The mainstream media’s latest pseudo-news obsession was exposed on Monday night’s episode of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” when host Stewart mocked the media for its role in spreading false and often ridiculous rumors about Sen. Barack Obama. Stewart shows clips from several network news anchors repeating Internet rumors as fact or real news. Watch the clip.

While this is just a humorous video ridiculing the mainstream media’s version of journalism, his guest later during the program highlighted the seriousness of the problems with American news coverage.

Lara Logan, CBS Chief Foreign Correspondent, talked about the challenges of convincing networks to broadcast in-depth coverage of what is really going on in Iraq and Afghanistan. “If I were to watch the news you hear in the United States, I would just blow my brains out because it would just drive me nuts,” she said in response to a question about whether she watches U.S. news.

Logan says Americans are not getting the full story from the media, and that her stories have to compete for air time against Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. She said that we shouldn’t have to choose between coverage on Iraq or Afghanistan, but instead the media should be covering both wars. Watch the clip.

Stewart’s segment reminds us of all the ways the mainstream media has failed the public this year. In April, the New York Times exposed a secret – and likely illegal -- Pentagon plan to spread favorable views of the war by recruiting and planting military analysts in the nation's news media. With only a few exceptions, the media have ignored this important story, and in some cases continued to use its influence to spread propaganda through the airwaves. Learn more at http://www.freepress.net/pentagon_propaganda.

We can make a difference to stop the media from spreading misinformation, rumors and government and corporate propaganda. Take action to demand better journalism.