Best of CounterSpin 2006
On this special Best of CounterSpin, program we look back over some of what was news for the mainstream media in 2006—and some of what wasn’t news, but should’ve been.
Rough Road to Liberal Talk Success
When Air America declared bankruptcy on October 13, conservatives who’d been predicting its failure since it launched 30 months earlier were afforded a new chance to gloat and scoff at the notion that liberal radio hosts could ever compete with what they see as the stunningly talented conservatives who dominate the medium (O’Reilly Factor, 10/13/06; […]
Withdrawing From Debate on Iraq
The forthcoming report from the independent Iraq Study Group, which according to press reports will possibly recommend a gradual and tentative withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq while rejecting any deadlines or timetables to carry it out, seems likely to further marginalize advocates of meaningful troop withdrawal in the media debate over Iraq. The group, […]
Morning-After Pundits Take Winners to Task
On the day after Election Day 2006, pundits from major U.S. news outlets had, as one would expect, substantial amounts of political criticism for the party that faced major losses. What is more remarkable is the amount of criticism and caution directed at the party that won major gains. Virtually unanimously, the political commentators providing […]
PBS Responds to FAIR NewsHour Study
On October 6, PBS ombud Michael Getler posted a response to FAIR’s study of the NewsHour With Jim Lehrer (“Are You on the NewsHour‘s Guestlist?,” Extra!, 9-10/06). He included a statement from NewsHour executive producer Linda Winslow and several letters from FAIR activists and readers. FAIR appreciates Getler’s serious response to the study and his […]
Julie Hollar and Bob McChesney on the PBS NewsHour and public broadcasting
This week on CounterSpin: We’ll discuss a new FAIR study of PBS’s flagship news program, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, which, despite describing itself as “evenhanded” and “inclusive of all perspectives,” unfortunately fails rather resoundingly on both counts.
The Power of Conservative Spinning
In addition to being a journalism professor (whose courses have included Politics of Media), I’m the host of a nationally aired TV program, Enviro Close-Up. My producer, Joan Flynn, and I get many e-mails proposing subjects and guests for the show—the overwhelming majority from conservative public relations companies promoting conservative guests. In terms of volume […]
More Dangerous Than Anyone Thought
Earlier this year, I asked my undergraduate students at the University of California, Santa Cruz, to evaluate a barrage of news stories declaring that “teen drivers are more dangerous than anyone thought” (Paula Zahn Now, 1/18/06) in response to an American Automobile Association study warning that crashes involving 15- to 17-year-old drivers killed 31,000 people […]
Jeff Cohen on his latest book: ‘Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media’
This week on CounterSpin: FAIR founder Jeff Cohen discusses his new book Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media.
Sidebar: Brooks and Shields
[Note: This piece is a sidebar to “Are You on the NewsHour’s Guestlist?”] The NewsHour features a weekly Friday debate which purports to pit a commentator from the right against one from the left. As a regular segment featuring NewsHour employees rather than outside sources, the segment was not included in the study, but it […]
NY1 Responds to FAIR
NY1 general manager Steve Paulus has responded to FAIR activists challenging the New York cable news station’s decision to exclude Jonathan Tasini from a debate with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton (FAIR Action Alert, 8/4/06; Activism Update, 8/18/06). Tasini is running against Clinton for the Democratic senatorial nomination, and has 13 percent support in the […]
NY1 Dismisses Calls for Tasini-Clinton Debate
(NOTE: Please see the related further Activism Update.) On August 4, FAIR issued an action alert calling for New York cable news channel NY1 to allow Democratic antiwar candidate Jonathan Tasini to debate incumbent Sen. Hillary Clinton as part of its series of televised primary debates. NY1, which is owned by Time Warner, had created […]
Jeff Cohen on Lamont-Lieberman, Chuck Collins on Mexican election
This week on CounterSpin: What pundits and political reporters are saying about the Lamont victory in Connecticut, with FAIR founder Jeff Cohen. Also on the show: Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies discusses Mexico and the current drama surrounding the country’s presidential election.
Stephen Zunes on Israel-Lebanon, Geoff Nunberg on ‘Talking Right’
Professor and author Stephen Zunes joins the show to discuss Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, and the other underexplored aspects of this evolving crisis. Also this week: UC Berkeley linguist Geoff Nunberg shares about his new book, Talking Right, and the language of politics.
NY1 Silences Debate
(NOTE: Please see the Activism Update regarding this alert.) There is a heated debate among Democrats about the direction of the party, with centrist party stalwarts facing challenges from the left on issues like the Iraq War. But New York City voters will have a more difficult time seeing this debate play out, as New […]
Sidebar: The Internet Problem
[Note: this piece is a sidebar to Move Over—Over and Over: Media’s rightward push for Democrats] Political reporters looking to identify a new obstacle standing in the way of Democratic electoral success often find it online, where party activists and progressives congregate around liberal blogs and websites. Writing under the headline “Blogs Attack From Left […]
Norman Solomon on Mideast War, Jamal Dajani on Mosaic/LINK TV
Columnist Norman Solomon joins the show to discuss the wars in Lebanon and Gaza. Also this week: Jamal Dajani shares about LinkTV’s award-winning program Mosaic, which seeks to spotlight Arab and Muslim perspectives on the current Mid East violence and news more generally.
Mark Weisbrot on Mexican election, James Zogby on Gaza crisis
This week on CounterSpin: Mark Weisbrot of the Center for Economic and Policy Research discusses Mexico’s still-unresolved presidential election and the press’s blatant favoritism towards conservative candidate Felipe Calderón. Also on the show: James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, talks about U.S. coverage of Gaza and how it compares to what’s being said by the Israeli media.
Move Over—Over and Over
It’s an article of faith in the elite ranks of journalism: Political virtue and electoral success reside in the ideological center. Though it’s not overwhelmingly popular with the American public, centrism is the dominant message of national political pundits and journalists—at least for Democrats. While few commentators would disagree with the conventional wisdom that Republican […]
Sidebar: Another Clinton?
[Note: this piece is a sidebar to Move Over—Over and Over: Media’s rightward push for Democrats] So who do political reporters now expect to close the “cultural gap” that supposedly prevents Democrats from winning at the polls? Many look to Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who represents many of the centrist qualities media insiders prescribe for […]
