Category Archives: Healthcare

Real Journalism Still Exists — Outside of ABC

Posted on 09/16/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

While within the power-friendly environs of the corporate-funded Newseum, congressmembers John D. Rockefeller IV, Tim Pawlenty and Mary L. Landrieu probably felt pretty good about their ability to field such softballs from ABC's George Stephanopoulos as "What's the problem with … Continue reading →

Posted in ABC, Healthcare, Politics | Tagged ABC, campaign finance, George Stephanopoulos, health insurance, John D. Rockefeller IV, Mary L. Landrieu, Medicare, Open Secrets, Sam Husseini | 1 Comment

NYT 'Fact Checks' Obama

Posted on 09/14/2009 by Peter Hart

The New York Times (9/13/09) attempted to fact check a Barack Obama speech on healthcare. By all appearances, this is in the regular, non-satirical edition of the paper: Mr. Obama opened his 40-minute speech with what he called "disturbing news": … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Healthcare | Tagged Barack Obama, Dean Baker, New York Times | 1 Comment

WaPo Alarmed: Japan Health Insurance Actually Insures

Posted on 09/07/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

A September 7 Washington Post report on Japanese healthcare claims that "more than one-third of the workers' premiums are used to transfer wealth from the young, healthy and rich to the old, unhealthy and poor." Which Dean Baker (Beat the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Healthcare | Tagged Beat the Press, Dean Baker, insurance, Japan | 3 Comments

Media Welcome for 'Baroque Conspiracy Theories' Not Unprecedented

Posted on 09/04/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

What "surprises" Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik (8/30/09) more than this summer's news full of "baroque conspiracy theories" and "weepy hysteria" is "the idea that these are somehow unprecedented." Hiltzik looks back to an earlier era of supposed presidential … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Politics | Tagged Barack Obama, birthers, communism, conspiracy theories, death panels, Franklin Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, Michael Hiltzik, red scare, socialism, William A. Wirt | 3 Comments

'Rumor, Gossip. . . Drivel' as 'Inside Information'

Posted on 09/02/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Guernica magazine has a new piece by American Prospect co-founder Robert Reich (8/28/09) describing the important cog that corporate journalism represents in the functioning machinery of Washington, D.C.'s "echo chamber in which anyone who sounds authoritative repeats the conventional authoritative … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Politics | Tagged Guernica, Robert Reich | 1 Comment

NPR Boosts 'Dominance of Private Health Insurance'

Posted on 09/01/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Analyzing "The Art of Framing at NPR" on his NPR Check blog, Mytwords (8/29/09) thinks that "there are many ways you could frame the role of Sen. Kent Conrad, one of the gang of six senators who are working very … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged All Things Considered, Andrea Seabrook, gang of six, health insurance, Kent Conrad, Mytwords, NPR, NPR Check | 2 Comments

NYT Stands Up for the Little Insurance Company Employee

Posted on 08/28/2009 by Julie Hollar

It's about time someone stood up for the poor insurance companies! The New York Times today delves into what it's like to be "Dealing With Being the Healthcare 'Villains,'" eliciting sad stories from nice people who work for big insurance … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged Kevin Sack, New York Times | 3 Comments

'Meaningful Change' at the New Republic

Posted on 08/28/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Glenn Greenwald (8/27/09, ad-viewing required) of Salon's series of New Republic quotes morphing from condemning a perceived "anti-Lieberman jihad" to calling for "knocking off Democrats like Conrad and Joe Lieberman" charts the outlet's "rapid and total reversal–one effectuated without the … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Politics | Tagged Glenn Greenwald, Joe Lieberman, Jonathan Chait, New Republic, Salon | Leave a comment

On Liberal Media's Single-Payer Failings

Posted on 08/24/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Longtime friend of FAIR Sam Husseini (Husseini.org, 8/21/09) has a new blog post responding to Robert Kuttner's recent Washington Post column, in which the American Prospect magazine editor "asks 'Where are the liberal protesters?'": It seems like a good question. … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged American Prospect, Barack Obama, Baucus 13, Husseini.org, Linda Allision, protest, Robert Kuttner, Sam Husseini, Washington Post | Leave a comment

Fox Still Leads in Misinforming Viewers

Posted on 08/21/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Think Progress' Matt Corley (8/19/09) has the depressing, if predictable, news that recent polling shows "'all the misinformation out there' about health care reform proposals in Congress is taking root with many Americans." Corley is discouraged to see that, "for … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged Fox, Matt Corley, Media Matters, msnbc, Think Progress | 4 Comments

Healthcare Debate as Lobbyist's Own 'Business Interests'

Posted on 08/19/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

According to Salon blogger Glenn Greenwald (8/18/09, ad-viewing required), pro-coup lobbyist and frequent news show guest Lanny Davis is merely "masquerading as a 'political analyst' and Democratic media pundit," when really he "is unmoored from any discernible political beliefs other … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged Glenn Greenwald, John Mackey, Lanny Davis, Salon, Whole Foods | 3 Comments

How 'Death Panels' Became a 'Justifiable Political Claim'

Posted on 08/19/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Columnist Rick Perlstein has a new analysis of "Birthers, Town Hall Hecklers and the Return of Right-Wing Rage" in the Washington Post (8/16/09). In it, he tells why "liberals are right to be vigilant about manufactured outrage," and particularly about … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged Adlai Stevenson, Rick Perlstein, Washington Post | 2 Comments

From Lie to Official History, via 'Simple Repetition'

Posted on 08/16/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Consortium News Robert Parry (8/13/09) is citing media-promoted "'deathers' who claim that President Barack Obama's healthcare plan would promote euthanasia," along with how the U.S. "population was persuaded that Iraq was some lethal threat" and "fear-mongering about Iraq somehow sending … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare, Iraq, Media Activism | Tagged Consortium News, Robert Parry | 5 Comments

A 'Sudden Interest' in 'Amplifying Grassroots Concerns'

Posted on 08/16/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Between the Lines executive producer Scott Harris (8/14/09) has a new Q & A featuring FAIR's own Peter Hart discussing how "Media Coverage of Healthcare Debate Emphasizes Drama Over Substance." Asked to assess "corporate media's coverage of the U.S. healthcare … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged Between the Lines, Peter Hart, protest, Scott Harris | Leave a comment

Dobbs Still Resisting 'Nonpartisan Objective Reality'

Posted on 08/12/2009 by Gabriel Voiles

Since "on his Wednesday radio show, [Lou] Dobbs as much as announced that CNN president Jon Klein" is forcing him into "focusing on a nonpartisan objective reality that it is our job to cover"–with Dobbs "admitting, 'I resisted this idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Healthcare | Tagged CNN, Jon Klein, Leslie Savan, Lou Dobbs, Nation | Leave a comment