Greek Fatcat Retirees Stealing From American Workers!
The November 1 broadcast of ABC World News couldn’t have been any clearer about what’s happening in Greece: Their pampered, early-retiring workforce is stealing from Americans. Anchor Diane Sawyer explained: If you were watching your stocks today, you saw a nosedive. The Dow down nearly 300 points, so, what changed? Well, blame it on the […]
After London Police Killing, Media Focus on Problem of Police Restraint
Much of the media coverage of the riots in England dwells on the issue of police restraint. There is a “public backlash against police restraint,” the Washington Post explained (8/11/11), with some wanting “a tougher response to the rash of disturbances that has sullied Britain’s image.” The problem is the “seemingly halting, even timorous, policing,” […]
ABC’s Raddatz, Citing Her ‘Combat Mission,’ Says Bombs Must Go On
Afghan president Hamid Karzai denounced once again U.S./NATO airstrikes that killed civilians. In this recent incident, 14 were killed, including 11 children. This prompted ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer (5/31/11) to call in ABC reporters to sort things out, leading to this exchange with Pentagon reporter Martha Raddatz: SAWYER: He’s talking to the Afghan […]
Navy SEALs: Subtle, Brainy Superhumans
Salon.com‘s Justin Elliot has a good piece about media adoration for the Navy SEALs, focusing on an NBC report. Lest anyone think that report is a weird outlier, here are some quotes from the May 3 broadcast of ABC World News (you can watch it here, if you must): DIANE SAWYER: Tonight, details are surfacing […]
