Left Wing

Modern Day Muckrakers

by Sheldon Rampton — January 15, 2002 - 12:00am

Theta Davis chronicles the rise of the Independent Media Center (IMC) movement, which sprang to life in Seattle, during protests there against the World Trade Organization in the fall of 1999. "After Seattle, IMCs began to pop up around the world, from South Africa to New York City. At current count there are more than 60 centers in 25 different countries. Some, like Seattle and New York, have permanent, physical offices.

Main Source: 
Online Journalism Review, January 15, 2002

World In Crisis, Media In Conflict

by Laura Miller — December 5, 2001 - 5:36pm

The Media Channel, a nonprofit, public-interest Website dedicated to media issues, features ongoing and up-dated coverage of the global "War on Terrorism" and how it continues to threaten both journalism and journalists. The web digest looks at how media worldwide are coping with danger, trauma, censorship and bias. Articles this week include: a Christian Science Monitor story "Today's war reporting: It's digital, but dangerous," New York Times' Joseph Lelyveld's comments on journalist duty, an account of an accredited journalist's harrassment at the G-20 meeting in Ottawa, and much more.

Main Source: 
http://www.mediachannel.org/

Media Bias--Once a Sin, Now a Virtue

by Sheldon Rampton — November 9, 2001 - 12:00am

"So how come media objectivity is suddenly a bad thing?" asks columnist Michael Kinsley. "Conservative press critics are in another tizzy about objectivity and balance in American journalism. Only this time, their complaint isn't the lack of these fine qualities but that there's way too much of the stuff. ... The traditional conservative media critique is that journalists bend the news in a liberal direction because they're liberals.

Main Source: 
Los Angeles Times, November 9, 2001

MRC Attacks TV News for Lack of Patriotism

by John Stauber — November 7, 2001 - 9:18am

A New York Times story headlined "Network Coverage a Target Of Fire From Conservatives" reports that the far-right Media Research Center (MRC) is successfully attacking news media coverage of the war, especially ABC TV, for lack of patriotism. MRC is a powerful tax-exempt PR and lobby operation begun in 1987 by L.

Main Source: 
http://www.mediaresearch.org/

Is Wartime Homefront "Sacrifice for Suckers?"

by John Stauber — November 1, 2001 - 2:11pm

A full page ad in the New York Times from the left/liberal Institute for America's Future is headlined "Sacrifice is for Suckers." It condemns corporate war profiteering saying that "in the days after the tragedy of September 11 ... lobbyists for GM, GE, IBM and other leading corporations were quietly approaching their friends in Congress, bearing a wish list with hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts and special favors. ... We must not allow the war profiteers to win permanent tax breaks by exploiting our national emergency..."

Main Source: 
New York Times, Institute for America's Future

Terrorists at Pacifica?

by Sheldon Rampton — October 22, 2001 - 11:00pm

Pacifica Foundation vice chairman Ken Ford is playing the "terrorist card" at the formerly progressive radio network, currently in a financial crisis as it faces mounting bills from lawyers and PR firms. Outside vendors are not being paid, employee paychecks are in question, and four lawsuits alleging everything from financial malfeasance to by-law violations are scheduled to go to trial in January. Responding to charges of mismanagement, Ford characterized critics of Pacifica as "zealots," adding, "I see parallels between this group and al Qaeda, the terrorists who bombed New York.

Main Source: 
San Francisco Examiner, October 23, 2001

Chomsky Speaks

by Sheldon Rampton — October 1, 2001 - 11:00pm

MIT Institute Professor Noam Chomsky, an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy, discusses U.S.-Muslim relations and reasons for the tensions between the two.

Main Source: 
MSNBC, October 2, 2001

FAIR Watchdogs the "Media March to War"

by John Stauber — September 19, 2001 - 11:00pm

Coverage of the September 11th terrorist attack and the pending military response contains clamors for blind and immediate revenge.

Main Source: 
http://www.fair.org/press-releases/wtc-war-punditry.html

TV Fans the Flames of War, But Common Dreams Go Deeper

by John Stauber — September 16, 2001 - 11:57am

Common Dreams is one website providing an important alternative to mainstream TV coverage. TV commentators are increasingly fanning flames of war and rapid retaliation. "Americans are anxious to have some sort of retaliation take place," National Public Radio and FOX TV commentator Juan Williams stated today during FOX coverage featuring stirring music videos of Tuesday's attack set to patriotic songs. Actor and action-figure Chuck Norris appeared on Fox to declare that "good is white and evil is black," saying he was "always against eliminating the draft" and has been riveted to Fox TV.

Main Source: 
http://www.commondreams.org/

Bush vs. the Taliban

by Sheldon Rampton — September 14, 2001 - 11:00pm

During part of Friday, Spin of the Day provided a link to a story by Robert Scheer of the Los Angeles Times titled Bush's Faustian Deal with the Taliban. We have discovered, however, that Scheer's story was misleading and inaccurate. His story, written on May 22, 2001, reported that the Bush administration had given $43 million to the Taliban as "an ally in the drug war. ... The gift ... makes the U.S.

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