Monthly Archives: April 2011

Boss Bashing: Does Lawrence O'Donnell Have a Fallback Job?

Posted on 04/29/2011 by Peter Hart

MSNBC host has been receiving praise for going after his NBC bosses–as the L.A. Times noted today (4/29/11): MSNBC commentator Lawrence O'Donnell escalated attacks on NBC executives this week. On his MSNBC show the Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in MSNBC, NBC | Tagged , | 26 Comments

NYT and the Threat of Egyptian Democracy

Posted on 04/29/2011 by Peter Hart

The New York Times' David Kirkpatrick filed a report today (4/29/11) on one apparent problem with the move towards democracy in Egypt–the country might pursue policies more in line with what the Egyptian public supports. The most important news here … Continue reading →

Posted in Egypt, Israel/Palestine, New York Times | 9 Comments

White House Threatens to Blacklist Paper for Covering Protest

Posted on 04/29/2011 by Peter Hart

The San Francisco Chronicle is apparently in trouble with the White House for posting video of a protest against the White House's treatment of suspected WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning. The Chronicle's Carolyn Lochhead reports: The White House threatened Thursday to … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Internet, newspapers, WikiLeaks | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

WashPost Touts KIPP's 'Extra Edge'–Which Turns Out to Be Money and Dropouts

Posted on 04/28/2011 by Janine Jackson

Is the Washington Post hoping readers only read headlines? At a glance, "Study: KIPP Charter Schools Have Extra Edge" (3/31/11) would seem to be just another in the Washington Post Co.'s toutings of charter schools in general and KIPP schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Media Criticism, Washington Post | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Everyone Cares About the Royal Wedding

Posted on 04/28/2011 by Peter Hart

A USA Today headline (4/28/11): Americans, Here and There, Get Swept Up by the Royal Wedding Much further down in the piece, evidence of that sweeping feeling: Polls initially indicated that most Americans were underwhelmed by the royal nuptials, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, USA Today | Tagged , | 21 Comments

Donald Trump's Mysterious Control of the Media

Posted on 04/28/2011 by Peter Hart

Some mystical power forces the corporate mediato cover Donald Trump. In the New York Times today: But White House officials concluded about a month ago that the falsehoods had moved from "the nether regions of the Internet" into the mainstream … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Election, New York Times, PBS, Washington Post | Tagged , , | 27 Comments

When NYT Talks About Ron Paul's 'Foil'–Do They Mean Tin Foil?

Posted on 04/27/2011 by Peter Hart

The New York Times's Michael Shear (4/27/11) has this oddreference to Ron Paul's presidentialcampaign: Surveys suggest that Mr. Paulâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s support remains low. In most recent polls, Mr. Paul receives just over 5 percent of the support from potential Republican voters. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, New York Times | Tagged , | 4 Comments

NYT Explains–But Doesn't Name–U.S. Terrorism

Posted on 04/27/2011 by Peter Hart

Today the New York Times describes the state of the war in Libya: WASHINGTON â┚¬” NATO plans to step up attacks on the palaces, headquarters and communications centers that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi uses to maintain his grip on power in … Continue reading →

Posted in Libya, New York Times | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

WashPost's Hot Air on Haiti's 'Fresh, Vital Force'

Posted on 04/27/2011 by Jim Naureckas

Washington Post editorialist Lee Hockstader wrote a puff profile on Haiti's thuggish President-elect Michel Martelly ("Haiti's 'Sweet Micky' Martelly Turns Presidential," 4/24/11), whom he depicts as a fresh, vital force on the political scene, bringing with him energy and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Haiti, Washington Post | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Public Unsure Trump Was Born in United States

Posted on 04/26/2011 by Peter Hart

Today the Drudge Report (4/26/11) screams: SHOCK POLL: ONLY 38% SAY OBAMA 'DEFINITELY' BORN IN USA The all-caps headline links to a USA Today story that quotes that 38 percent figure, courtesy of a new Gallup poll. For the record, … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Polling | Tagged | 5 Comments

WashPost Explains 'Reality' to Europe: You're Rich and Must Tighten Your Belt

Posted on 04/26/2011 by Jim Naureckas

Working in a time-honored corporate media genre (Extra!, 9-10/97, 9-10/05, 7/10), the Washington Post's Edward Cody (4/24/11) tells us that Europe just can't afford its generous social programs: From blanket health insurance to long vacations and early retirement, the cozy … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Europe, Washington Post | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Reading Guantanamo: NYT vs. Guardian

Posted on 04/26/2011 by Peter Hart

The New York Times and London Guardian both published stories yesterday (4/25/11) examining the WikiLeaks documents about the Guantanamo prison. While obviously just a snapshot, it is interesting to see how the papers have headlined their findings. The Guardian: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Media Criticism, New York Times, WikiLeaks | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Someone at the LAT Really Likes Paul Ryan

Posted on 04/26/2011 by Peter Hart

At his Beat the Press blog (4/23/11), Dean Baker caught this in the L.A. Times (4/23/11): Congress is on its first recess since Republican leaders unveiled a plan to end the federal deficit by dramatically changing Medicare, cutting other government … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, L.A. Times, Media Criticism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Ron Paul Is Not a 'Serious' Candidate–Unlike Donald Trump

Posted on 04/26/2011 by Peter Hart

The first role of the corporate press in an election cycle is to weed out candidates who they deem nonviable. This usually means choosing not to cover candidates whose ideas that fall outside the Beltway conventional wisdom (e.g., Dennis Kucinich), … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Washington Post | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

Drone 'Debate' Breaks Out at Washington Post

Posted on 04/25/2011 by Peter Hart

Readers of the Washington Post can see this headline in today's edition (4/25/11) about the U.S. drone airstrikes: Debates Underway on Combat Drones But there is no actual debate in the article. Reporter Walter Pincus cites a British military study … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, War/Military, Washington Post | Tagged , | 7 Comments