Janine Jackson interviewed journalist Antonia Juhasz about the end of oil for the , episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.PlayStoppop outXJanine Jackson: Dow Jones ExxonMobil from its blue chip stock market index, a spot it had occupied since 1928. Major , anyway, about from oil and gas; hundreds of , have done so. And, of course, hundreds of millions of people globally have spoken out, marched and agitated against a fossil fuel industry that is despoiling ecosystems, driving climate disruption, distorting international relations, and wreaking havoc on the lives and...…Janine Jackson interviewed journalist Antonia Juhasz about the end of oil for the , episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.PlayStoppop outXJanine Jackson: Dow Jones ExxonMobil from its blue chip stock market index, a spot it had occupied since 1928. Major , anyway, about from oil and gas; hundreds of , have done so. And, of course, hundreds of millions of people globally have spoken out, marched and agitated against a fossil fuel industry that is despoiling ecosystems, driving climate disruption, distorting international relations, and wreaking havoc on the lives and...WW…

 the media “trial of the century,” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition hearing is currently taking place in London—although you might not have heard if you’re relying solely on corporate media for news. If extradited, Assange faces 175 years in a , often as a “black site” on US soil.The United States government is asking Britain to send the Australian publisher to the US to face charges under the 1917 Espionage Act.  He is accused of aiding and encouraging Chelsea Manning to hack a US government computer in order to publish hundreds of thousands of documents detailing American...… the media “trial of the century,” WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s extradition hearing is currently taking place in London—although you might not have heard if you’re relying solely on corporate media for news. If extradited, Assange faces 175 years in a , often as a “black site” on US soil.The United States government is asking Britain to send the Australian publisher to the US to face charges under the 1917 Espionage Act.  He is accused of aiding and encouraging Chelsea Manning to hack a US government computer in order to publish hundreds of thousands of documents detailing American...WW…

 AFP (CBS, ) describes attacks on Gaza as “the latest retaliation against fire bombs suspended from balloons that have been released from the Palestinian territory.”Israel is bombing Palestine again, although you likely wouldn’t guess that from watching TV news. For the eleventh straight night, Israeli Defense Force warplanes have been bombing the densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel’s bombs have caused considerable damage, forcing the of the area’s only power plant.But US corporate media, focused on the coronavirus and election coverage, have shown little interest in the renewed violence...… AFP (CBS, ) describes attacks on Gaza as “the latest retaliation against fire bombs suspended from balloons that have been released from the Palestinian territory.”Israel is bombing Palestine again, although you likely wouldn’t guess that from watching TV news. For the eleventh straight night, Israeli Defense Force warplanes have been bombing the densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel’s bombs have caused considerable damage, forcing the of the area’s only power plant.But US corporate media, focused on the coronavirus and election coverage, have shown little interest in the renewed violence...WW…

 Six New York Times reporters () teamed up to produce more than 1,700 words about how “extreme heat [was] roasting California.” None of those words was “climate.”The West is , quite literally. A record-breaking heatwave has sparked unprecedented wildfires up and down the coast, turning the sky an apocalyptic, terrifying shade of red. Six of California’s 20 largest-ever fires have this year, over Oregonians have been forced to flee their homes and the destruction from this week’s blazes alone in Washington it as the state’s second-worst fire season in history.The heatwave and the fires in...… Six New York Times reporters () teamed up to produce more than 1,700 words about how “extreme heat [was] roasting California.” None of those words was “climate.”The West is , quite literally. A record-breaking heatwave has sparked unprecedented wildfires up and down the coast, turning the sky an apocalyptic, terrifying shade of red. Six of California’s 20 largest-ever fires have this year, over Oregonians have been forced to flee their homes and the destruction from this week’s blazes alone in Washington it as the state’s second-worst fire season in history.The heatwave and the fires in...WW…

 “While not disputing that pollution occurred, Chevron has alleged the villagers’ lawyer, Steven Donziger, and his associates went too far,” Reuters (1/20/17) reported.Independent journalist Chris Hedges (ScheerPost, ) wrote:The flagrant corruption and misuse of the legal system to abjectly serve corporate interests in the Donziger case illustrates the deep decay within our judiciary and democratic institutions.One of those deeply decayed institutions is the corporate media, as a review of several years of Reuters of the case illustrates.Attorney Steven Donziger has been under since August...… “While not disputing that pollution occurred, Chevron has alleged the villagers’ lawyer, Steven Donziger, and his associates went too far,” Reuters (1/20/17) reported.Independent journalist Chris Hedges (ScheerPost, ) wrote:The flagrant corruption and misuse of the legal system to abjectly serve corporate interests in the Donziger case illustrates the deep decay within our judiciary and democratic institutions.One of those deeply decayed institutions is the corporate media, as a review of several years of Reuters of the case illustrates.Attorney Steven Donziger has been under since August...WW…

 InsiderAs a historic set of wildfires sweeps across California, sparked by lightning and stoked by record heat and drought resulting from climate change (Mercury News, ; Scientific American, ), many news outlets have drawn readers’ attention to an additional problem the state faces in fighting the fires: shortages of the prison labor that it normally relies on for firefighting crews.The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection — known as Cal Fire — “has roughly half as many inmate fire crews than it originally had to work during the most dangerous part of wildfire season,”...… InsiderAs a historic set of wildfires sweeps across California, sparked by lightning and stoked by record heat and drought resulting from climate change (Mercury News, ; Scientific American, ), many news outlets have drawn readers’ attention to an additional problem the state faces in fighting the fires: shortages of the prison labor that it normally relies on for firefighting crews.The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection — known as Cal Fire — “has roughly half as many inmate fire crews than it originally had to work during the most dangerous part of wildfire season,”...WW…

 When Venezuela threatened to make parties that boycotted local elections re-register, Reuters () thought that was important news. Ecuador actually suspending opposition parties wasn’t as newsworthy.routinely buries information that would badly damage the reputation of US allies in the Americas. Whether those allies are bureaucrats from the Organization of American States and the dictatorship they helped install in Bolivia (FAIR.org, ), violent protesters in Nicaragua (FAIR.org, ) or Venezuelan politicians who support lethal US sanctions on their own country (FAIR.org, ),  the London-based...… When Venezuela threatened to make parties that boycotted local elections re-register, Reuters () thought that was important news. Ecuador actually suspending opposition parties wasn’t as newsworthy.routinely buries information that would badly damage the reputation of US allies in the Americas. Whether those allies are bureaucrats from the Organization of American States and the dictatorship they helped install in Bolivia (FAIR.org, ), violent protesters in Nicaragua (FAIR.org, ) or Venezuelan politicians who support lethal US sanctions on their own country (FAIR.org, ),  the London-based...WW…

 As presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s search for a running mate drags on, press coverage hasn’t failed to disappoint.Useful coverage would lay out each potential pick’s background and qualifications. While you certainly can find that if you look hard enough, many journalists seem quite content to avoid content. The Washington Post‘s () offered a nice helping of unedifying rankings in his “12 Most Logical Picks for Joe Biden’s Vice President, Ranked.” At number one, Blake put Kamala Harris:Kamala Harris is the “most logical pick,” writes the Washington Post‘s Aaron...… As presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s search for a running mate drags on, press coverage hasn’t failed to disappoint.Useful coverage would lay out each potential pick’s background and qualifications. While you certainly can find that if you look hard enough, many journalists seem quite content to avoid content. The Washington Post‘s () offered a nice helping of unedifying rankings in his “12 Most Logical Picks for Joe Biden’s Vice President, Ranked.” At number one, Blake put Kamala Harris:Kamala Harris is the “most logical pick,” writes the Washington Post‘s Aaron...WW…

 The Harper’s letter () decried “a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity.”A short and rather vaguely worded open letter published in Harper’s Magazine () earlier this month caused an unlikely media storm that continues to rumble on. Glossing over right-wing threats to the First Amendment, the letter, signed by 150 writers, journalists and other public figures, decried a new intolerance to dissent and a threat to freedom of speech coming from the left.The vagueness of...… The Harper’s letter () decried “a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favor of ideological conformity.”A short and rather vaguely worded open letter published in Harper’s Magazine () earlier this month caused an unlikely media storm that continues to rumble on. Glossing over right-wing threats to the First Amendment, the letter, signed by 150 writers, journalists and other public figures, decried a new intolerance to dissent and a threat to freedom of speech coming from the left.The vagueness of...WW…

 Washington Post ()Media, particularly those who have made a habit of rhetorically opposing Donald Trump for the past four years, were awash last week with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s controversial statements on reopening public schools in the middle of a pandemic. For example:The myriad of viral headlines suggested that this was another Orwellian outburst from the administration, along the lines of when George H. W. Bush : “I’ll never apologize for the United States of America. Ever! I don’t care what the facts are.” But reading her full answer, or watching the video...… Washington Post ()Media, particularly those who have made a habit of rhetorically opposing Donald Trump for the past four years, were awash last week with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s controversial statements on reopening public schools in the middle of a pandemic. For example:The myriad of viral headlines suggested that this was another Orwellian outburst from the administration, along the lines of when George H. W. Bush : “I’ll never apologize for the United States of America. Ever! I don’t care what the facts are.” But reading her full answer, or watching the video...WW…

 Late last month, the latest round of United States sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, took effect against Syria, a country already in a dire situation after nine years of war and sanctions. Covid-19 and an economic crisis in Lebanon, a financial lifeline for Syrian civilians that the US has largely severed (CBS, ), have exacerbated Syria’s plight.US media coverage has endorsed, downplayed or ignored the harm the sanctions will inflict on Syria’s civilian population, and the misery years of previous sanctions have already inflicted.The New York Times () reports that “strict American...… Late last month, the latest round of United States sanctions, known as the Caesar Act, took effect against Syria, a country already in a dire situation after nine years of war and sanctions. Covid-19 and an economic crisis in Lebanon, a financial lifeline for Syrian civilians that the US has largely severed (CBS, ), have exacerbated Syria’s plight.US media coverage has endorsed, downplayed or ignored the harm the sanctions will inflict on Syria’s civilian population, and the misery years of previous sanctions have already inflicted.The New York Times () reports that “strict American...WW…

I enjoy how all of you at Fair.org expose the lie at the heart of the right wing insanity. I certainly wish that the angry right would open a few books that might get their brains working at a functional level. After watching my brother become blind to results, historical records and common sense for the last 30 years, I have very little hope that he and the other Trump supporters will recover from the brain melt that talk radio and Fox news have caused.Unexceptionable analysis. Thanks, Mr. MacLeod.When it’s printed to fitThe facts don’t mean shitLet us not forget all the lies about...…I enjoy how all of you at Fair.org expose the lie at the heart of the right wing insanity. I certainly wish that the angry right would open a few books that might get their brains working at a functional level. After watching my brother become blind to results, historical records and common sense for the last 30 years, I have very little hope that he and the other Trump supporters will recover from the brain melt that talk radio and Fox news have caused.Unexceptionable analysis. Thanks, Mr. MacLeod.When it’s printed to fitThe facts don’t mean shitLet us not forget all the lies about...WW…

 John Bolton with his White House memoir (cc photo: Gage Skidmore)Opposing the current president is a worthy goal for anyone who wants a better world. But if that opposition is based on TV ratings and ad sales, then it is just as morally bankrupt as the president himself.John Bolton’s new book, The Room Where It Happened, has earned him enormous amounts of free publicity for antagonizing the president. In their zeal to once again expose Trump as an all-around bad man, corporate media have elevated someone who should be condemned by a civilized society.Bolton’s entire professional history...… John Bolton with his White House memoir (cc photo: Gage Skidmore)Opposing the current president is a worthy goal for anyone who wants a better world. But if that opposition is based on TV ratings and ad sales, then it is just as morally bankrupt as the president himself.John Bolton’s new book, The Room Where It Happened, has earned him enormous amounts of free publicity for antagonizing the president. In their zeal to once again expose Trump as an all-around bad man, corporate media have elevated someone who should be condemned by a civilized society.Bolton’s entire professional history...WW…

 Fox News () noted that Capt. Emily “Thompson had an all-female maintenance crew to launch her historic flight.”Have you heard the good news, ladies? You too can bomb the Middle East!Some corporate media have recently been taken with the “inspirational” story of Emily Thompson, the first woman to pilot the F-35 jet in combat. At an unspecified time earlier this month, Thompson took off from her base in the United Arab Emirates to bomb an unnamed country.The New York Post () described her as “breaking the glass ceiling—at lightning speed.” Other outlets used the words “historic” (Fox News,...… Fox News () noted that Capt. Emily “Thompson had an all-female maintenance crew to launch her historic flight.”Have you heard the good news, ladies? You too can bomb the Middle East!Some corporate media have recently been taken with the “inspirational” story of Emily Thompson, the first woman to pilot the F-35 jet in combat. At an unspecified time earlier this month, Thompson took off from her base in the United Arab Emirates to bomb an unnamed country.The New York Post () described her as “breaking the glass ceiling—at lightning speed.” Other outlets used the words “historic” (Fox News,...WW…

Bolsonaro jeopardizes the neoliberal project, so the corpress switches horses in mid swampThis site uses Akismet to reduce spam. .FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. We expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, we believe that structural reform is...…Bolsonaro jeopardizes the neoliberal project, so the corpress switches horses in mid swampThis site uses Akismet to reduce spam. .FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. We expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, we believe that structural reform is...WW…

 What NBC () described as “more aggressive tactics” included firing paint ball rounds at residents as they stood on their porches.“After Curfew, Detroit Police to Disperse Protesters Who Refused to Leave” (Detroit Free Press, )“Minneapolis Officers Use Against Protesters as Rallies Flare Around US” (NBC News, )“An Agitated Trump Encourages Governors to Use on Protesters” (CNN, )“Police Against Protesters and Bystanders Alike, Adding to Disorder” (Washington Post, )“After Curfew, Protesters Are Again Met With in New York City” (New York Times, )“Six Atlanta Police Officers Charged in of...… What NBC () described as “more aggressive tactics” included firing paint ball rounds at residents as they stood on their porches.“After Curfew, Detroit Police to Disperse Protesters Who Refused to Leave” (Detroit Free Press, )“Minneapolis Officers Use Against Protesters as Rallies Flare Around US” (NBC News, )“An Agitated Trump Encourages Governors to Use on Protesters” (CNN, )“Police Against Protesters and Bystanders Alike, Adding to Disorder” (Washington Post, )“After Curfew, Protesters Are Again Met With in New York City” (New York Times, )“Six Atlanta Police Officers Charged in of...WW…

 If you really want to understand the ideology corporate media are constantly selling us, it’s often best not to look at how they cover serious news, but what they depict as light-hearted human interest stories. There’s always a stream of them from local and national outlets, designed to pique interest and serve as a balance to the often heavier headline content. Stories along the lines of  ” or “” abound, often appearing at the ends of news broadcasts.FAIR (, , ) has already catalogued how corporate media are so out of touch that much of what they present as heartwarming human interest...… If you really want to understand the ideology corporate media are constantly selling us, it’s often best not to look at how they cover serious news, but what they depict as light-hearted human interest stories. There’s always a stream of them from local and national outlets, designed to pique interest and serve as a balance to the often heavier headline content. Stories along the lines of  ” or “” abound, often appearing at the ends of news broadcasts.FAIR (, , ) has already catalogued how corporate media are so out of touch that much of what they present as heartwarming human interest...WW…

 The Washington Post () reports that Venezuela is “offering Tehran the prospect of a new center of influence just across the Caribbean Sea from Florida.” (By “just across,” the Post means 1,100 miles away, with Cuba in between.)The American state not only snuffs out lives by pressing knees to necks domestically, it also seeks to asphyxiate entire countries like Iran and Venezuela. When the US empire’s foes defy Washington’s dictates, corporate media willingly participate in drumming up a crisis over it—even when what’s at stake is something as seemingly mundane as an exchange of goods. This...… The Washington Post () reports that Venezuela is “offering Tehran the prospect of a new center of influence just across the Caribbean Sea from Florida.” (By “just across,” the Post means 1,100 miles away, with Cuba in between.)The American state not only snuffs out lives by pressing knees to necks domestically, it also seeks to asphyxiate entire countries like Iran and Venezuela. When the US empire’s foes defy Washington’s dictates, corporate media willingly participate in drumming up a crisis over it—even when what’s at stake is something as seemingly mundane as an exchange of goods. This...WW…

Corporate media headlines revised as though they were journalism.…Corporate media headlines revised as though they were journalism.WW…

 When an attempted invasion of Venezuela launched from the shores of Colombia was foiled on May 3, after armed commandos were intercepted at Venezuela’s coastline of La Guira, it seemed undeniable that the heavily armed men, possessing satellite phones and uniforms with the US flag emblazoned on them, had been paid to take part in a coup attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan government (People’s Dispatch, ).In recent reports regarding the invasion, however, the term “mercenary” was accompanied by scare quotes, as if these men could only be seen that way from the perspective of an Official US...… When an attempted invasion of Venezuela launched from the shores of Colombia was foiled on May 3, after armed commandos were intercepted at Venezuela’s coastline of La Guira, it seemed undeniable that the heavily armed men, possessing satellite phones and uniforms with the US flag emblazoned on them, had been paid to take part in a coup attempt to overthrow the Venezuelan government (People’s Dispatch, ).In recent reports regarding the invasion, however, the term “mercenary” was accompanied by scare quotes, as if these men could only be seen that way from the perspective of an Official US...WW…

 The New York Times (), among other outlets, presented Hogan’s acquisition of Korean tests as a Trump-defying coup.Despite being the governor of a small state, Larry Hogan secured coronavirus test kits from “,” thanks to “” and “” negotiations. His “” approach provides “.”That was the storyline Hogan wanted, and he got it, in no small part because the Maryland governor offers an irresistible profile for the media: a Republican—yes, a Republican!—who criticizes Trump. Having checked that box, little else mattered.The Hogan-initiated negotiations that led to a South Korean company flying...… The New York Times (), among other outlets, presented Hogan’s acquisition of Korean tests as a Trump-defying coup.Despite being the governor of a small state, Larry Hogan secured coronavirus test kits from “,” thanks to “” and “” negotiations. His “” approach provides “.”That was the storyline Hogan wanted, and he got it, in no small part because the Maryland governor offers an irresistible profile for the media: a Republican—yes, a Republican!—who criticizes Trump. Having checked that box, little else mattered.The Hogan-initiated negotiations that led to a South Korean company flying...WW…

 Framing a massive corporate bailout as a “rescue package” (NPR, ) was a PR coup.For a perfect illustration of how corporate media function as ruling class propaganda, watch how they spin a titanic upward redistribution of wealth as a “rescue plan” for the US economy, and paint a robber baron like US Treasury Secretary as a “savior” of the American public.In discussions of the (officially) estimated Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act—the largest government spending program in US history—before it was signed into law on March 27, corporate media largely abandoned the...… Framing a massive corporate bailout as a “rescue package” (NPR, ) was a PR coup.For a perfect illustration of how corporate media function as ruling class propaganda, watch how they spin a titanic upward redistribution of wealth as a “rescue plan” for the US economy, and paint a robber baron like US Treasury Secretary as a “savior” of the American public.In discussions of the (officially) estimated Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act—the largest government spending program in US history—before it was signed into law on March 27, corporate media largely abandoned the...WW…

Though many public officials and media outlets seem increasingly convinced that we are fighting a war against Covid-19, framing the pandemic in military terms obscures what we need to know and how we can cope with this virus. At a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, President Donald Trump offered this grammatical hash: “I view it—in a sense as a wartime president.” Translating the mangled discourse into a coherent statement, CNN (3/18/20) reported, “Trump said that he sees the country on wartime footing and himself as a wartime president amid the coronavirus crisis.” New York Gov....…Though many public officials and media outlets seem increasingly convinced that we are fighting a war against Covid-19, framing the pandemic in military terms obscures what we need to know and how we can cope with this virus. At a press conference on Wednesday, March 18, President Donald Trump offered this grammatical hash: “I view it—in a sense as a wartime president.” Translating the mangled discourse into a coherent statement, CNN (3/18/20) reported, “Trump said that he sees the country on wartime footing and himself as a wartime president amid the coronavirus crisis.” New York Gov....WW…

 Vox () calls the idea that you can treat the coronavirus by injecting bleach “highly unlikely.”You probably saw Donald Trump’s ridiculous, false and deadly claim last week: that ingesting chemical cleaners could cure humans of the coronavirus. At a White House press briefing on Thursday (), the president said:I see disinfectant, where it knocks it [coronavirus] out in a minute—one minute—and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning. Because you see it [coronavirus] gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be...… Vox () calls the idea that you can treat the coronavirus by injecting bleach “highly unlikely.”You probably saw Donald Trump’s ridiculous, false and deadly claim last week: that ingesting chemical cleaners could cure humans of the coronavirus. At a White House press briefing on Thursday (), the president said:I see disinfectant, where it knocks it [coronavirus] out in a minute—one minute—and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning. Because you see it [coronavirus] gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be...WW…

 If someone were to tell you that major and influential business sectors like the fossil fuel and health insurance industries simply don’t exist, or imply that major corporations like ExxonMobil and Cigna don’t try to manipulate public opinion and advance a political agenda in order to protect and maximize their profits, you might find it hard to contain your laughter.But looking at corporate media’s coverage of corporate media, one gets the sense that anyone who dares to suggest that media corporations like Comcast-owned MSNBC, AT&T-owned CNN or News Corp–owned Fox News have their own...… If someone were to tell you that major and influential business sectors like the fossil fuel and health insurance industries simply don’t exist, or imply that major corporations like ExxonMobil and Cigna don’t try to manipulate public opinion and advance a political agenda in order to protect and maximize their profits, you might find it hard to contain your laughter.But looking at corporate media’s coverage of corporate media, one gets the sense that anyone who dares to suggest that media corporations like Comcast-owned MSNBC, AT&T-owned CNN or News Corp–owned Fox News have their own...WW…