MediaBloodhound

Special Report: Ivins Anthrax Case Another Black Eye for Network News

2008-08-11T19:12:57-04:00

While cable news dutifully devotes nonstop coverage to the latest random criminal cases -- kidnappings, shootouts, murderous love triangles, car chases -- it's telling when a supposed break in one of the biggest manhunts in FBI history, for a terrorist who murdered and poisoned multiple American citizens with anthrax, takes a backseat to nearly every other story. That is, if it's mentioned at all. Even as details, leaks and a burgeoning list of questions bubbled to the surface last week, demanding serious scrutiny, the big three broadcast networks were equally blasé. Some nights skipping mention of the unfolding story altogether, as did last Tuesday's editions of CBS Evening News and ABC World News (though both that evening reported the eminently newsworthy story of a thrill-seeking English couple who married while being strapped outside separate airplanes). On the same night, Brian Williams afforded 39 precious seconds to the anthrax investigation on NBC Nightly News.

Editor's Note: Lighter Posting the Rest of Summer

2008-07-07T18:14:59-04:00

I'll be working on other projects I've been putting off for far too long. I also need to recharge a bit while wrapping my head around MediaBloodhound 2.0, which will be coming to a computer near you some time in late '08. I will, however, still be writing new pieces here from time to time, whenever I come up for air. So do continue to check in or, if you haven't already, subscribe to receive MediaBloodhound email alerts (see top right-hand column). In the meantime, feel free to use this as an open thread to share any cases of journalistic...

The Wounded-Courier: McCain Threatens Bombing China Over U.S. Flag Sales

2008-07-04T17:54:13-04:00

On the heels of news that millions of American flags are actually imported from China, Republican presidential nominee John McCain addressed the issue this Fourth of July morning outside a flag factory in Fredericksburg, Virginia. "All options must be on the table to deal with China's infiltration of our flag market," McCain said to a cheering and U.S.-made flag-waving crowd. "If we find that China manufactured and sold us these millions of American flags intentionally and for the purpose of tainting our great country in any way, we might have no other option than to bomb these Chinese flag production sites and trade routes, their business associates, and their friends and family."

Story of the Day: PBS and NBC's Symbiotic Sins of Omission

2008-07-02T18:47:20-04:00

On Tuesday night, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and Newshour with Jim Lehrer presented two telling examples of how omitting information shapes public perception with regard to civilian casualties.

The Wounded-Courier: Charlie Black Plans Terror Attacks in Key Swing States

2008-06-27T18:00:55-04:00

After critics questioned the appropriateness of John McCain's chief strategist, Charlie Black, saying a terrorist attack on American soil would benefit his candidate, yesterday Black took that notion one step farther. Appearing on Today, Black told co-host Matt Lauer, "With Wednesday's Quinnipiac University poll showing Senator Obama leading in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, we've redoubled our efforts regarding terror attacks here at home, from mere wishful thinking to targeted planning."

Exclusive Special Report: CBS' Kaplan Says Tiger's Injury "Of Major Importance"

2008-06-25T11:06:05-04:00

On June 17, Lara Logan, CBS News' Chief Foreign Correspondent, had this exchange with Jon Stewart: STEWART: Do you watch the news that we’re watching? LOGAN: No. STEWART: …in the United States? Do you see what we’re hearing about the war? So, we might actually know everything? LOGAN: If I were to watch the news that you hear in the United States—I’d just blow my brains out because it would drive me nuts. The following night, CBS Evening News spent the first four-and-a-half minutes of its broadcast on star golfer Tiger Woods' injury. (View full clip here.)

Story of the Day: George Carlin Video Tribute

2008-06-23T20:39:13-04:00

George Denis Patrick Carlin (1937-2008). RIP, sir. And thank you. You will be missed.

The Wounded-Courier: McCain Camp Launches NameIsMcCainNotMcSame.com

2008-06-20T14:05:27-04:00

In response to charges John McCain's presidency would be a third term for George W. Bush, the McCain campaign debuted a new website today, NameIsMcCainNotMcSame.com. The homepage explains, "Though John McCain agrees with President Bush on the necessity of the war in Iraq and staying there to get the job done, seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, immunity for telecom companies' illegal wiretapping, not speaking with our enemies, offshore drilling, limiting legal rights of detainees, targeting Iran for attack, school vouchers, banning same-sex marriages, opposing increased education benefits for veterans, making current tax cuts permanent, the economy, healthcare, expanding genetically modified food production, and eliminating habeas corpus, or that he voted 95% of the time with the president in 2007 and 100% of the time in 2008, Senator McCain differs greatly with President Bush on a wide variety of issues." The site goes on to list many of their divergent stances:

Op-Ed Column: Something Else to Learn from Tim Russert's Death

2008-06-17T15:43:16-04:00

Whatever issues people had with Tim Russert's political coverage during the George W. Bush years (and I and many others outside the Beltway intelligentsia had many), I don't wish to raise them now. First, I'd like to extend my condolences to Tim Russert's family and friends. After watching the extensive and ongoing memorializing at MSNBC and NBC, it is clear that, despite what anybody thought of Russert as a journalist, he obviously had an incredibly positive impact on those closest to him - as a loving husband, father and son, as well as a supportive, good-natured and inspiring friend and colleague. After days of eulogies on MSNBC and NBC and the subsequent response by some who feel the near 24/7 memorializing for Russert was overblown, I'm neither going to defend nor criticize the coverage. I'll only say that I'm not sure how one dictates how others should mourn a loved one. On the other hand, it also seems natural that an overwhelming public display of mourning, such as what Russert received, might be viewed as excessive by those who were not close to him and/or who thought his overall contribution to society and the world at large was less than spectacular. I'd prefer to offer a different perspective entirely, one that impacts all of us no matter how we received news of his death and what we thought of its coverage.

The Wounded-Courier Editorial: Media's Lack of Focus on Puff Daddy's Name Change

2008-06-13T22:30:00-04:00

Though the media did report this week that rap mogul P. Diddy changed his name back to Puff Daddy, its coverage was far too limited for such a newsworthy event. To be fair, it was a heady news week. And we do commend the media for tackling the other stories that affect Americans and the world most: a pig wearing boots, foreigners trying to buy Budweiser's brewer, Hulk Hogan's wife dating a 19-year-old , a federal judge caught posting sexually explicit photos on his website, the sighting of a one-horned deer, how Preparation H shrinks love handles, why NYC is seeking more visas for hot foreign models, a pregnant male sea dragon, the scourge of "momnesia", an eight-limbed girl, scientists gone wild, and the groundbreaking study that found women in bikinis make men more impulsive.

Story of the Day: The Big Story with the Least MSM Coverage? (Guess Again.)

2008-06-10T17:38:12-04:00

What big story received less overall mainstream media coverage than Dennis Kucinich's introduction of 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush? What same story of critical impact to our First Amendment rights got even less attention than last week's Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report confirming that the Bush administration "led the nation to war on false premises"?

The Wounded-Courier: Jesus Denounces McCain, Endorses Obama

2008-06-06T14:34:23-04:00

In a stunning turn of events Thursday, the Son of God endorsed Barack Obama for President while rejecting and distancing himself from presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. Outside an Applebee's off the New Jersey Turnpike in Paramus yesterday, Jesus Christ told reporters, "Look, it's been a very divisive primary season between Barack and Hillary. I thought my support would aid the healing process and help unify the Democrats." Asked if he was a registered Democrat, Jesus replied, "I'm actually registered with the Green Party. But no amount of faith and prayer will get their candidate elected." Christ clarified, "I perform miracles, but there are limits."

Special Report: One of the "Smartest People" Fareed Zakaria Knows?

2008-06-04T18:09:57-04:00

Deadly hawks come in many styles. Some have polished talons." - Norman Solomon Fareed Zakaria debuted his new show for CNN this past Sunday. Introducing his program, called Fareed Zakaria GPS (as in Global Public Square, not Global Positioning System, though the latter might also apply), he explains:

The Wounded-Courier: WH: McClellan Misled Us, Not "Doughy-Faced Goebbels"

2008-05-30T20:10:00-04:00

The Bush administration and its surrogates are stepping up attacks against former press secretary Scott McClellan over his explosive White House memoir. Ari Fleischer, President Bush's first press secretary and McClellan's old boss, elaborated this morning on previous statements from several current and former Bush administration officials that "this is not the Scott I know." Speaking with NBC Today co-host Matt Lauer, Fleisher said, "You know, Matt, the guy we all knew seemed completely willing to disseminate lies about a war of choice that would lead to the senseless deaths of over one million Iraqis and 4,000-plus American soldiers. In other words, we knew him as a loyal, soft-spoken and honorable man. Scott led us to believe that he, like us, was little more than a soulless husk of a human being. A ruthless, unethical, democracy-killing zombie. Sadly, that's apparently not the case."

Story of the Day: A Brief Moment of Context on Memorial Day

2008-05-26T22:09:51-04:00

They were not greeted as liberators. There were no weapons of mass destruction. They gave their lives for an unnecessary war. They were brave but used by an administration that considers them expendable.

The Wounded-Courier: Bush Golfing Again, Says "Long Nat'l Nightmare" Over

2008-05-23T13:17:18-04:00

President Bush, who recently revealed he gave up playing golf on Aug. 19, 2003 because it "sends the wrong signal" during a time of war, has ended his near five-year sacrifice. The Wounded-Courier has obtained a rush transcript of the president's discussion to air tonight on Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume. The following is an excerpt from that interview:

Op-Ed Column: It's Time for Chris Matthews to Play Hardball Every Day

2008-05-20T22:17:30-04:00

When MSNBC's Chris Matthews unmasked right-wing radio host Kevin James for mindlessly pushing White House and GOP "appeasement" talking points, Matthews also revealed the journalist he could be. And that's what is endlessly frustrating about the longtime Hardball host.

The Wounded-Courier: Day After "Appeasement" Remark, Ghost of Prescott Bush Hovers Over WH (satire)

2008-05-16T18:41:42-04:00

One day after President Bush likened presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama to those who appeased Adolph Hitler, the ghost of the president's grandfather, Prescott Bush - in an SS uniform, muttering German and gesticulating angrily - has been hovering high above the White House since dawn.

Story of the Day: Brian Williams' "Truthiness" in Advertising

2008-05-14T15:39:52-04:00

For some time now, MSNBC has been running commercials touting their election coverage team's commitment to providing information so Americans can make informed decisions about the candidates. But in context of the unfolding Pentagon TV war analysts scandal, one of these promos (which I believe is new) stood out for its particular hypocrisy. To a melodramatic background score that's one part patriotic sentimentality (scene in Mel Gibson movie after character's army triumphs), one part childhood wonder (kids riding bikes in the sky to the silhouette of the moon in E.T.), and one part lovers reuniting after a long separation (archetypal open-armed sprint across verdant meadow), this is TV promo's content:

The Wounded-Courier: CNN's John King Calls Off Wedding, Moves In with Map

2008-05-09T04:59:00-04:00

John King, chief national correspondent for CNN, broke off his engagement to colleague Dana Bash Thursday after revealing a months-long affair with his interactive election map.

Story of the Day: Leading Newspapers Perpetuated Obama-Muslim Mython Day of IN Primary

2008-05-07T18:21:31-04:00

Media Matters posted a piece this afternoon about how the right-wing Washington Times today "quoted [an] Indiana man saying Obama is 'a Muslim' without noting the assertion is false." A fine catch. Media Matters also smartly showed how a responsible journalist reports such incidents: By contrast, after quoting the same man in its own article, the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that "Obama has never been a Muslim, but bogus e-mails accuse him of being a Muslim who put his hand on a copy of the Quran to be sworn into the U.S. Senate and refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance." An additional search, however, reveals that the decidedly more credible Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Baltimore Sun also reported the same anecdote without pointing out the man's claim was false.

Story of the Day: Bob Schieffer, Company Man

2008-05-06T10:15:25-04:00

While longtime CBS News fixture Bob Schieffer is more professional than most of his network colleagues - not exactly a difficult feat in an era dominated by Brian Williams, Tim Russert, Katie Couric, Charles Gibson, George Stephanopoulis, Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer - his compromising relationship with President Bush and image as an objective newsman is typical of how our establishment media operates.

The Wounded-Courier: Networks Announce Politically Inspired Summer Pilots

2008-05-02T18:22:50-04:00

Major broadcast networks ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX are gearing up to run summer replacement programs that take advantage of this popular political season. The following is a list of promos currently being sent to network affiliates across the country:

Story of the Day: Miley Cyrus Trumps Voter ID Ruling on NBC Nightly News; On Same Day, NBC Anchor Slammed NYT's Fluff

2008-04-29T12:56:16-04:00

Last night, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams allotted eighty seconds to yesterday's momentous Supreme Court ruling that there's nothing unconstitutional with Indiana's law requiring a photo ID to vote. Meanwhile, during the same broadcast, it spent over two minutes on the concern caused by photos of teen star Miley Cyrus in Vanity Fair.

The Wounded-Courier: McCain Targets "Sadrists" Stewart and Colbert

2008-04-25T13:41:12-04:00

After recent gaffes confusing Sunnis and Shiites, John McCain has now mixed up Sadrists - followers of Iraqi Shiite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr - with satirists. Aboard his campaign plane yesterday afternoon, the Republican presidential candidate answered a question about the dangers of Sadrists waging an all-out war on US troops, saying, "Well, here's some straight talk for you - I think Sadrists like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have been waging a war on our troops for years. And it's about time, my friends, that we face this reality and confront them head-on."

Op-Ed Column: Networks Win Pennsylvania in Landslide!

2008-04-23T16:21:50-04:00

Have you ever been dreaming, entertaining whatever loopy narrative your unconscious mind is unleashing, and then suddenly you recognize it's only a dream and you wake up? Well, during MSNBC's election coverage last night, in between all the manufactured melodrama of the network's ensemble cast, Chris Matthews seemed to experience such a moment when, as if delivering an on-stage soliloquy sans the dimming lights, he said: "But I really do think it’s a strange time because we’re all watching to see who won, but as Nora pointed out, 4 out of 5, or so, of the Hillary voters today believe she’s still in the running. That this is still up in the air and I think that was probably a mistake of the media. I think in the effort of the media, to try to keep this game going, we’ve created the delusion that somehow this race is still open. I don’t think it is open. I think if you look at the numbers Barack has to really blow it in the weeks ahead to lose."

The Wounded-Courier (EXCLUSIVE): Transcript of Untelevised Portion of ABC Debate

2008-04-18T12:14:55-04:00

BC News' handling of the Democratic debate on Wednesday generated thousands of negative comments from viewers and also excoriating critiques from members alternative and mainstream media alike. In response, ABC News President David Westin has decided to release a transcript of the untelevised portion of the debate, which took place subsequent to the one Americans watched on Wednesday night. Westin, speaking with The Wounded-Courier, said, "While I think, on the whole, Charlie and George did an admirable job, I believe the most substantive part of the debate occurred after the cameras were turned off." Westin added, "I've decided to release this transcript to make clear ABC's commitment to excellence in journalism. We're confident you'll agree that the questions asked in these remaining minutes address substantive issues that are of the utmost concern to Pennsylvanians and every American." Courtesy of ABC News, here is the untelevised transcript in its entirety:

Special Report: NYT Iraq War Timeline Whitewashes History (Part III: Burying News of Iraqi Dead)

2008-04-16T22:58:20-04:00

To mark the recent fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, The New York Times published an interactive timeline. This is the third in a series of posts exploring the most misleading statements and glaring omissions from its Iraq War history. (If you missed either of the first two parts, you can read them here and here). Timeline Entry: W.H.O.'s Iraqi Civilian Death Toll This entry reads in full: "January 9, 2008, W.H.O. Estimates Deaths: The World Health Organization publishes a study estimating the number of Iraqi civilian deaths from the start of the war through June 2006 as between 104,000 and 223,000. It estimated that the actual total was 151,000." In the accompanying article filed on Jan. 10, 2008 (linked under the timeline), The Times does note the John Hopkins study, which estimated "about 600,000 [Iraqi civilian] dead between the war’s start, in March 2003, and July 2006." So why, then, isn't this acknowledged in the timeline?

The Wounded-Courier: Penn Leaves PR Firm to Work Directly for Satan

2008-04-11T11:43:29-04:00

"It was time to cut out the middle man," said Mark Penn, who recently stepped down as Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist. Penn, speaking from Satan's lair in an undisclosed circle of Hell, told The New York Times this morning that the Devil contacted him as soon as he heard Penn had relinquished his top tactical role for Clinton. "He texted me immediately - 'IMHO, you still rock.' Then he called me directly on his cell. Needless to say, I was pretty flattered," admitted Penn. "I've worked for Blackwater but this was Beelzebub. Not Erik Prince - the Prince of Darkness. He's the best in the business. When he put an offer on the table, I said, 'Where do you want me to sign and when do you want me there [Hell]?'"

Polled: AP's Stupidest Poll Findings of the Primary Season

2008-04-08T13:49:48-04:00

Polled, a new feature on MediaBloodhound, will cover the most inane polls from now through the November election and beyond. Congratulations to the Associated Press for being the recipient of the inaugural post in Polled! Here's the lede to the AP's story on its own conclusions drawn from exit polls from the Democratic primaries: Add this to the divisive debate over race in the presidential campaign: Whites who said race was important in picking their candidate have been about twice as likely to back Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as Sen. Barack Obama.