Monthly Archives: December 2010

The 2010 P.U.-litzer Prizes Are Here!

Posted on 12/30/2010 by Peter Hart

Today FAIR announces its annual P.U.-litzer Prizes, a rundown of some of the corporate media's stinkiest moments in 2010. Is there something we missed? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Posted in Media Criticism | 11 Comments

The Media Cult of David Petraeus

Posted on 12/29/2010 by Peter Hart

David Ignatius of the Washington Post (12/29/10): I've seen Petraeus give many briefings over the years, and it's a bit like watching a magician at work. Even though you've seen the trick before, and you know the patter, you still … Continue reading →

Posted in ABC, Media Criticism, War/Military, Washington Post | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Obama Goes to Hawaii Instead of Camp David Because He Doesn't

Posted on 12/27/2010 by Jim Naureckas

Sheryl Gay Stolberg has an article in the New York Times (12/26/10) about what President Obama's trips to Hawaii say about him: "Mr. Obama's disappearance behind the palm trees reveals much about his presidential style, and also his thinking about … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, New York Times | Tagged , | 5 Comments

FIVE Days Left to Make Your Donation

Posted on 12/27/2010 by Peter Hart

Make your tax-deductible donation to FAIR before 2010 is over. We'll be naming and thanking our donors on the website in the new year. We're close to our goal– help push us over the top. And during the holiday break, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Criticism | Leave a comment

Rove, O'Reilly Combine Their Ignorance to Battle Jon Stewart

Posted on 12/22/2010 by Peter Hart

Last night on Fox News (12/22/10), Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly attempted to defend GOP opposition tothe James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, whichwould providehealth care for 9/11 Ground Zero workers. In his final broadcast of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cable TV, Fox News, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Debate Over Whether Obama Loves America

Posted on 12/21/2010 by Peter Hart

At a press conference in 2009, Barack Obama said, "America has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world toward peace and prosperity." He also proclaimed that America has core values that make it exceptional. Based on those comments, right-wing … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, USA Today | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

NYT vs. WaPo on Life in Gaza

Posted on 12/21/2010 by Peter Hart

Today's Washington Post (12/21/10) brings a story by Janine Zacharia headlined, "Aid groups decry Israel's Gaza constraints." The lead: Despite recent moves by Israel to ease construction in the Gaza Strip, restrictions on building materials are hampering international humanitarian efforts … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times, Washington Post | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Thank Goodness Dana Milbank Is Not Insufferable

Posted on 12/20/2010 by Peter Hart

Washington Post columnistDana Milbank (12/19/10) derides WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for being "insufferable"–apparently because he emerged from prison talking about prisonconditions. Milbank sarcastically noted, "As if nine days in an English jail fighting extradition to Sweden on sex charges made … Continue reading →

Posted in Washington Post | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Dana Rohrabacher's Honduran Adventure

Posted on 12/20/2010 by Peter Hart

Today's New York Times (12/20/10) brings the latest from the WikiLeaks cables, an interesting pieceabout how Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) went to Honduras after the coup to praise the new government and hopefully arrange business deals for his friends. Unfortunately … Continue reading →

Posted in Latin America, New York Times | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Michael Moore's Not-at-All Banned Movie

Posted on 12/20/2010 by Peter Hart

One recently released WikiLeaks cable stated that Cuban officials had banned Michael Moore's healthcare documentary Sicko. Critics of Moore's work pounced, delighted thata film that spent timepointingoutthat Cuba's national system has some merits would be banned in thatcountry. The problem … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Media Criticism | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Kathleen Parker's Tax Cut Nonsense

Posted on 12/20/2010 by Peter Hart

In a column (12/19/10) devoted to attacking others for "the intentional manipulations of language to obscure truth," Washington Post columnist and CNN host Kathleen Parker spends most of her time targeting Democrats overthe tax cut debate: Democrats are equally guilty … Continue reading →

Posted in Taxes, Washington Post | Tagged | 7 Comments

Antiwar Public Unrepresented on Public TV

Posted on 12/17/2010 by Peter Hart

In FAIR's recent study of the PBS NewsHour, we found that discussions of the Afghan War were incredibly narrow–no opponents ofa war that isbroadly unpopular among the American public were allowed to make their case. Last night's NewsHour (12/16/10) offered … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, PBS, War/Military | Tagged | 29 Comments

Mark Halperin's Puppy-Killing Definition of Centrism

Posted on 12/17/2010 by Peter Hart

Time's Mark Halperin (12/27/10) joins his punditry colleagues in cheering Barack Obama's wealthy-friendly tax plan as a great way for the president to end a rough year: But by ending the year with a bipartisan-compromise tax deal, Obama showed he … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Time | Tagged , , , | 24 Comments

For Real Criticism of Holbrooke, Go Beyond NYT

Posted on 12/16/2010 by Jim Naureckas

In the proud tradition of objective journalism, the New York Times included both positive and negative views of Afghan envoy Richard Holbrooke in its December 14 obituary: Some called him a bully, and he looked the part: the big chin … Continue reading →

Posted in New York Times | Tagged | 6 Comments

NBC Follows Comedic Code in Earmark Reporting

Posted on 12/16/2010 by Jim Naureckas

The earmarks story is a peculiar genre of journalism wherein you focus on how much government spending is directed to legislator-specified projects–generally without pointing out what a tiny fraction of total spending this is, or that without the earmarking this … Continue reading →

Posted in NBC | Tagged , | 22 Comments