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…

Janine Jackson interviewed Payday Report’s Mike Elk about frontline labor action for the of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.PlayStoppop outXJanine Jackson: US news media right now are all about saluting, or celebrating, frontline workers, the heroes of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s great, but how deep does it go?Does it translate to ongoing awareness, or substantive support, for workers’ right to health and safety, even when no pandemic is raging? And when workers act for themselves in an organized way, as thousands are doing right now across the country—well, then they...…Janine Jackson interviewed Payday Report’s Mike Elk about frontline labor action for the of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript.PlayStoppop outXJanine Jackson: US news media right now are all about saluting, or celebrating, frontline workers, the heroes of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s great, but how deep does it go?Does it translate to ongoing awareness, or substantive support, for workers’ right to health and safety, even when no pandemic is raging? And when workers act for themselves in an organized way, as thousands are doing right now across the country—well, then they...WW…

To my mind, it is all about Isreal. They have had their sights on Soleimani for some time with even reports that they themselves tried to kill him. With freidman and stevens cheerleadong. not likely NYT would mount any criticism. WApO the same.Foreign policy “establishment” definitely anti-Iran.An unexceptionable analysis by MacLeod. The purview of the New York Times and Washington Post is not news or truth. It is propaganda in service of the Zionist billionaires who control them and will gladly destroy the United States to eliminate Hezbollah, which with Iranian weapons has frustrated the...…To my mind, it is all about Isreal. They have had their sights on Soleimani for some time with even reports that they themselves tried to kill him. With freidman and stevens cheerleadong. not likely NYT would mount any criticism. WApO the same.Foreign policy “establishment” definitely anti-Iran.An unexceptionable analysis by MacLeod. The purview of the New York Times and Washington Post is not news or truth. It is propaganda in service of the Zionist billionaires who control them and will gladly destroy the United States to eliminate Hezbollah, which with Iranian weapons has frustrated the...WW…

 Here’s something many Americans would be very interested to know: Is a leading candidate in the Democratic primary a liar? And since a of Americans have cuts to Social Security, the country’s , Democratic voters in particular might be interested to know if a President Joe Biden would try to cut Social Security.Former Vice President Biden has to Social Security for , and is on the record for saying things like:When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ benefits. I meant every single solitary thing...… Here’s something many Americans would be very interested to know: Is a leading candidate in the Democratic primary a liar? And since a of Americans have cuts to Social Security, the country’s , Democratic voters in particular might be interested to know if a President Joe Biden would try to cut Social Security.Former Vice President Biden has to Social Security for , and is on the record for saying things like:When I argued that we should freeze federal spending, I meant Social Security as well. I meant Medicare and Medicaid. I meant veterans’ benefits. I meant every single solitary thing...WW…

 Unlike protests against US client states, the Hong Kong demonstrations were frequently given the approving “pro-democracy” label (CNN, ).2019 may be remembered as the year of the protest, as demonstrations are engulfing the world. From the Yellow Vests in France to demonstrations in Lebanon, Gaza, Chile, Ecuador and Haiti, sustained movements all over the planet have taken to the street demanding change. Yet US corporate media have been disproportionately interested in only one: the Hong Kong protests.As FAIR argued previously (FAIR.org, ), this disparity in coverage can largely be...… Unlike protests against US client states, the Hong Kong demonstrations were frequently given the approving “pro-democracy” label (CNN, ).2019 may be remembered as the year of the protest, as demonstrations are engulfing the world. From the Yellow Vests in France to demonstrations in Lebanon, Gaza, Chile, Ecuador and Haiti, sustained movements all over the planet have taken to the street demanding change. Yet US corporate media have been disproportionately interested in only one: the Hong Kong protests.As FAIR argued previously (FAIR.org, ), this disparity in coverage can largely be...WW…

The reasoning behind the DNC desire to prevent Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination is quite simple and totally logical. Donald Trump will wipe the floor with that bald angry Jew communist’s ass in the 2020 presidential election. The Democrats/Republicans have more accurate internal polls which they pay the most attention to.This 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...…The reasoning behind the DNC desire to prevent Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination is quite simple and totally logical. Donald Trump will wipe the floor with that bald angry Jew communist’s ass in the 2020 presidential election. The Democrats/Republicans have more accurate internal polls which they pay the most attention to.This 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...WW…

The “cop-hating vandals” poured glue on three turnstiles and “placed large stickers throughout the subway station” (New York Post, ).The New York Police Department (NYPD) can generally rely on corporate media as allies on controversial police issues. A case in point was the New York subway protests earlier this month, in which the activist group organized hundreds of people to occupy New York City subway stations to demand free transit for all and an end to racialized on the subway system. There was reported.The prospect of an event overtly critical of police tactics had Fox News ()...…The “cop-hating vandals” poured glue on three turnstiles and “placed large stickers throughout the subway station” (New York Post, ).The New York Police Department (NYPD) can generally rely on corporate media as allies on controversial police issues. A case in point was the New York subway protests earlier this month, in which the activist group organized hundreds of people to occupy New York City subway stations to demand free transit for all and an end to racialized on the subway system. There was reported.The prospect of an event overtly critical of police tactics had Fox News ()...WW…

 For over three years, Russia has been an issue of great concern, if not panic, in our media. Back in 2018, FAIR () warned that if Bernie Sanders or another progressive movement picked up steam, corporate media would claim that “any challenge to the establishment is likely a Kremlin-funded astroturf effort.” For establishment Democrats, we wrote:Russiagate allows them to ignore calls for change and not scrutinize why they lost to the most unpopular presidential candidate in history. Since Russia hacked the election, there is no need for introspection, and certainly no need to accommodate...… For over three years, Russia has been an issue of great concern, if not panic, in our media. Back in 2018, FAIR () warned that if Bernie Sanders or another progressive movement picked up steam, corporate media would claim that “any challenge to the establishment is likely a Kremlin-funded astroturf effort.” For establishment Democrats, we wrote:Russiagate allows them to ignore calls for change and not scrutinize why they lost to the most unpopular presidential candidate in history. Since Russia hacked the election, there is no need for introspection, and certainly no need to accommodate...WW…

 The results from the New Hampshire primary are in——showing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders victorious with 26% of the vote, ahead of former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg with 24%. However, it was third place Amy Klobuchar, with 20%, who seemed to draw the greatest media buzz. The Minnesota senator has received a lot of press attention of late—almost all of it positive.Vox‘s Matthew Yglesias () praised Amy Klobuchar’s “kind of charming dorky Midwestern shtick.”CNN’s election panel () heaped praise upon her; former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe described her performance as “spectacular,” while...… The results from the New Hampshire primary are in——showing Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders victorious with 26% of the vote, ahead of former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg with 24%. However, it was third place Amy Klobuchar, with 20%, who seemed to draw the greatest media buzz. The Minnesota senator has received a lot of press attention of late—almost all of it positive.Vox‘s Matthew Yglesias () praised Amy Klobuchar’s “kind of charming dorky Midwestern shtick.”CNN’s election panel () heaped praise upon her; former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe described her performance as “spectacular,” while...WW…

With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates’ positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. Both Bernie Sanders and other candidates were often asked how Sanders would pay for...…With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates’ positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. Both Bernie Sanders and other candidates were often asked how Sanders would pay for...WW…

Instagram, and its parent company Facebook, took down posts regarded as too sympathetic to Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated January 3 in a controversial US airstrike. The news website Coda (1/10/20) was credited with breaking the news, and Newsweek (1/10/20) also reported that Iranian journalists have reported the censorship of their Instagram accounts. Posts about Soleimani have disappeared from Instagram, which is currently the only operational international social media site within Iran. According to the Facebook corporation, as quoted by CNN (1/10/20), removal of...…Instagram, and its parent company Facebook, took down posts regarded as too sympathetic to Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated January 3 in a controversial US airstrike. The news website Coda (1/10/20) was credited with breaking the news, and Newsweek (1/10/20) also reported that Iranian journalists have reported the censorship of their Instagram accounts. Posts about Soleimani have disappeared from Instagram, which is currently the only operational international social media site within Iran. According to the Facebook corporation, as quoted by CNN (1/10/20), removal of...WW…

Army generals appearing on television to demand the resignation and arrest of an elected civilian head of state seems like a textbook example of a coup. And yet that is certainly not how corporate media are presenting the weekend’s events in Bolivia. No establishment outlet framed the action as a coup; instead, President Evo Morales “resigned” (ABC News, 11/10/19), amid widespread “protests” (CBS News, 11/10/19) from an “infuriated population” (New York Times, 11/10/19) angry at the “election fraud” (Fox News, 11/10/19) of the “full-blown dictatorship” (Miami Herald, 11/9/19). When the...…Army generals appearing on television to demand the resignation and arrest of an elected civilian head of state seems like a textbook example of a coup. And yet that is certainly not how corporate media are presenting the weekend’s events in Bolivia. No establishment outlet framed the action as a coup; instead, President Evo Morales “resigned” (ABC News, 11/10/19), amid widespread “protests” (CBS News, 11/10/19) from an “infuriated population” (New York Times, 11/10/19) angry at the “election fraud” (Fox News, 11/10/19) of the “full-blown dictatorship” (Miami Herald, 11/9/19). When the...WW…