‘Debating’ War, Corporate Media Style
Discussions of what the Obama White House should do in Iraq and Syria are dominated by hawks, military officials and former national security insiders.
Washington Post Editorial Page, Meet Noam Chomsky
The Washington Post stands firm against Russian aggression, since Putin has violated an “international norm” that is “uncontroversial.” Do those rules apply to the US, though?
If Only Obama Had Bombed More, and Sooner
More US bombing is a message corporate media are eager to amplify.
This Sunday, a Different Kind of Iraq War Booster: Bill Clinton
NBC Meet the Press taps Bill Clinton to talk Iraq. But will viewers know that Clinton was also a crucial supporter of the invasion?
Chelsea Manning Speaks—But Who Listened?
Whistleblower Chelsea Manning speaks in the pages of the Sunday New York Times. But was anyone else in the media listening?
Iraq Is a Place Where Americans Suffered
In the wake of Sunni militants overtaking Mosul, US media still tell the story of the Iraq War as if US suffering is what really matters.
FAIR TV: Obama’s Forgotten ‘Surge,’ Rebranding Jeb Bush, Climate Expert Coulter
This week: Obama’s Afghan War drawdown was big news–but what do media leave out of the story of the White House’s war strategy? Plus the New York Times assists in a Jeb Bush rebranding effort and CNN goes to climate change expert…Ann Coulter? Watch:
Crediting Obama for Bringing Troops Home–Without Noting He Sent Them Abroad
NPR tells listeners that Obama has cut troop levels in Afghanistan by two-thirds–but doesn’t explain that he massively escalated the war.
Obama’s ‘Manhood Problem’—and Media’s Humanity Problem
David Brooks says the Middle East thinks Obama has a “manhood” problem.
In Yemen, Drones Don’t Kill Innocents
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical about reports about the military strikes in Yemen.
Intelligence Sources Play an Early April Fool’s Joke on NBC News
US intelligence claims about a Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border are just that–claims. On NBC Nightly News, however, anchor Brian Williams and Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski not only took these claims as gospel, they used them as the jumping off point for alarmist speculation.
‘Troop Buildup on the Border’–We’ve Heard This Before
Claims about a Russian buildup on Ukraine’s border are being made based on intelligence that very few people have likely seen. NBC correspondent Jim Maceda went to the border area to check out the claims of Russian troop presence and couldn’t turn up much.
Pundits Never Have to Say They’re Sorry—but They Can Demand Others Apologize for Being Right
National Review editor Rich Lowry slams Putin’s invasion based on “lies and force of arms.” You see, he’s against that kind of thing–except when it was the invasion of Iraq.
Obama’s Imaginary Foreign Policy ‘Caution’
The NY Times once again advances the idea that Barack Obama’s foreign policy is alarmingly noninterventionist. Which is true, when you discount all the evidence to the contrary.
Will Twisted History of Georgian War Facilitate a Repetition?
In reporting and commentary on Ukraine, the 2008 Russo-Georgian War provides a handy anti-Russian talking point…if you leave out half the story.
What if NYT Factchecked Netanyahu’s Claims?
If the New York Times pointed out that Israel was making debunkable claims about Iranian weapons programs, it might make readers less inclined to accept Israel’s unverifiable claims about Iranian weapons shipments.
Putin’s ‘Delusions’ and Double Standards
Media are suggesting that Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s defense of his actions in Ukraine suggests he is delusional. But what do they call it when US leaders appear unable to remember US invasions of other countries?
FAIR TV: Pundits Want Social Security Cuts, Troop Cut Panic, Arizona Bill Discriminates—’Some Say’
Pundits were mad about the news that Barack Obama was backing away from “chained CPI” Social Security cuts. An announcement about troop cuts caused some reporters to panic. And Arizona’s discriminatory SB 1062 is given the “some say” media treatment.
You Won’t Believe What They Let the President Do in France
Time’s story on French President Francois Hollande is a lengthy, rather predictable argument that his turn to the right is a good idea. But it was hard to get past the very first sentence.
NYT Most Interested in Kids US Killed if US Might Not Have Killed Them
New York Times journalists do not like being lied to. Unless it’s their own government doing the lying; then they tend to be more forgiving.
