Remind Republicans: Rep. Chaffetz defends vote to cut embassy security funds

 

AlterNet ~~~

Fox News: Should Kids Have to Work For School Lunches?

By Hannah Groch-Begley, Media Matters for America

Fox News parroted a West Virginia Republican’s suggestion to make children take out the garbage before getting to eat. READ MORE»

 

Erskine Bowles Dismisses Facts on Deficits. Perhaps Because He Collects Millions for Deceiving the Public?

By Dean Baker, Beat the Press

Overwhelming evidence shows that there is little obvious reason to fear higher debt levels. READ MORE»

 

 

 

 

Media Matters for America ~~~ Update

 

Conservative media are turning especially ugly recently by promoting Islamophobia, embracing conspiracy theories, and making cruel statements about Gabby Giffords. We also have a special look at the campaign against disability benefits. John Whitehouse Twitter: @existentialfish Ugly Islamophobia, Even For Fox In the wake of the Boston bombings, Fox News has been overrun with Islamophobia, from anti-Muslim guests to Brian Kilmeade‘s rants about some people not deserving Constitutional rights. But the nadir of this ugliness was Fox host Eric Bolling declaring that Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was “the Muslim apologist in Congress” and is “very dangerous.” http://mm4a.org/11iwuEz How The Press Should Cover The Bush Legacy The George W. Bush Presidential Library is set to be dedicated today. Media Matters investigative reporter Joe Strupp spoke to presidential historians and veteran reporters for insight on how press should cover the Bush legacy. Their advice was clear: Tell the whole truth, and don’t whitewash the “very bad things.” http://mm4a.org/14S28ix Republicans Give Fox The Benghazi Report It Wanted House Republicans this week released a new report on the attacks on the Benghazi consulate. The explicitly partisan report conflicts with the independent, nonpartisan review previously done by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and Amb. Tom Pickering. Matt Gertz explains how Fox News built the report in the first place: http://mm4a.org/11iAWD3 Get The Facts On Disability Benefits The media has recently waged a concerted campaign against disability benefits. Unfortunately, that campaign has been filled with myths and lies. We’ve put together the complete resource debunking all of this hogwash. This is one of those pieces you’re going to want to bookmark and return to: http://mm4a.org/11GzevK FEATURED VIDEO Matt Drudge promised that this would be the “year of Alex Jones.” We’ve put together a harrowing look at what that would entail: http://youtu.be/JSOkoY9wkb4 CONSERVATIVE MEDIA AND BOSTON From the New York Post to Glenn Beck to Sean Hannity, conservative media failed their audience in their coverage of the Boston bombings. Eric Boehlert sorts through the smörgåsbord of conspiracy theories and false allegations: http://mm4a.org/XLpnp4 GABBY DESERVES BETTER After Gabby Giffords published a New York Times op-ed excoriating the Senate for blocking legislation on gun violence, The Wall Street Journal‘s James Taranto said on NRA News that he did not believe Giffords has the ability “to produce 900 publishable words.” http://mm4a.org/13qMCW4 IMAGE OF THE WEEK Fox Asks If Students Should Work For Their School Meals

Media Matters for America : Update

This week, we’re looking at moments of truth, whether it’s truth about common sense laws to reduce unnecessary deaths, two sister outlets covering the same story differently, or the uncomfortable truth a Pulitzer Prize-winning author leveled against modern conservative media. John Whitehouse Twitter: @existentialfish Common-Sense Laws That Worked The gun lobby has pushed the myth, dutifully repeated in the right-wing echo chamber, that laws and common sense regulation can never save lives. Just one problem: this is not true. You can see this in the auto industry – where laws and regulation have drastically reduced automobile deaths over the past 35 years – and there’s still plenty of cars on the road. Eric Boehlert explains how common sense action against gun violence can save lives. http://mm4a.org/XRV7dn Sequestration, The Labor Market, And Economists Economists are clear: the budget cuts from sequestration will have a negative effect on the job market. But Fox News has its own reality, where all other facts about the economy – seasonal factors, sequestration, budget cuts, other positive trends – are pointedly ignored and instead the economy is proclaimed weak. Albert Kleine explains what Fox refuses to: http://mm4a.org/XRSAjk Fox News v. Fox News Latino As Fox News Latino keeps trying to appeal to a Latino audience and Fox News keeps trying to appeal to their conservative base, more and more fissures appear between them. Solange Uwimana highlights the different coverage they gave when the Associated Press decided that it would no longer refer to undocumented immigrants as “illegal immigrants.” http://mm4a.org/17dD1F9 Ben Carson And “The Most Racist People” Fox News relentlessly promoted Ben Carson – until he compared homosexuality with bestiality and pedophilia, at which point Fox hosts made excuses for him even as students at Johns Hopkins Medical School asked that he not give a commencement speech. Matt Gertz looks at how Carson initially apologized but has since lashed out at critics, saying to Mark Levin that his liberal critics are “the most racist people there are.” http://mm4a.org/16tKUFa FEATURED VIDEO Defying all norms of civility, common sense, and established journalistic practices, Fox’s Sean Hannity attacked President Obama’s daughters for going on vacation. http://mm4a.org/YTCWyV CHICAGO BEARS DENY NOM’S CLAIMS Virulent anti-gay group the National Organization of Marriage bragged that they were auctioning off two items from the Chicago Bears and even thanked them for supporting their message. But the Bears quickly denied any connection to the fringe group. http://goo.gl/CrXZW ROBERT CARO SPEAKS OUT Pulitzer Prize winning author Robert Caro is renowned for his work about Lyndon Johnson and Robert Moses. Joe Strupp asked Caro about today’s conservative media – and Caro did not mince words. http://mm4a.org/11ItqlZ IMAGE OF THE WEEK Megyn Kelly and Tony Perkins

6Dems finally support marriage equality and more

Robert Reich On Why You Shouldn’t Accept Chained CPI From President Obama Or Anybody

Wow. Fox News Is Adopting Something Socially Responsible Before The New York Times Does?

UPDATED: Last 6 Democratic Holdouts On Marriage Equality Pushed By MoveOn Members

Failing America

From failures covering the war in Iraq and the economy, to poisoning media debate with smears, to the outright chicanery of the NRA and Rush Limbaugh, we’re looking this week at the conservative echo chamber’s effects on journalism and how it’s failing America. Also: Follow Media Matters on Twitter today – we’re almost to 100,000 followers. John Whitehouse Twitter: @existentialfish Where Are The Iraq Boosters Today? On the 10-year anniversary of the Iraq War, we look back at some of the most prominent war advocates in the media. Instead of facing consequences for their poor analysis, these media figures continue to hold positions of influence. http://mm4a.org/ZsbM5n What Is Roger Ailes Afraid Of? Fox News President Roger Ailes has a new biography out, entitle Off Camera, and author Zev Chafets has become a tool of the Fox PR machine as he conflates Ailes’ seemingly laudable personal qualities with his poor professional conduct. David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt explore how this book is a microcosm of all the biggest problems with Fox News. http://mm4a.org/14cIi08 Fox Ignores Its Smear Campaign Falling Apart Fox News was happy to run with the Daily Caller‘s smear campaign against Robert Menendez when it first broke. But as the story has collapsed, Fox has failed to correct the record. This is journalism Fox News style – cover the smear campaign pushed by a discredited outlet, ignore it when the story falls apart. http://mm4a.org/XZw4q5 Rush Limbaugh Vs. Republican Rebranding On the same day the Republican Party announced that it wanted to reach out to minorities, Limbaugh compared Hispanic Labor nominee Thomas Perez to a KKK member. Simon Maloy explores the limits of Republican rebranding with Rush Limbaugh still around: http://mm4a.org/WzlwL2 Green Jobs Are Growing Fox News and right-wing media have spent years attacking green jobs. But a new report shows that private sector green jobs are on the rise – from manufacturing to construction and other sectors of the economy.. Jill Fitzsimmons breaks down the job growth: http://mm4a.org/YXO7Ka FEATURED VIDEO For once, politicians agree that there is no immediate debt crisis. Someone needs to tell the media, who continue to push that message, when they should be talking about jobs.  http://mm4a.org/10i4IJK FOX PANEL ATTACKS ELIZABETH WARREN A Fox Business panel took Elizabeth Warren wildly out of context on minimum wage. But the facts support Warren because even as worker productivity has grown, wages have been stagnant. http://mm4a.org/15YVrIn NRA PUSHES AGAINST BACKGROUND CHECKS An NRA op-ed this week pushed myths about background check legislation pending in Congress. Get the facts: http://mm4a.org/11fyTQU HE WAS NOT INVOLVED THIS TIME Fox pundits are still pushing conspiracy theories that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The network even let Oliver North of all people push the debunked theory that Iraq illegally trafficked weapons. Seriously.  http://mm4a.org/YXAU47 IMAGE OF THE WEEK Why Iraq War Boosters Matter 10 Years Later

Rejecting Reality

Fox News pushes GOP talking points verbatim and doesn’t disclose. Rush Limbaugh pretends that everything is alright in the radio industry. Bill O’Reilly flies off the handle when confronted with the facts. We’re looking at people who can’t deal with reality this week. John Whitehouse Twitter: @existentialfish On Fox, Verbatim From The GOP Discussing the sequester, Fox News cribbed research and graphics directly from a Republican press release. Fox News aired a series of graphics that took words verbatim from the GOP press release; at no point did Fox indicate that these graphics came from the GOP. Matt Gertz shows how Fox has repeastedly pushed Republican talking points on the air as news: http://mm4a.org/XxHtcK Wreck-It Rush And The Radio Industry One year ago, Rush Limbaugh launched an invective-filled tirade against Sandra Fluke. This started a chain reaction. Hundreds of advertisers fled not just Limbaugh’s show but all right-wing radio – and continue to flee to this day. This caused millions in losses to the industry, and all of right-wing talk radio is suffering as a result. Angelo Carusone examines how Rush Limbaugh is still bad for business. http://mm4a.org/WwBy5p Blaming Obama For Republican Behavior Perhaps the strangest trait of Beltway press is the incessant need to blame President Obama for Republican congressional obstructionism. Bob Woodward and Bill Keller recently have dabbled in this practice regarding the sequester. Eric Boehlertlooks at the history of the phenomenon, which spans all the way back to 2009: http://mm4a.org/165PwCn On Tucker Carlson And Prostitution Scandals In 2007, when Republican Sen. David Viitter was entrenched in a prostitution scandal, his most fierce media advocate was Tucker Carlson, who lambasted news outlets for even looking into a tie between Vitter and prostitutes. In 2013, however, Carlson’s Daily Caller is leading a smear campaign against Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez. Simon Maloy pores over the hypocrisy: http://mm4a.org/Yy96CQ FEATURED VIDEO Bill O’Reilly demanded to know what specific spending cuts President Obama proposed. When Alan Colmes presented them, O’Reilly exploded with anger. See the video everyone is talking about – and the facts showing why O’Reilly is wrong. http://mm4a.org/YbBRCe RUPERT MURDOCH IS COMING FOR YOUR KIDS Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. reportedly has a “big contract” with the Los Angeles school district, and this week, the company dumped money into the Los Angeles election,reportedly to protect a News Corp-friendly school superintendent. Ben Dimiero surveys the situation: http://mm4a.org/13Dsjro A SAD, NEW LOW FOR THE NRA NRA President David Keene defended gun protesters who compared NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo to Adolf Hitler after Cuomo signed gun violence prevention measures. Timothy Johnson goes over the history of NRA figures pushing the false analogy: http://mm4a.org/WLYLGu IMAGE OF THE WEEK When It Comes To The Deficit, The Media Has Failed America

Kindness that will make your day,FOX & target practice …

CAUGHT ON TAPE: An Extraordinary Act Of Kindness That’ll Make Your Day

Fox News Doesn’t Fact Check: Lesbian Wedding Edition

A Revealing In-Person Demonstration Of What Forget Drones, Focus on Stop-and-Frisk Instead                                     Conservatives may have set their sights on the Obama administration’s drone program as proof our civil liberties have all but evaporated, but if… read more

FOX … wants to take over

 

 

 Mia Cambronero – Avaaz.org

 

Dear friends across the US,

The government is about to change the rules so that Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch can monopolize media markets all across the country! But they’re required by law to review our comments, and if we inundate them with thousands of messages of opposition now, we can stop this attack on our free media:

The government is about to change the rules to allow Fox News to expand its empire! The plan could be approved at any moment, so we need to act now to stop it.

The owner of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, is gearing up to buy the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times to corrupt our democracy with more of his right-wing propaganda. Until now, federal law didn’t allow someone who owns a television station to also buy a newspaper in the same market. Unbelievably, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is thinking of creating an exception to the rule that would let Murdoch sneak through.

The FCC has tried this twice before, only to be stopped by public backlash. Let’s stop them again. Send a message to the FCC right now before they vote to give Murdoch more power:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?biEWLbb&v=20651

The current FCC rules prevent any company from owning a major daily newspaper and a television station in the same market. This is an old and sensible rule designed to prevent any one person or company from controlling too many of our information sources, and thereby undermining healthy democratic debate. But the FCC is considering a “waiver” to that rule that would allow a baron like Murdoch — who already controls enough media to dominate American public opinion — to expand his empire in the country’s second and third largest cities.

The FCC Chair claims he needs to make these changes to comply with the FCC’s Congressional mandate and that it won’t actually help Murdoch, but that’s wrong. Although companies that already own one of the top 4 TV stations in a given market won’t be allowed to take advantage of the new waiver, and FOX is in the top 4 in many markets, it’s the number 5 channel in LA and Chicago — so the rule is almost perfectly designed to give Murdoch a pass in the two places where it’s been reported that he wants to buy major papers.

We take pride in America’s diversity, yet 6 giant corporations control more than half of what we watch and read every day — down from 50 companies three decades ago. The perils of media consolidation are already on clear display. Local newsrooms are closing, investigative journalism is collapsing and diverse viewpoints are shrinking from our airwaves.

The FCC was created to protect our free media, not drown it. Let’s shower them with a wave of public comments to abandon the waiver proposal, and bring the people power needed to kill this poison on our media diversity:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?biEWLbb&v=20651

Any thriving democracy gives its citizens the fundamental right to choose between truly diverse sources of media. Last year, Avaazers in the UK helped stop Murdoch’s power grab through a huge public outcry. Let’s unite now to protect US democracy from Murdoch and other media barons once and for all.

With hope and determination,

Mia, Allison, Ian, Emily, Ricken, Pedro and the rest of the Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

An FCC Christmas gift for Rupert Murdoch? (Salon)
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/an_fcc_christmas_gift_for_rupert_murdoch/

Why Is the Obama FCC Plotting a Massive Giveaway to Rupert Murdoch? (Free Press)
http://www.freepress.net/blog/2012/11/19/why-obama-fcc-plotting-massive-giveaway-rupert-murdoch

Opponents decry FCC plans on media ownership (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/11/28/fcc-considers-media-ownership/1732609/

These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America (Business Insider)
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6

West Wing Week: 12/21/12 or “We Are There For Them”.

 

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President addressed the national tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and promised meaningful action to address gun violence, while the White House invited some of its newest Pinterest followers, and the President spread some holiday cheer.