Politics

Hijacking Catastrophe

by Laura Miller — September 1, 2004 - 3:27pm

A new video from the Media Education Foundation examines how the Bush administration uses the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to manipulate Americans. Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear & the Selling of American Empire places the last three years of White House deceptions in a global context, asking questions seldom posed by mainstream corporate media. The hour-long documentary features nearly twenty political observers, including Lt.

Main Source: 
http://www.mef.tv/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=2&pid=1

Tick Tock TV Set Convention Coverage

by Laura Miller — August 31, 2004 - 11:00pm

"The idea was to grab a location 'that screamed New York.' And said politics," PressThink's Jay Rosen writes of his meeting with Sam Feist, CNN senior executive producer for political programming, at the Tick Tock Diner, a "real" New York City diner catty corner from Madison Square Garden that is being used as a TV set for CNN's convention coverage.

Main Source: 
Press Think, September 1, 2004

GCI Groups Does RNC PR

by Laura Miller — August 29, 2004 - 11:00pm

"The New York City Host Committee for the Republican National Convention has retained GCI
Group to provide on-site media services for members of the press throughout the convention," PR trade publication the Holmes Report writes. "GCI Group will be working from the James A. Farley Building, which will house 10,000 members of the media during the convention.

Main Source: 
Holmes Report, August 30, 2004

This Song Is Your Song

by Sheldon Rampton — August 24, 2004 - 11:00pm

Ludlow Music, a humor-challenged company that claimed to own the rights to Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," has dropped its lawsuit against JibJab Media, the Web animators who adapted Guthrie's song to create a wildly popular parody of the U.S. presidential campaign.

Main Source: 
CNET, August 25, 2004

Media to Blame for Swift Boat Hype

by Sheldon Rampton — August 24, 2004 - 11:00pm

While the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth may have a questionable grasp of the facts, it has been extraordinarily sophisticated in its manipulation of the media," observes the Columbia Journalism Review's Campaign Desk weblog. "To understand why this campaign has been hijacked by a small group of veterans bearing a thirty-year old grudge, it's worth examining the institutional susceptibilities of a campaign press corps that allowed the SBVFT's accusations to take on a life of their own.

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Campaign Desk, August 25, 2004

More Ads, Less Journalism

by Sheldon Rampton — August 24, 2004 - 11:00pm

"Continuing a twenty-year trend that has seen advertising expenses skyrocket as traditional political party organizing has fallen by the wayside, the total for political ads this election year is estimated by most industry analysts at over $1.5 billion, $400 million of which will be spent by the presidential campaigns," report Sakura Saunders and Ben Clarke. "Over the last 24 years, broadcast TV advertising alone has increased from $90 million to over a $1 billion. At roughly the same pace that advertising revenue has grown, broadcast TV coverage of substantive electoral issues has dwindled.

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Corpwatch, August 25, 2004

Full Court Press Release

by Laura Miller — August 19, 2004 - 11:00pm

"Over the past few weeks of Presidential WrestleMania MMIV, the Bush campaign has fired off more than a dozen press releases about John Kerry's policies on energy, nuclear-waste storage, forest and water protections, and other environmental issues - a hodgepodge of smears, exaggerations, and obfuscations intended to besmirch Kerry's pro-environment reputation," Grist Magazine's Amanda Griscom writes. Polls indicate that swing-state voters are concerned about things like pollution and wilderness conservation, prompting the Bush campaign to "neutralize" the environment as an election issue.

Main Source: 
Alternet, August 20, 2004

Vietnam, Re-revisited

by John Stauber — August 19, 2004 - 11:00pm

John Kerry called the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group "a front for the Bush campaign." The New York Times' in-depth report on the group finds "a web of connections to the Bush family, high-profile Tex

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New York Times, August 20, 2004

Political Football

by Sheldon Rampton — August 18, 2004 - 11:00pm

Iraqi soccer players at the Olympic games in Greece are angered at the Bush campaign for using the Iraqi Olympic team in Bush's latest re-election campaign advertisements. "Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," said Iraqi midfielder Salih Sadir. Another player, Ahmed Manajid, had even stronger words: "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?" Manajid said. "He has committed so many crimes." Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl interviewed the players.

Main Source: 
Sports Illustrated, August 19, 2004
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