Media

Al Gore's Code Red

by Sheldon Rampton — October 7, 2005 - 11:47pm

"It is no longer possible to ignore the strangeness of our public discourse," former U.S. Vice President Al Gore told the We Media Conference in New York. "Something has gone basically and badly wrong in the way America's fabled 'marketplace of ideas' now functions." Gore cited the dominance and poor quality of television as a main cause: "Clearly, the purpose of television news is no longer to inform the American people or serve the public interest.

Main Source:

AlterNet, October 6, 2005

Only You Can Prevent Propaganda

by Diane Farsetta — October 5, 2005 - 9:47am

The Government Accountability Office ruled last week that several aspects of the public relations firm Ketchum's contract with the Department of Education were illegal, constituting "covert

Main Source:

Free Press, October 4, 2005

CPB's Traitor Baiter

by Laura Miller — October 3, 2005 - 3:22pm

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is now headed by Republican fundraisers Cheryl Halpern and

Main Source:

TheNation.com, September 27, 2005

And Now, a Hidden Word from Our Sponsor

by Diane Farsetta — September 30, 2005 - 2:19pm

The Wall Street Journal reports that Subway Restaurants "launched a new sandwich last night by having it written into the story line of NBC's 'Will & Grace'." Such advertising is increasingly spreading beyond television and movies, and into magazines and newspapers.

Main Source:

Christian Science Monitor, September 29, 2005

Hughes Gets a Little Help from a Friend

by Diane Farsetta — September 30, 2005 - 12:20pm

"At the State Department's invitation," former Voice of America director and current dean of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication Geoffrey Cowan wrote an opinion piece for USA Today praising Karen Hughes, the new

Main Source:

USA Today, September 28, 2005

McDonald's Has No Breaks Today

by Diane Farsetta — September 28, 2005 - 10:28am

"Earlier this year, McDonald's Corp. unveiled plans to enlist rap artists to produce several songs that would integrate the Golden Arches' iconic Big Mac sandwich into lyrics," as "part of the company's ongoing strategy to court the youth market, especially young men, through hip-hop," reports AdAge.

Main Source:

Advertising Age, September 26, 2005

Conservation Con Game

by Diane Farsetta — September 26, 2005 - 12:02pm

Although their city hosted last month's White House conference on "cooperative conservation," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch isn't impressed.

Main Source:

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, September 23, 2005

Katrina Coverage Brown-Out

by Laura Miller — September 21, 2005 - 1:55pm

"Mainstream media and most liberal-minded Americans are blaming the Bush administration's failure to manage Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on racism, that word that has been itching under our skin for decades. The focus is on 'racism,' though, with a very specific, definition: white versus black. This analysis is good as far as it goes -- unless, of course, your skin is brown," Marissa Kantor reports on TheRevealer.org.

Main Source:

The Revealer, September 19, 2005

Journalists Get To Report 'Unfiltered Experience'

by Laura Miller — September 9, 2005 - 3:21pm

Media

"The unusual reporting environment [caused by Hurricane Katrina] allowed journalists in both print and television to exercise muscles that had long grown stiff," the New York Observer writes. Several reporters described to the Observer dramatic contradictions between what officials were saying and what they, the reporters, were seeing with their own eyes.

Main Source:

New York Observer, September 12, 2005

Harrah's Hits the Compassion (and Fake News) Jackpot

by Diane Farsetta — September 8, 2005 - 4:44pm

In an article on "the PR industry's scattered but heartfelt response to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina," PR Week notes that Harrah's Entertainment is documenting their good works.

Main Source:

PR Week (sub. req'd.), September 6, 2005