junk news

Toxic media & radioactive smears

mthompson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:22:37 -0800

This week's Media Minutes podcast looks at shock jocks and toxic smears -- like Michael Savage's recent claim that the Obama administration will conduct a "wholesale firing of competent white men" and "stir up a race war."

"Baracknophobia?" Fox News on the President Elect

mthompson — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:11:42 -0800

"The Daily Show" collected this sampling of Fox News's recent post-election Obama coverage. America needs real journalism now -- not more fear-mongering and junk news.

News networks chicken out over "pig-gate?"

mthompson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:48:45 -0700

Are commercial news outlets acting like piggies in the "junk news" trough? Too chicken to ask the tough questions?

Rage on the Radio

mthompson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:36:02 -0700

From the September 12 broadcast of Bill Moyers' Journal. Correspondent Rick Karr examines the consequences of hate speech by right-wing radio talk show hosts.

Ted Koppel: Why mainstream media don't cover real issues

mthompson — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:33:09 -0700

Join the fight for better media at StopBigMedia.com

How is news coverage shaping the way Americans see the world?

mthompson — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:25:18 -0700

Using eye-opening stats and graphs, Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, shows how US new media is showing less of the world than ever before.

Pentagon "Spokesdrone" Does First Press Conference

mthompson — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:28:18 -0700

A sign of things to come? Following on the heels of the "Pentagon pundit" scandal, The Onion offers a glimpse of the Pentagon's future press strategy...

Hip hop sticks it to Big Media

mthompson — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:27:57 -0700

In a track called “Sly Fox” that’s been leaked in advance of his much-hyped upcoming album, legendary rapper Nas lays down a blistering critique of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch and media consolidation. Join the fight at StopBigMedia.com.

Lehrer and Rather on political news coverage

mthompson — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:24:36 -0700

Journalists Dan Rather and Jim Lehrer search for substance behind the spectacle of political convention coverage.

Why We Know Less than Ever About the World

Stevie Converse — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:03:15 -0700

FCC's latest Big Media giveaway: Paris Hilton = hard news

mthompson — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:42:02 -0700

The FCC just ruled that Fox's celebrity gossip show "TMZ" qualifies as a "bona fide newscast" --making it even easier for Big Media companies to replace real journalism with cheap junk news.

UPDATE: Stop Big Media -- before the shot clock runs out

mthompson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:33:14 -0700

Over 250,000 of you wrote Congress and the FCC to Stop Big Media -- and Congress has responded.

"Low-light reel" from ABC's recent debate

mthompson — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Questions from the recent Democratic Debate -- which many critics are calling a new low for journalism in America. If this kind of junk news is making you sick, fight back at StopBigMedia.com

AUDIO: Tim Robbins on America's "media abyss"

mthompson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:41:33 -0700

Audio from actor Tim Robbins' controversial keynote address at the National Association of Broadcasters show.

CNN's response to Josh Silver of Free Press

mthompson — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:04:00 -0700

CNN's Jeanne Moos responds to Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver's recent criticism on Huffington Post.

News panel ponders beard

mthompson — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:52:28 -0700

A panel of pundits debates the deep political implications of Bill Richardson's beard. Think junk news like this is bad news for America? Tell your Congresspeople to Stop Big Media -- before the new shot clock in the Senate runs out.

CNN makes anti-war protests look like a circus

mthompson — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:04:30 -0700

Last week thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest the Iraq war's fifth anniversary. CNN's response? Cover it like a circus. Help fix America's broken commercial media.