How Roger Ailes Broke the News
Roger Ailes built Fox News into a profitable media empire — at the expense of journalism.
Comey Hints at J Edgar Hoover’s Blackmailing of Political Leaders
Comparing himself to murdered 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket notwithstanding, fired FBI chief James Comey has been mostly circumspect in responding to Senate Committee inquiries about President Donald Trump and Russia. But he did make one assertion Thursday that jolted some historically-minded viewers to the edge of their seats. It was a comment Read More
Classic WHY: Just Asking—Media Outfoxed on Spate of Bizarre Shootings?
In the wake of the Charleston shootings, it’s worth revisiting this discussion about how—and why—the media discourages deeper scrutiny of violence in the US.
Please Stop Talking about Donald Trump
Talking about Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is about as useful as discussing Lincoln Chafee’s or George Pataki’s ambitions for the White House — except those two actually held elected office at one point. Yet, if you’re a ‘name’ in America, you can be a politician. Ok, ok, it’s a bit rich (pun intended) to request that Read More
The Undemocratic Primary
While the Republican field of White House hopefuls is historically deep and diverse, the GOP’s process of picking its nominee is highly undemocratic. Open primaries were supposed to bring transparency to party nominations once dominated by backroom deals. But party-sanctioned debate rules and the influence of conservative billionaires are stacking the deck in favor of the frontrunners.
Benghazi: Cover-up By Both Parties?
The debate over who was responsible for the attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, rages on. But the partisan noise appears to be obscuring a much more interesting possibility. Not to mention more troubling.
Just Asking: Media Outfoxed on Spate of Bizarre Shootings?
Should the media line up behind a Fox News reporter facing jail time for her refusal to name sources? Of course. But they might also look into where reporters get those “scoops”—and how they shape public perceptions. Particularly in the cases of these “lone nut” shooters that have become increasingly common, leaks from law enforcement should not be taken at face value.
Syria: We Can Learn a Lot From the “Small Stuff”
Really interesting material on Syria flies by, largely unnoticed and unremarked upon. Here’s a grab bag of potentially consequential items from the past couple of months.
Russ Baker Interview, SiriusXM Radio, with Judith Regan, July 20, 2011
Host Judith Regan, who worked for Rupert Murdoch, gets Russ’s assessment of her former boss.
What Rupert Murdoch Means For You Personally
Once you get past the shockers of the hacking scandal….it gets worse. Here’s the big picture on how Murdoch’s methods impact the world—Murdoch’s 12 mortal sins.
NPR Scandal Reversal: The Raw Footage Shows Something Else
When I wrote a piece the other day about a scandal rocking National Public Radio over “inappropriate” comments NPR fundraising executives make on edited hidden-camera footage, I wondered whether raw footage might provide some useful context. I did not know at the time that such raw footage was there to be scrutinized.
Wild Acorns?
Conservative activists and talk show hosts, continuing a crusade begun during the presidential campaign, have been calling for their compatriots to dig up dirt on appointees and beneficiaries of Obama administration funding. The result has been an effort by the Democrats to quickly blunt any controversy by terminating links with anyone deemed controversial. Recently, a Read More