‘Ill-Equipped,’ ‘1950s’ Pentagon Needs an Expensive Upgrade, Media Insist
News outlets routinely caution that the Pentagon needs billions of dollars’ worth of improvements to systems, personnel and technology.
WSJ Worries Debt Limit Fight Could Jeopardize Military Contractors’ Profits
The Wall Street Journal hand-wrings about the area of the discretionary budget that appears least likely to face cuts.
Chinese Diplomacy Seen as Threat to US ‘Peace,’ ‘Stability’
Beijing’s diplomatic efforts led US media to call for the escalation of what amounts to a new cold war with China.
‘Media and Government Excuses Are Basically Intertwined’
“High-quality media outlets in the United States of America basically served as conveyor belts for pro-war propaganda.”
Norman Solomon on the Iraq Invasion, 20 Years Later
What passes for debate about why we must remain at war with whomever is designated has roots in 2003 worth studying.
20 Years Later, NYT Still Can’t Face Its Iraq War Shame
On the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the New York Times says “it’s complicated” to a disaster it can’t admit it helped create.
To US Papers, Iranian Weapons Far More Newsworthy Than Those Made in USA
If newspapers were concerned about human life, there wouldn’t be such a gap in coverage between Iranian and US-made weapons.
Action Alert: Tell USA Today to Tell Whole Story on Afghan Withdrawal
Please tell USA Today to tell the whole story on the state of Afghanistan in the wake of the US withdrawal.
NPR Distorts History of US Invasion of Afghanistan
The reality is a far cry from NPR’s propagandistically simple formulation that the Taliban simply refused to hand over Osama bin Laden.
‘This Country Would Want to See Money Taken From the Pentagon and Reallocated’
“The Pentagon shouldn’t be a jobs program. If we need a jobs program in this country, and we do, we should create a jobs program.”
Raed Jarrar on Biden’s Saudi Trip, Lindsay Koshgarian on People Over Pentagon
It’s hard to parse corporate media coverage of Biden’s Saudi visit, because that coverage obscures rather than illuminates what’s going on.
‘More Guns, More Gun Deaths—That’s Really It’
“We know exactly what needs to be done in order to save lives…because states across America have strengthened their gun laws.”
Igor Volsky on Ending Gun Violence, Pat Elder on Junior ROTC
This week on CounterSpin: CBS News‘ website featured a story about the “grim task” of planning funerals for 19 children—shot dead, along with two teachers, in a Texas elementary school on May 24—right next to a story about Oklahoma’s governor signing the country’s strictest abortion ban, the prominent sign behind him declaring “life is […]
Escalation Without Consequences on the Op-Ed Page
Opinion pages call for pumping weaponry into the conflict, choking Russian civilians with sanctions, even instituting a “no-fly zone.”
How Much Less Newsworthy Are Civilians in Other Conflicts?
TV coverage of Ukraine has both a familiar reliance on US officials to frame events and a newfound ability to cover the impact on civilians.
What Polls About a Ukraine ‘No-Fly Zone’ Really Tell Us
Nearly three in 10 who say enforcing a no-fly zone is a good idea also say they oppose the US shooting down Russian military planes.
Calling Russia’s Attack ‘Unprovoked’ Lets US Off the Hook
The “unprovoked” descriptor obscures a long history of provocative behavior from the United States in regards to Ukraine.
ACTION ALERT: NBC Off by 18 Years on US’s Last Use of Cluster Bombs
Please tell NBC to correct its misstatement that the US hasn’t used cluster bombs since the Gulf War in 1991.
The Media’s Lies About Colin Powell’s Lies
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell received virtually wall-to-wall adulation in corporate media coverage of his death.
Afghanistan Withdrawal: Sundays With the Military Industrial Complex
As US troops exited Afghanistan , the Sunday shows were filled with guests who had direct ties to the military/industrial complex.
