WaPo Lets Slip Why Dollar Is Over-Valued
An over-valued dollar hurts the workers who are subject to international competition to the benefit of workers who are largely protected from international competition.
Robert Samuelson’s ‘Golden Age’ Mythology
Robert Samuelson says if we had kept up the rates of productivity growth we had until 1973, it would have mattered much more to middle-income families’ living standards than the rise in inequality since 1980. This is true in the sense of “if I were six feet five inches, I would be taller than I am,” but it’s not clear what we should make of the point.
‘Venezuelan Bomb Plot’ a Figment of FBI’s—and US Media’s—Imagination
Accurate headlines would not leave casual readers with the impression that Venezuela was interested in getting a nuclear bomb, or in trying to nuke New York.
Why Won’t Warren Quit Worrying and Learn to Love Wall Street?
The Washington Post’s David Ignatius is the latest establishment journalist to launch a salvo against Sen. Elizabeth Warren and “her jihad against Wall Street.”
People Who Live in ‘Flyspecks’ Shouldn’t Fling Metaphors
The second paragraph of the Washington Post’s news story (12/17/14) on President Obama normalizing relations with Cuba begins, “Cuba is a flyspeck of an island that long ago ceased to be a threat to the United States.”
More Pointless Campaign 2016 Journalism
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced that he sort of could be running for the Republican presidential nomination. Of course, that drew substantial media attention.
WaPo Won’t Say ‘Torture’—Unless It Makes Torture Sound Better
The Washington Post’s poll most likely found that a small minority of Americans thought torture was justified after 9/11. In other words, pretty much the opposite of what the Post’s headline said.
Dana Milbank and the Bias of Centrism
To argue that Elizabeth Warren is the left equivalent of Jim DeMint, one must exhibit no interest in the substance of politics.
‘Disruptive, Demanding’ Elizabeth Warren vs. ‘Can-Do’ Pragmatists
Media coverage portrays populist Democrats as presenting a “threat” to pragmatic centrism.
Torture Enablers Spin Unreleased Senate Report
The Senate’s report on CIA torture will be released in a matter of days, so why the need to give defenders of torture a platform to excuse themselves in advance?
Wrong-on-Iraq Pundit Gives Lessons in Media Accountability
There are reporters at outlets like the Washington Post who raised real questions about Rolling Stone’s story about rape at the University of Virginia. And then are also those like National Review editor Rich Lowry,
No, Tar Sands Oil Isn’t Inevitable
Pundits say opposing Keystone is foolish because they’re going to get that oil out of the ground no matter what. But is that true?
Young People Going Republican? Not So Fast
A new poll out of Harvard’s Institute of Politics is getting a lot of attention, probably because it appears to send a surprising message: Young voters are moving towards the GOP. But some caution is in order.
Media Cry Foul When Democrats Talk About Race
The front page of the New York Times dwells on how Democrats are playing on “racial fears” in campaign advertising. But are the ads actually unfair–or do they simply talk about issues the corporate media would rather not discuss?
The Washington Post’s Putinology
The Russian president delivered a conspiratorial, factually challenged rant against the United States, according to the Washington Post. So why can’t they point to any evidence?
A ‘Worthless and Whiny’ Attack on a Genuine Journalistic Hero
The Washington Post was one of the major newspapers to attack Gary Webb for his revelations about the CIA-backed Contras and the crack epidemic. It’s 2014, and they’re still at it.
How to Drive a Colleague to His Grave and Sleep Easy at Night
Ryan Grim’s new book sheds new light on the establishment media’s 1996 effort to discredit Gary Webb’s Contra crack revelations by talking to some of the key players. They sleep very well, they want you to know.
Pointless 2016 Election Journalism, 2014 Edition
Trying to cover the 2016 presidential election based on a poll in 2014 is a waste of time.
A Most Interesting Man: Did Maddow Really ‘Tar’ Rand Paul on Civil Rights?
The new issue of Time magazine declares Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul the most interesting man in politics. Maybe that says something about Time, or about the state of American politics.
FAIR TV: Perception vs. Reality, 60 Minutes & the FBI, NPR Takes Netanyahu’s Side
60 Minutes cheers on the FBI, NPR takes Netanyahu’s side on settlements, and media blur the difference between perception and reality.
