NYT on Student Loan Crisis: What Crisis Is That?
The New York Times’ David Leonhardt heralded a new study by the centrist Brookings Institution that questions whether the student loan market actually faces a “crisis on the horizon.”
Bruni’s ‘Middle’ = Corporate Tax Cuts and No Minimum Wage Hike?
Andrew Cuomo is a ‘centrist’ politician–meaning one who promotes unpopular policies on behalf of the very rich.
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.
This Just In: US Ruled by the Rich
The same well-heeled elites and their representatives who dominate US politics and policy are also grossly over-represented among the owners of US corporate media.
Bill Clinton’s Critics Are…Who, Exactly?
Big efforts are underway to burnish Bill Clinton’s economic legacy. The New York Times does its part by failing to quote critics of Clinton’s record.
Buzzfeed Feeds Paul Ryan’s Buzz
Paul Ryan says he wants to fight poverty, and he can convince reporters that he means it. But what about his actual record?
Mary Jo White, Tough on Torture Victims
Time thinks Mary Jo White will be a good SEC chair because…she approves of torturing Guantanamo prisoners?
The Point of Limiting Donations Isn’t to Make Elections Cheaper or Less Irritating
The point of contribution limits isn’t to make elections cheaper; it’s to limit the ability of the very wealthy to dominate politics.
Finally, Corporate America Will Have a Voice
Former CNBC host Maria Bartiromo will be debuting a new show on the Fox News Channel soon, and she’s sharing one idea about what will make her show different: Corporations will finally get a chance to tell their story.
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.
Hey America: We’re Rich Again!*
When a USA Today headline declares, “We’re $9,800,000,000,000 Richer,” who exactly does the “we” in the headline refer to?
‘El Chapo’ and El Banco
While the only questions regarding Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s prosecution appear to be where and when, things were different when it came to prosecuting the institution that supported what Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton called “the lifeblood” of the Sinoloa Cartel’s operations.
Bob Schieffer Is Tired of Your Fancy Talk
Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer had a classic example of anti-populist populism.
The Bias of ‘Both Sides Do It’
The New York Times had a great piece of reporting about how a phony think tank can turn dollars into political influence. Unfortunately, the piece also included the usual but-the-other-side-does-it-too routine.
Sue Sturgis on Moral March, Toni Gilpin on Skills Gap Myth
This week on CounterSpin: Tens of thousands of moral marchers descend on Raleigh North Carolina, the latest and most dramatic example of a social justice movement sweeping the state. The national press is mostly skipping the story; Sue Sturgis from the Institute for Southern Studies fills us in on what’s happening.
Also on the show: You may have heard that the reason we have so many unemployed people isn’t because there are no jobs, but because people don’t have the right skills for the jobs that are open, in part because of our failing schools. If it doesn’t sound right to you, that’s because it’s wrong. So why say it? We’ll talk with labor historian and educator Toni Gilpin about the popular myth of the “skills gap.”
What Will 2016 Political Landscape Look Like? USA Today Has No Clue
Because it is a mere 1,000 days until the election, USA Today’s Susan Page tries to predict the 2016 presidential campaign.
FAIR TV: Keystone Bipartisanship, ABC’s ‘Average’ 401K, O’Reilly’s Trust Problem
Big-time journalists think Obama should approve the Keystone pipeline to show that he wants to make Republicans happy. ABC tells us about an “average” family’s 401K plan–which isn’t average at all. And Fox host Bill O’Reilly says he’s trustworthy–take his word for it.
News You Can’t Use: ABC and Your 401K
Once again, ABC explains the news by focusing on a ‘typical family’ and their 401k account. But most families have no such thing.
Falsely Presenting Obamacare as a Job-Killer
When the Congressional Budget Office released a new report about the Affordable Care Act, some in the media botched the story by portraying the news as a triumph for Republican spin.
