Washington Post Promotes Nuclear Agenda Tied to Bezos’ Investments
The Washington Post relies on factual errors and distortions to make the case for the Trump administration’s unprecedented cuts to nuclear safety regulation.
I Believe in Science—But Not Necessarily Science Journalism
When it comes to science journalism, what’s on the label is not always what’s in the tin.
Applause for Perseverance Ignores Plutonium Bullet We Dodged
The media hoopla last week about the Perseverance rover ignored NASA’s projection that the mission involved 1-in-960 odds of an accidental release of plutonium.
‘The Real Battle Is, Who’s Going to Own the Energy Supply?’
“These guys running around defending nuclear power aren’t just defending nuclear power. What they’re really about is protecting the grid, which is corporate-owned and corporate-controlled.”
David Perry on Disabilities and Police Violence, Harvey Wasserman on Nuclear vs. Renewables
The disability community is routinely marginalized in the media, making it hard to address the frequency with which law enforcement’s use of force involves people with disabilities.
WSJ Fakes a Green Shift Toward Nuclear Power
The Wall Street Journal published an article headlined “Environmental Groups Change Tune on Nuclear Power.” But major assertions in the Wall Street Journal article turn out to be either factually inaccurate, or to omit or spin important details.
Trampling Science to Boost Nuclear Power
When the Washington Post and New York Times are making the same corporate-friendly point, it’s safe to assume that some PR agency somewhere is earning its substantial fees. In this case, the subject is the need for nuclear power.
New York Times: Nuclear Establishment Tool
The model of a journalist being co-opted by the nuclear establishment involves New York Times reporter William L. Laurence, who described nuclear power as “making the dream of the Earth as a Promised Land come true.”
On Iran Policy, America Is Not ‘the World’
When reporters talk about what “the world” thinks about Iran, they really just mean the United States.
Arjun Makhijani on Renewable Energy
The UN’s panel of climate scientists have issued grave warnings about continued dependence on fossil fuels, but US policy seems to be looking more to the polluting energy source–with a fracking boom, the Keystone pipeline and, in the latest news, the White House’s opening of the Atlantic coast to oil and gas drilling. We’ll talk to Arjun Makhijani of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research about why none of this has to be this way.
CNN’s Pro-Nuclear Bias
CNN aired the pro-nuclear power documentary Pandora’s Promise, a film that brooked virtually no dissent from the views of its seven principal “stars”—one-time anti-nuclear environmentalists who now say the planet can only be saved from the ravages of fossil fuels by a rapid, large-scale investment in new, supposedly fail-safe “fast reactors.”
FAIR TV: Obamacare: Katrina or Iraq War?, Paul Ryan PR, CNN’s Pandora Response
This week on FAIR TV: Obamacare is like Hurricane Katrina? No, says one pundit: It’s like Obama’s Iraq War. Also this week: The Washington Post does PR for Paul Ryan as a poverty fighter, and CNN responds to its unbalanced pro-nuclear documentary with…a pro-nuke panel discussion.
CNN Doubles Down on Pro-Nuclear Bias
Over 27,000 activists demanded CNN present a more balanced discussion of nuclear power. CNN responded with a post-show roundtable that featured a panel just as slanted.
FAIR TV: Unreported Drone Reports, Schieffer Wants to Tackle Poverty, CNN’s Pro-Nuke Propaganda
This week we look at what the big TV networks covered instead of the new reports about US drone attacks. Plus CBS host Bob Schieffer calls for more discussions of issues that matter, and CNN is set to air some pro-nuclear power propaganda.
NYT Buries the Lead on Iran
Part of being a journalist–the most important part, perhaps–is deciding which information is most relevant to readers. So take a look at today’s New York Times piece (9/14/12) on Iran’s nuclear program. The focus is on Israeli threats and where it says it is drawing its “red line” for military action. But this focus is […]
The Japanese Nuclear Establishment vs. the Two-Thirds ‘Minority’
There’s a news article in the Washington Post today (1/26/12) that really captures that paper’s view of the way the world works, and how it ought to work. Headlined “After Earthquake, Japan Can’t Agree on the Future of Nuclear Power,” Chico Harlan’s piece begins: The hulking system that once guided Japan’s pro-nuclear-power stance worked just […]
Is Japan Threatened by Anti-Nuke Politicians…or by Nukes?
I was struck by this headline in the Washington Post (7/10/11): Loss of Support for Nuclear Power Threatens Japan’s Economy There are probably a lot of things that are threatening the Japanese economy–a massive, deadly earthquake and tsunami, for instance. Or the massive nuclear disaster that resulted from that tsunami. The news here is that […]
NYT Explains German Nuclear Irrationality
The New York Times‘ Alan Cowell had a piece (6/2/11) about public opposition to nuclear power in Germany, and the fact that the country’s political leadership has decided to establish policies that conform to that sentiment. It apparently left the Times a bit perplexed: But the German move also raised a question whose answer seemed […]
Media and Nuclear Energy: Interlocking Industries
While the Fukushima nuclear disaster has gotten plenty of attention on network programming, the debate has consistently overlooked the most fundamental question of whether nuclear power can be harnessed safely (FAIR Blog, 3/14/11). In asking why this question remains muted, a look at their boards of directors reveals that all three major broadcast networks share […]
USA Today ‘Debates’ Nuclear Power
USA Today has a regular left-right feature between hard-right pundit Cal Thomas and TV “liberal” Bob Beckel. Today’s topic? Nuclear power. And the verdict? Well, the headline tells you all you need to know. Knee-Jerks and Nukes Cal and Bob agree that despite the chorus of hand-wringers, it would be foolish to give up on […]
