Silly Environmentalists, Getting Upset Over a Little Pipeline
‘Both sides’ are exaggerating the impact of the Keystone XL pipeline, says a Washington Post reporter. He’s half-right.
‘Free Trade’ Doesn’t Need a Debate in the Washington Post
The Washington Post editorializes in favor of secretive corporate-friendly trade arrangements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). But news coverage can put its thumb on the scales in favor of the pro-TPP side too.
No, Putin Isn’t Following ‘Reagan Playbook’ in Ukraine—Thank God
When the Washington Post’s David Ignatius writes a column headlined “Putin Steals the CIA’s Playbook on Anti-Soviet Covert Operations,” is that supposed to be a criticism or a compliment?
Botching the Israel/Palestine Talks Timeline
Some stories are easy to understand–or would be, if media reported the facts without so much spin. As hard as it might be to believe, the roots of the current Israel/Palestine negotiating impasse is one of those stories.
FAIR TV: Russian Troops, Christie’s ‘Gaffe,’ Torture Without the T Word
Russian troops are massing on the border with Ukraine, set to invade–so say corporate media, relying on unnamed intelligence sources. Plus straight-talking Chris Christie apologizes for straight talk, and the Washington Post’s scoop on CIA torture can’t say the word “torture.”
It’s Torture—but Let’s Not Call It That
The Washington Post gets a big scoop about a Senate investigation of CIA torture. But they won’t call it torture.
‘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.
WaPo’s Twisted Take on Poor People Eating
The Washington Post describes state efforts to make sure poor recipients remain eligible for food stamp benefits as a “loophole…potentially wiping out billions of dollars in savings Congress agreed to last month.”
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.
FAIR TV: Progressive Budget, Wash Post’s NSA Omission, Sundays With CEOs
On the show this week: The Progressive Caucus budget is greeted with the usual corporate media silence, the Washington Post withholds vital information from its recent NSA scoop, and Maria Bartiromo sticks up for the voiceless CEOs.
Hawks Want Obama to Be More Like Jimmy Carter
Pundits like Charles Krauthammer have fond memories of the Afghan/Soviet war, and want Obama to be more like Jimmy Carter so that the Ukraine crisis can have a similarly happy result.
Are Charter Schools Really ‘Helping Poor Children’?
The “usual measurement” offered by columnist Richard Cohen as proof of the value of charter schools offers no evidence that charter school students are any better off at all.
The NSA Built a ‘Time Machine’—but Washington Post Won’t Say Where
The Washington Post is reporting that the NSA is able to store every phone call made in an entire nation and replay them for up to 30 days. Not only can the agency do this, but there is a country where it’s actually doing this now–the Post knows where, but they won’t say.
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.
New Keystone Poll Reveals Media Failure
The public strongly supports building the Keystone pipeline–and they wrongly think it will create a lot of jobs. Aren’t media to blame for failing to set that straight?
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?
A Protest in the Capital and a Media Blackout
What happens when hundreds of Keystone activists get arrested in front of the White House? Not much, judging by the lack of media interest.
The Good Kind of Protesters—and the Bad Kind
The complex anti-government protest movements in both Venezuela and Ukraine were boiled down by US corporate media to send a clear message to their domestic audience: These are the good guys.
Leaving Beltway Journalism, Revealing Its Shortcomings
Leaving the Washington Post, Robert Kaiser revealed his frustration that the “rules” of elite journalism do not allow one to call out lying politicians. He also demonstrated another key Beltway tendency: pretending that both sides are equally guilty of similar offenses.
Russia, Ukraine and ‘US Prestige’
Pundits worry about US ‘prestige’ and the weakness of Barack Obama.
