Think Again

In this series

Is Obamacare the End of Liberalism? Not So Much
An error message is displayed on the healthcare.gov website. The beleaguered health insurance website has had periods of downtime as as the government tries to fix the problems. (AP/Jon Elswick)
Article

Is Obamacare the End of Liberalism? Not So Much

Pundits—evoking Chicken Little—treated the glitches in the health care website as a historic catastrophe. They look more than a little silly now.

Eric Alterman

Murdoch, Ailes, and Fox: Right from the Start
Roger Ailes, left, answers questions after Rupert Murdoch, right, announced Ailes would lead Fox News in 1996. (AP/Richard Drew)
Article

Murdoch, Ailes, and Fox: Right from the Start

A new book from reporter David Folkenflik details how Fox News’ shady practices have been around since day one.

Eric Alterman

A Bully Pulpit for Billionaires
New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio joins Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a meeting in the
Article

A Bully Pulpit for Billionaires

With its double-barrel attack on New York City Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, The Economist shows its contempt for unions, evidence, and, ultimately, New York City voters.

Eric Alterman

The Super-Rich and Their Monster
The charging bull in lower Manhattan is seen on Wednesday, October 18, 2006. (AP/Mary Altaffer)
Article

The Super-Rich and Their Monster

The super-rich earn more than $200 million a year and pay lower taxes than the rest of us. The biggest problem they have is the “monster” they helped create: Tea Party Republicans.

Eric Alterman

10 Years of False Equivalence and Still Going Strong
The mainstream media’s greatest failure has been its members’ inability to acknowledge the problem of false equivalence and an outdated commitment to objectivity. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

10 Years of False Equivalence and Still Going Strong

Will the mainstream media ever wise up to the fact that both sides in our political debate don’t play by the same rules?

Eric Alterman

Heads, the Tea Party Wins; Tails, the Tea Party Wins
Tea Party supporter William Temple of Brunswick, Georgia, protests against President Barack Obama's health care law outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, June 28, 2012. (AP/David Goldman)
Article

Heads, the Tea Party Wins; Tails, the Tea Party Wins

The debate over the government shutdown and the debt ceiling demonstrates how Tea Party extremists, despite their unpopularity, enjoy a stranglehold on our politics.

Eric Alterman

‘Who Speaks for the Jews?’
A Jewish boy stands before the American flag. (iStockphoto/selimaksan)
Article

‘Who Speaks for the Jews?’

American Jews are less conservative and more dovish regarding Israel than the media and certain Jewish organizations would have us believe.

Eric Alterman

Bill de Blasio, ‘Sandalista’
Democratic mayoral hopeful Bill de Blasio greets supporters after a news conference, Tuesday, September 17, 2013, on the steps of City Hall in New York. (AP/Mary Altaffer)
Article

Bill de Blasio, ‘Sandalista’

In their desperation, Bill de Blasio’s opponents in the New York City mayoral race have turned the clock back to his time in Nicaragua, and the media is playing along.

Eric Alterman

Austerity Kills, and So Will the Sequester
Government workers supporting union members and activists protest against the across-the-board federal spending cuts known as sequestration at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. (AP/Matt Rourke)
Article

Austerity Kills, and So Will the Sequester

The mainstream media paints an inaccurate and overly rosy picture of sequestration's devastating effects.

Eric Alterman

Rupert Makes the News—Literally
Rupert Murdoch arrives at the Twentieth Century Fox & Fox Searchlight Pictures Oscar Party at Lure, Sunday, February 24, 2013, in Los Angeles, California. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Article

Rupert Makes the News—Literally

Rupert Murdoch is already the most powerful media man in the world, and he is eager to use—and abuse—that power everywhere he can.

Eric Alterman

Neoconservatism on the Decline
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) appears during the 40th annual Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, March 16, 2013. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)
Article

Neoconservatism on the Decline

Neoconservatism’s roots are being pulled up by the likes of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.

Eric Alterman

The Nonexistent ‘Center’ Folds
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), accompanied by Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX), speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

The Nonexistent ‘Center’ Folds

There is no "center" in Washington, and the pundits who pretend to be fighting for the middle are misleading themselves and the rest of us.

Eric Alterman

Mainstream Media Refuses to Recognize the Elephant in the Room
Members of the
Article

Mainstream Media Refuses to Recognize the Elephant in the Room

Republican recalcitrance frames virtually every political issue in Washington these days, except in the reporting of those same incidents by the mainstream media.

Eric Alterman

Have Progressives Abandoned Economic Liberalism?
In this 2010 photo, a foreclosed house is shown in Lee County, Florida. Working American families continue to struggle, but without sufficient media coverage to document it. (AP/Chris O'Meara)
Article

Have Progressives Abandoned Economic Liberalism?

America continues to experience exploding inequality that threatens both our democracy and the very fabric of our society, without much attention from the mainstream media.

Eric Alterman

Kurtz Joining Fox News Comes As No Surprise
This April 25, 2012, file photo shows journalist Howard Kurtz at the world premiere of
Article

Kurtz Joining Fox News Comes As No Surprise

The fact that media pundit Howard Kurtz, formerly of CNN, has landed at Fox was preordained with the only question being why it took so long.

Eric Alterman

The Mainstream Media Needs to Break Its Addiction to the Drudge Report
Internet writer Matt Drudge meets reporters outside federal court in Washington on March 11, 1998, after a preliminary hearing on a $30 million defamation suit filed against him by former White House aide Sidney Blumenthal. (AP/Brian K. Diggs)
Article

The Mainstream Media Needs to Break Its Addiction to the Drudge Report

Despite the fact that anyone with Internet access can publish “news” online, we should be more cautious about sources such as the Drudge Report that tend toward the outlandish.

Eric Alterman

The Power of Money, Not Logic
Carol Gay, of Brick, New Jersey, holds a sign saying
Article

The Power of Money, Not Logic

In an age of exploding inequality, it is shocking that we are ignoring a tax system that deliberately makes the inequality crisis in our society far worse than it needs to be.

Eric Alterman

Remembering the ‘Feminine Mystique’
Feminist author Betty Friedan, left, is seen with former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) at the Feminist Expo 2000 in Baltimore. (AP/Gail Burton)
Article

Remembering the ‘Feminine Mystique’

Fifty years after Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book, The Feminine Mystique, was published, American society remains in her debt.

Eric Alterman

A Realistic Approach to Syria
President Barack Obama answered questions from the press on April 30, 2013, regarding chemical-weapons use in Syria. Though many senators are clamoring for heightened U.S. involvement in the crisis, none has suggested responsible ways of doing so. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Article

A Realistic Approach to Syria

Many conservatives have been quick to encourage U.S. intervention in Syria, without offering a responsible plan for our involvement.

Eric Alterman

‘Class Warfare’ Revisited
Gov. Bobby Jindal delivers a speech to the lawmakers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Monday, April 8, 2013, announcing that he has shelved his plan to eliminate income taxes and raise sales tax. (AP/The Advocate, Arthur D. Lauck)
Article

‘Class Warfare’ Revisited

A recent Politico article rehashes the issue of class warfare and the tax code, but similar to contemporary conservatism, it ignores reality.

Eric Alterman

Campaign-Finance Reform in an Age of Corporate Influence
Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer attended a 2006 Supreme Court's ruling that upheld limitless corporate donations to politicians. The decision came with an important addendum: Don't expect things to change anytime soon. (AP/ Lauren Victoria Burke)
Article

Campaign-Finance Reform in an Age of Corporate Influence

Publicly financed elections would be a benefit to our democracy, but the likelihood of campaign-finance reform is small since corporations have so much influence on government regulations and our daily lives.

Eric Alterman

Acknowledging Our Mistakes in Iraq Would Prevent Us from Repeating Them
Ray Jacques reads the San Francisco Chronicle's war special section inside a Starbucks coffee shop in San Francisco. Ten years after the invasion of Iraq, many members of the media who supported the war in 2003 are choosing not to comment. (AP/ Marco Jose Sanchez)
Article

Acknowledging Our Mistakes in Iraq Would Prevent Us from Repeating Them

We need to realize the errors of our ways from the Iraq invasion instead of brushing the topic under a rug, or else we may just find ourselves in the very same position a few years down the road.

Eric Alterman

Are Journalists Any Less Gullible Today than They Were 10 Years Ago?
Article

Are Journalists Any Less Gullible Today than They Were 10 Years Ago?

Instead of being a government watchdog and fact checking all the assertions politicians feed them, journalists have become prone to the lapdog tendencies of repeating what those in power say without questioning whether it’s true.

Eric Alterman

Real Reporting and Right-Wing Ideology Don’t Mix
Andrew Breitbart, center, flanked by James O'Keefe III, left, and Hannah Giles, takes part in a news conference, Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

Real Reporting and Right-Wing Ideology Don’t Mix

Genuine journalism—the kind that allows the evidence to dictate the story—is inconsistent with the conservative worldview.

Eric Alterman

The Terrible Power of Purposeful Ignorance
Iraqi women pass by a house destroyed during air campaign at early stages of war, in Baghdad, Iraq, March 18, 2007, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion on Iraq. The 10th anniversary of the invasion is later this month. (AP/Samir Mizban)
Article

The Terrible Power of Purposeful Ignorance

When politicians say they “didn’t know” about certain consequences or actions, the sad truth is that often they knew and just didn’t care.

Eric Alterman

Republicans Ignore the Evidence About Higher Taxes on the Wealthy
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 14, 2013. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

Republicans Ignore the Evidence About Higher Taxes on the Wealthy

Multiple reports now prove that increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans wouldn’t stymie economic growth—it would actually create jobs and boost the economy.

Eric Alterman

Mainstream Media Is Missing the Point
President Barack Obama lines up his putt at the Mink Meadows Golf Club on August 25, 2009 in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Reporters recently became angry with President Obama when they were excluded from his round of golf with Tiger Woods. (AP/ Alex Brandon)
Article

Mainstream Media Is Missing the Point

Reporters are too focused on covering the often-mundane daily routine of the president when they should be more attuned to the deeper issues that are affecting society such as conservative funding of anti-climate-change research.

Eric Alterman

The Mainstream Media Is Gobbling Up Conservative Crazies
Ted Nugent listens as President Barack Obama gives his State of the Union address on February 12, 2013. (AP/ Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Article

The Mainstream Media Is Gobbling Up Conservative Crazies

Increasingly outlandish claims by polarizing figures in the Republican Party are not being dismissed by the media. Rather they are being taken seriously and promoted to an unfortunate degree.

Eric Alterman

Pity the Poor Folks at Fox News
A couple sits on chairs in a near-empty room to watch Fox News commentator Karl Rove on a big-screen television during a Republican Party election night gathering in the club level of Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. (AP/David Zalubowski)
Article

Pity the Poor Folks at Fox News

In the wild world of Fox News, unbiased journalism isn’t fair and balanced—it’s whining, and it’s discouraged.

Eric Alterman

It’s Not Really ‘Krugman vs. the World’
Paul Krugman, winner of the Nobel Prize in economic sciences for 2008, holds his Nobel lecture at Stockholm University in Sweden. (AP/ Fredrik Persson)
Article

It’s Not Really ‘Krugman vs. the World’

Paul Krugman’s ordeal on “Morning Joe” last week demonstrates how many in Washington and the media are so committed to “official doctrine” that they ignore any contrary evidence.

Eric Alterman

The ‘Virtually Voiceless’
A couple watches Fox News commentator Karl Rove on a big-screen television during a Republican Party election night gathering on November 6, 2012. (AP/David Zalubowski)
Article

The ‘Virtually Voiceless’

Perhaps conservatives’ biggest disconnect from reality is that they think they have no voice in the media or national dialogue.

Eric Alterman

Is Contemporary Conservatism Just ‘Payola’?
Glenn Beck is among a number of right-wing radio hosts being paid by different organizations to promote their ideas. (AP/ Mike Mergen)
Article

Is Contemporary Conservatism Just ‘Payola’?

The public needs to dig a little deeper to find out the story behind most of the conservative media’s reporting.

Eric Alterman

More Tea Party Fiction
David Barton is the author of <em>The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson</em>. (Flickr/drmikeevans)
Article

More Tea Party Fiction

The Tea Party—and the modern conservative movement in general—continues to exhibit a stubborn disdain not merely for honest history but also for knowledge itself.

Eric Alterman

The Top 10 Stories of 2012—or Maybe Not
Sandra Fluke introduces President Barack Obama at a campaign event in Denver, Wednesday, August 8, 2012. Fluke is a Georgetown law student who inadvertently gained notoriety when talk show host Rush Limbaugh spoke disparagingly of her testimony before Congress on the issue of contraception and insurance coverage. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Article

The Top 10 Stories of 2012—or Maybe Not

Eric Alterman has an alternative take on Politico’s top media stories of the past year and what those stories say about the media’s coverage of politics.

Eric Alterman

The Power of Un-Reality
Illinois gun owners and supporters fill out NRA applications while participating in an Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day convention before marching to the Illinois State Capitol, Wednesday, March 7, 2012, in Springfield, Illinois. (AP/Seth Perlman)
Article

The Power of Un-Reality

As honest journalism has declined, we are more vulnerable to manipulation and distortion of information propagated by powerful interests.

Eric Alterman

Murdoch, Murdoch, Everywhere
Rupert Murdoch’s actions over the past few days are further proof of his wanton disregard for journalistic ethics. (AP/ David Karp)
Article

Murdoch, Murdoch, Everywhere

Rupert Murdoch’s actions over the past few days are further proof of his wanton disregard for journalistic ethics.

Eric Alterman

Will the Times’s Terrific Tax Reporting Matter?
Traffic passes the New York Times building in New York, Tuesday, October 18, 2011. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

Will the Times’s Terrific Tax Reporting Matter?

The New York Times’s well-rounded coverage of U.S. tax policy debunks conservative myths about the rich being the so-called best job creators.

Eric Alterman

Tax Cuts: The Faith and the Facts
Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO, of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., speaks during the Economic Club of Washington's 25th anniversary celebration dinner in Washington. (AP/Cliff Owen)
Article

Tax Cuts: The Faith and the Facts

Conservatives continue to believe in and argue for the benefits of tax cuts for the wealthy, even though those claims have been thoroughly debunked.

Eric Alterman

Why Were Pundits All In on ‘All In’?
Initial positive coverage of the General David Petraeus's biography reflects many journalists’ willingness to suspend their critical faculties when it comes to the military. (AP/ Michael Gottschalk)
Article

Why Were Pundits All In on ‘All In’?

Initial positive coverage of the general’s biography reflects many journalists’ willingness to suspend their critical faculties when it comes to the military.

Eric Alterman

Our Trivial Political Media, Continued…
Donald Trump arrives for the opening ceremony at the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. Trump has deleted some of the Twitter tirade he posted following President Barack Obama's reelection and added new critiques of NBC's Brian Williams. (AP/David J. Phillip)
Article

Our Trivial Political Media, Continued…

Politico encapsulates what’s wrong with inside-the-beltway political coverage when triviality trumps insight and “The Donald” is taken seriously.

Eric Alterman

Considering CNN’s Choice to Hire Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan, host of CNN's
Article

Considering CNN’s Choice to Hire Piers Morgan

Eric Alterman looks back at Piers Morgan’s career, wonders why CNN hired him as Larry King’s replacement, and questions the network’s future.

Eric Alterman

How to Be a Political Journalist in America
Article

How to Be a Political Journalist in America

Eric Alterman's top 20 rules no mainstream political journalist should ever forget when covering an election.

Eric Alterman

The Media and Climate Science: ADHD or Deliberate Deception?
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch speaks during a forum in Boston, Tuesday, August 14, 2012. Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, both owned by News Corp., have deliberately distorted the work of climate scientists for reasons of ideological obsession and financial gain. (AP/Josh Reynolds)
Article

The Media and Climate Science: ADHD or Deliberate Deception?

When it comes to climate science, the news we get suffers from either deliberate misinformation or a misplaced desire to give legitimacy to discredited and foolish arguments.

Eric Alterman

Ignoring Poverty and Hunger
Two Somali children carrying a bowl and a pot walk to a food distribution center. As the election gets closer, the media must force politicians to discuss poverty and hunger, both in America and abroad. (AP/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
Article

Ignoring Poverty and Hunger

The mainstream media’s silence on these interrelated issues contributes to the starvation of millions both here and abroad.

Eric Alterman

Of Groupthink and ‘Groupthink’
Frank Bruni, who covered George W. Bush's 2000 presidential campaign for The New York Times, poses for a portrait at
Article

Of Groupthink and ‘Groupthink’

Intense pressure on mainstream journalists to stick to the same narrative cripples our ability to conduct robust democratic debate.

Eric Alterman

The Mistaken Bias of The New York Times’s Public Editor
Occupy Wall Street demonstrators stand and cheer in front of the George Washington statue on Wall Street. (AP/John Minchillo)
Article

The Mistaken Bias of The New York Times’s Public Editor

Eric Alterman puzzles over the departing public editor’s mischaracterization of one of the nation’s foremost newspapers as having a liberal bias when most facts indicate the opposite.

Eric Alterman

The Color of Hollywood Is Green
Actors, from left, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, and Josh Brolin attend the premiere of
Article

The Color of Hollywood Is Green

Eric Alterman explains that profit, not politics, is the driving force in modern entertainment.

Eric Alterman

Political Dysfunction Summer Reading
Article

Political Dysfunction Summer Reading

Eric Alterman discusses an underlying cause of our political dysfunction—the mainstream media’s refusal to take sides and dig deeper.

Eric Alterman

News Corp. Hacking Scandal Still Hiding in Plain Sight
Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi arrive at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Sunday, January 15, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP/Matt Sayles)
Article

News Corp. Hacking Scandal Still Hiding in Plain Sight

Eric Alterman takes the mainstream media to task on both sides of the Atlantic for not delving more into the many rich veins of scandal at the News Corp. empire.

Eric Alterman

Thoughts on Milton Friedman and Gore Vidal
President George W. Bush shows economist Milton Friedman to the podium after making remarks honoring him during a ceremony in Washington in 2002.<br /> (AP/Doug Mills)
Article

Thoughts on Milton Friedman and Gore Vidal

Upon the recent death of Gore Vidal and what would have been Milton Friedman’s 100th birthday on this past Tuesday, Eric Alterman offers his thoughts and memories on the two intellectual antagonists.

Eric Alterman

Our Broken Political System
Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has  proposed a significant slashing of Canada’s defense budget, bringing the overall cut to nearly 10 percent of what had formerly been projected, while Washington lawmakers may not respond to the public's desire to reduce U.S. defense spending.
<br /> (AP/ Mark Graham)
Article

Our Broken Political System

Eric Alterman challenges the notion that the United States is the most successful liberal democracy in the world by looking at our dysfunctional political system.

Eric Alterman

What Howard Kurtz Thinks You Don’t Need to Know
In a recent piece, NewsBeast's Howard Kurtz granted anonymity to a Fox News executive apologizing on behalf of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, above, for calling <i>New York Times</i> reporters "a bunch of lying scum." (AP/Reed Saxon)
Article

What Howard Kurtz Thinks You Don’t Need to Know

Eric Alterman discusses Howard Kurtz’s habit of not providing adequate background and context in his stories.

Eric Alterman

Fearmaking, Then and Now
Article

Fearmaking, Then and Now

Eric Alterman explores the links between the McCarthyist movie industry of the 1950s and modern-day right-wing fearmongers.

Eric Alterman

Government by (and for) Murdoch
In this image from video, News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch appears at Lord Justice Sir Brian Leveson's inquiry in London, Wednesday, April 25, 2012, to answer questions under oath about how much he knew about phone hacking at the <i>News of the World</i> tabloid. (AP)
Article

Government by (and for) Murdoch

Eric Alterman exposes the extent of Rupert Murdoch’s influence in the political sphere.

Eric Alterman

When Labor Unions Were at the Center of Politics
In this April 14, 2011, file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the House Oversight Committee and Government Reform Committee. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

When Labor Unions Were at the Center of Politics

Eric Alterman explains why labor unions need to be center stage in politics, not sidelined as a special interest.

Eric Alterman

The Conservative War on Knowledge
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) gestures during a speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. (AP/Steve Helber)
Article

The Conservative War on Knowledge

The far right is vehemently opposed to any evidence that conflicts with its ideology, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

As a Matter of Fact
The Koch Industries Inc. headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Koch Industries has lately been trying to separate itself from Big Oil, even though it is the largest oil-and-gas contributor in election cycles.
<br /> (AP/Larry W. Smith)
Article

As a Matter of Fact

Eric Alterman illustrates how some fact-checking operations aren’t actually getting the facts straight.

Eric Alterman

A Chronicle of Journalistic Malfeasance
Article

A Chronicle of Journalistic Malfeasance

Eric Alterman explains how a recent blog post in The Chronicle of Higher Education reflects the incompetence of conservative journalists.

Eric Alterman

Murdoch ‘Unfit?’ Ya Think?
The British Parliament’s Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport issued a report Tuesday claiming that Rupert Murdoch, above, is “not a fit person” to run a huge international company. (AP/Richard Drew)
Article

Murdoch ‘Unfit?’ Ya Think?

The British Parliament found News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch “unfit” to lead his media empire, but that’s been the case for more than 20 years, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

How Classical Liberalism Morphed Into New Deal Liberalism
President Franklin D. Roosevelt is shown signing a law that created the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933. President Roosevelt's so-called New Deal liberalism drew largely from ideas of classic liberalism.
<br /> (AP Photo)
Article

How Classical Liberalism Morphed Into New Deal Liberalism

An excerpt from Eric Alterman's new book, The Cause, attempts to explain the long-asked question: How did classical liberalism transition into New Deal liberalism?

Eric Alterman

Jews Are Still Liberal
Then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) listens to Israel's President Shimon Peres, not seen, during a 2008 meeting in Jerusalem. Obama's election roused questions among conservative Jews about why Jews tend to vote for liberal candidates and whether that trend will continue in 2012.
  (AP/Baz Ratner)
Article

Jews Are Still Liberal

Eric Alterman examines why American Jewish conservatives continually yet wrongly surmise that Jews are moving to the right.

Eric Alterman

The Ryan Budget Show, Part 2
Pundits are praising another austerity-crazy Ryan budget. Paul Krugman of <i>The</i> <i>New York Times</i> observes that “the continuing defense of Paul Ryan is a remarkable phenomenon.” (AP/Jeffrey Phelps)
Article

The Ryan Budget Show, Part 2

Eric Alterman notes that just like last year, so-called liberal pundits are agog over Paul Ryan’s proposal to gut social programs and balloon the deficit.

Eric Alterman

Money Talks, Media Balks
Critics of <i>Citizens United</i>, which paved the way for an enormous influx of money into this year's political cycle, hold signs during a gathering on the anniversary of the ruling. (AP/ Toby Talbot)
Article

Money Talks, Media Balks

The real story this election season is the wealthy buying up our political system, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The End of Newspapers and the Decline of Democracy
A newspaper rack is shown in Palo Alto, California. Newspaper revenue fell to its lowest level since 1984 last year.
<br /> (AP/Paul Sakuma)
Article

The End of Newspapers and the Decline of Democracy

Eric Alterman fears the void left by the news media’s demise is already being filled by people who aren’t interested in telling the truth.

Eric Alterman

Homeless Hotspots? Reality Bites
Article

Homeless Hotspots? Reality Bites

Eric Alterman muses that a recent BBH Labs advertising project would be great at all conferences for the super rich, to show them just how out of touch they are with the real world.

Eric Alterman

Labor and the ‘Civil Right’ to Organize
In this July 2, 1964, file photo, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP)
Article

Labor and the ‘Civil Right’ to Organize

Eric Alterman examines the reasons for the declining strength of labor unions and considers whether workers have a civil right to organize.

Eric Alterman

Cracks in the Worldwide Murdoch Empire
Former News International Executive Chairman James Murdoch arrives at News International headquarters in London, Tuesday, July 19, 2011. (AP/Sang Tan)
Article

Cracks in the Worldwide Murdoch Empire

Eric Alterman looks at the widespread alleged illegal activity at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.

Eric Alterman

The Long March of Patrick J. Buchanan
Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan laughs during a speech in California for more than 200 supporters in 1996. (AP/Rich Pedroncelli)
Article

The Long March of Patrick J. Buchanan

Eric Alterman on Pat Buchanan’s long, odd, and controversial career in Washington.

Eric Alterman

Is America Getting More Conservative?
Richard Florida, above, argues in <i>The Atlantic</i> that our nation is becoming more conservative. But it's worth taking a closer look at his claim. (Flickr/<a href=eschipul)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/ta021611_onpage.jpg?w=629 629w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/ta021611_onpage.jpg?w=629 629w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/ta021611_onpage.jpg?w=629 629w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/ta021611_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/ta021611_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Is America Getting More Conservative?

Eric Alterman debunks claims from the right that our nation is becoming more conservative.

Eric Alterman

Charles Murray and the Power of Mainstream Media Amnesia
Journalist David Frum, pictured at left, offered a critique of Charles Murray’s <i>Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010</i>, stating that Murray's conclusions “are pure dogma, not only unsupported but even unrelated to anything that went before.” (Flickr/<a href=Urban Mixer)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/frum_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/frum_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/frum_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/frum_onpage.jpg?w=450 450w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2012/02/frum_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Charles Murray and the Power of Mainstream Media Amnesia

Eric Alterman gives a prime example of the mainstream media’s commitment toward amnesia: their coverage of Charles Murray’s new book.

Eric Alterman

When Books Disappear
A Barnes & Noble Bookseller is seen in Woodmere, Ohio. (AP/Amy Sancetta)
Article

When Books Disappear

The disappearance of book culture from the mainstream media will allow propaganda to triumph over truth, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

“As Ronald Reagan Said… Oh Never Mind”
Article

“As Ronald Reagan Said… Oh Never Mind”

Eric Alterman explains that despite the media coverage one more aspect of how today’s conservatives betray the president they profess to revere is their embrace of unfair and unequal tax rates for “unearned income.”

Eric Alterman

The Tea Party: Struggling for Political Relevance
Cincinnati Tea Party supporters hold signs and cheer for speakers at a Tea Party rally in Cincinnati, Ohio, Thursday, April 15, 2010. (AP/Tom Uhlman)
Article

The Tea Party: Struggling for Political Relevance

Eric Alterman explains why we should’ve seen the struggles of the Tea Party coming a long time ago.

Eric Alterman

Is Defense R&D Spending Effective?
The Pentagon is shown in Washington. We need to look carefully at Defense Department R&D for  unnecessary weapons systems as we have done in the past regarding  unnecessary military bases. If we are to get our deficits under control,  then we no longer have the luxury of throwing countless billions of  dollars at Pentagon R&D and hoping they land somewhere else. (AP/Kevin Wolf)
Article

Is Defense R&D Spending Effective?

Eric Alterman explains how the mainstream press almost always defends Defense Department R&D spending.

Eric Alterman

As We Leave Iraq, Remember How We Got In
President George W. Bush, left, standing with Secretary of State Colin Powell, center, and Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, right, pauses as he speaks before signing a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, Wednesday, October 16, 2002. (AP/Ron Edmonds)
Article

As We Leave Iraq, Remember How We Got In

Eric Alterman recalls the Bush administration’s dishonesty and manipulation of the media concerning the war in Iraq.

Eric Alterman

Is Inequality Over? News That’s Not Fit To Print
A recent <i>New York Times</i> article used outdated data to demonstrate that the income of the 1 percent had decreased in recent years, yet newer data shows those figures were a result of the stork market's plunge and by 2010 had begun their upward trend again. (AP/ Mark Lennihan)
Article

Is Inequality Over? News That’s Not Fit To Print

Eric Alterman wonders why The New York Times would use outdated data to lead its readers to believe that inequality in the United States is over.

Eric Alterman

Pearl Harbor: Another (Unhappy) Anniversary
The USS Arizona Memorial is seen, Wednesday, December 7, 2011, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. (AP/Marco Garcia)
Article

Pearl Harbor: Another (Unhappy) Anniversary

President Obama and his successors would do well to ponder the examples of past presidents and make honesty a priority in all matters of war and peace, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Billionaire Media Moguls vs. Occupy Wall Street
Article

Billionaire Media Moguls vs. Occupy Wall Street

It’s no surprise the megawealthy owners of at least two New York newspapers applaud the ousting of Occupy Wall Street protesters from Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

It’s All Connected (and That’s the Problem)
Jon Stewart recently blasted ex-senator/governor/ex-Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine (above) on "The Daily Show" Tuesday, describing him as “the living, breathing avatar of "the corporate-industrial-government complex." (AP/Mel Evans)
Article

It’s All Connected (and That’s the Problem)

Eric Alterman examines the moral bankruptcy of conservatives, which is wrapped inside the impossibly intertwined nature of big money and politics.

Eric Alterman

Dowd, Not Coulter, ‘Falters’
Ann Coulter speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Washington, Saturday, February 12, 2011. (AP/Cliff Owen)
Article

Dowd, Not Coulter, ‘Falters’

Maureen Dowd should be ashamed for quoting Ann Coulter so respectfully in The New York Times, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Why Are ‘Liberals’ Such Meanies?
<i>Washington Post</i> pundit Charles Lane apparently accorded <i>New York Times</i> pundit Joe Nocera, pictured above, the honor of the “liberal” label merely  for the purposes of attacking “liberals” in general. (Flickr/<a href=dsearls)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/nocera_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/nocera_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/nocera_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/nocera_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/nocera_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Why Are ‘Liberals’ Such Meanies?

Too many "liberals" in the media aren't really liberal after all, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Continuing Curse of ‘On the One-Handism’
James Fallows, national correspondent for <i>The Atlantic</i>, has repeatedly addressed the problem of "false equivalence." Fallows has done the world a favor by risking his  reputation for moderation and overall reasonableness by getting a  metaphorical bit in his mouth on this topic. (Flickr/<a href=The Aspen Institute)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/fallows_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/fallows_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/fallows_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/fallows_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/10/fallows_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

The Continuing Curse of ‘On the One-Handism’

The refusal of many in the media to even bother with the question of truth and falsehood is hurting American journalism, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Crashing Occupy Wall Street
A demonstrator lies on the ground in front of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington on October 8, 2011. A right-wing magazine editor infiltrated the group of protesters at the museum. (AP/Luis Magana)
Article

Crashing Occupy Wall Street

Right-wing smear journalism is on display again as an American Spectator editor infiltrates the Occupy Wall Street movement in D.C., writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Era of the ‘1 Percent’
A protester is taken into custody after several arrests where made near Wall Street and Broadway after Occupy Wall Street march on October 5, 2011, in New York. (AP/Craig Ruttle)
Article

The Era of the ‘1 Percent’

The megawealthy are tightening their grip on politics and power, writes Eric Alterman. How will progressives respond?

Eric Alterman

CNN: America’s Easiest ‘Ref?’ (Just Ask the Tea Party)
Republican presidential candidates sing the National Anthem at the debate on September 12, 2011, in Tampa, Florida. CNN co-hosted the debate with the Tea Party Express. (AP/Chris O'Meara)
Article

CNN: America’s Easiest ‘Ref?’ (Just Ask the Tea Party)

The network’s decision to co-host a Republican presidential debate with the Tea Party Express is just another in a long line of concession to conservatives, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

It’s Not What Bill Keller Believed About Iraq—It’s Who
Center row from left, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice sit in the General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters on September 12, 2002. Many liberals were convinced by Powell's speech at the United Nations on Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. (AP/Elise Amendola)
Article

It’s Not What Bill Keller Believed About Iraq—It’s Who

Former New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller’s explanation of why he supported the Iraq war doesn’t inspire much confidence in our punditocracy, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

War Is Hell
President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld speak at a press conference on military action against Iraq in Crawford, Texas, on August 21, 2002. (AP/Rick Bowmer)
Article

War Is Hell

Caution and scrutiny are needed to avoid another disaster like the Iraq invasion, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Kochs: Life Is Good
Article

Kochs: Life Is Good

Billionaires such as the Koch Brothers continue to game the system to enrich themselves and avoid paying their fare share in taxes, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Remember Bush’s Vacation
Former President George W. Bush clears cedar at his 1,600 acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, Friday, Aug. 9, 2002, where stayed for a nearly month-long vacation. (AP/Eric Draper)
Article

Remember Bush’s Vacation

The 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks is a reminder of the Bush administration’s many missteps, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

NPR: Still Bending Over Backward
The National Public Radio headquarters, located in Washington, D.C. (Flickr/<a href=Collapse the Light)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/08/npr_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/08/npr_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/08/npr_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/08/npr_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/08/npr_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

NPR: Still Bending Over Backward

NPR needs to look at whether its decision-making processes are driven more by public relations concerns or journalistic ones, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Conservatives vs. Good Journalism: The Continued Contamination of The Washington Post
Norway's twin terror attacks suspect Anders Behring Breivik, left, sits  in an armored police vehicle after leaving the courthouse following a  hearing in Oslo on July 25, 2011. <i>The Washington Post</i>'s Ombudsman Patrick B. Pexton recently defended a post by conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin that wrongly attributed the attacks to Muslim extremists. (AP Photo/Aftenposten/Jon-Are Berg-Jacobsen)
Article

Conservatives vs. Good Journalism: The Continued Contamination of The Washington Post

Ombudsman Patrick B. Pexton’s lame and self-indicting defense of conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin’s prejudice-laden post on the Norway attacks provides yet another sign of the demise of the paper’s journalistic standards, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

‘Bad Things Happen Someplace, Muslims Involved’
The wreckage of a car lies outside government buildings in the center of Oslo on July 22, 2011. <i>The Washington Post</i>'s Jennifer Rubin and several other conservative media outlets immediately blamed the incident on Islamic terrorists. (AP/Fartein Rudjord)
Article

‘Bad Things Happen Someplace, Muslims Involved’

The rush to blame Norway’s attacks on Islamic terrorists is yet another example of how little contemporary conservatives like the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin care about truth, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Rupert, We Hardly Knew Ye
Rupert Murdoch arrives at his residence in central London on July 13, 2011. Not surprisingly, the News Corp. scandal has received little attention on Fox News or in <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>. (AP/Sang Tan)
Article

Rupert, We Hardly Knew Ye

The Murdoch empire is more evil than we allowed ourselves to imagine, as evil as we might have imagined it to be, and it ain’t over yet, writes Eric Alterman. (Also, why are conservatives such whiners?)

Eric Alterman

The Murdoch Empire’s Heart of Darkness
Chairman of News Corporation Rupert Murdoch, left, and Chief Executive  of News International Rebekah Brooks leave Murdoch's residence in central  London on July 10, 2011. (AP/Sang Tan)
Article

The Murdoch Empire’s Heart of Darkness

We’re just now getting a glimpse into how corrupt Rupert Murdoch’s operations were, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Underlying Nonsense in David Brooks’s Lament
<i>New York Times</i> columnist David Brooks, above, thinks austerity measures in the debt limit deal under discussion would be good for economic growth. (Flickr/<a href=Miller Center )" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/07/ta070711_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/07/ta070711_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/07/ta070711_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/07/ta070711_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/07/ta070711_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

The Underlying Nonsense in David Brooks’s Lament

The New York Times columnist’s recent statements about conservative austerity measures are unsupported by evidence, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Wall Street Wins (and Whines)
A Wall Street sign is shown on Friday, March 2, 2007, in New York. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

Wall Street Wins (and Whines)

Wall Street bankers should stop complaining about their hurt feelings and instead marvel at their good fortune, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Stewart and Wallace: Network on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Jon Stewart, in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace this past Sunday, stood by his characterization of Fox as “a biased organization, relentlessly  promoting an ideological agenda under the rubric of being a news  organization,” and a “relentless agenda-driven, 24-hour news opinion  propaganda delivery system." (AP/Peter Kramer)
Article

Stewart and Wallace: Network on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The fact that Fox News propagates lies and misinformation was lost in the media coverage of Jon Stewart’s appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The FCC’s New ‘Local’ Focus: Too Little, Too Late?
A new report from the FCC documents the shrinking number of reliable local news outlets, but that's not the only problem journalism faces. (AP/Stephen Chernin)
Article

The FCC’s New ‘Local’ Focus: Too Little, Too Late?

The FCC’s report on the disappearance of local news offers few solutions to the multifaceted crises facing American journalism, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Fox: Crazy Like…Ailes?
Fox CEO Roger Ailes has little respect for traditional journalism and a profound political mission. (AP/Jim Cooper)
Article

Fox: Crazy Like…Ailes?

Roger Ailes's powerful position at the head of Fox News—and the Republican Party—is dangerous, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

David Mamet, My Hero
David Mamet, above, recently converted to conservatism, and <i>The Weekly Standard</i>'s Andrew Ferguson can barely contain his excitement over it. (AP/Kathy Willens)
Article

David Mamet, My Hero

Andrew Ferguson’s depiction of playwright David Mamet’s conversion from liberal to conservative is flawed by overenthusiasm, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Washington Post: Trumped
In the wake of the collapse of its business model, the once-great newspaper <i>The Washington Post</i> has not only lost its journalistic compass; it has also lost its self-confidence. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

The Washington Post: Trumped

The Washington Post has not only lost its journalistic compass but also its self-confidence, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Folly of the Time 100
Michele Bachmann arrives at the Time 100 gala. (AP/Peter Kramer)
Article

The Folly of the Time 100

The annual Time 100 is a prepackaged series of lies and public relations exercises, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

‘Brave, Radical, and Smart’
Slate’s Jacob Weisberg praises Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget as <b>“</b>brave, radical, and smart.” The <i>New York Times</i>'s David Brooks said it "set the standard of seriousness for anybody who wants to play in this discussion." (AP/Susan Walsh)
Article

‘Brave, Radical, and Smart’

The “liberal” media is full of praise for Rep. Ryan’s budget plan, which attacks many programs liberals typically support, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Conservative Class Warfare Against Free Speech
President George W. Bush, left, is introduced by Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX), right, prior to speaking at the American Legislative Exchange Council in 2007. A history professor was recently targeted by Republicans in Wisconsin for focusing on ALEC's role in drafting model laws that are then introduced by Republicans in state legislatures. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Article

Conservative Class Warfare Against Free Speech

Right-wing groups are growing bolder in intimidating those who express differing opinions, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Triangle at 100: Back to the Future?
The burned-out remains of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company in New York's Greenwich Village neighborhood are shown in 1911. The fire killed 146 workers, mainly young immigrant women and girls, and became a touchstone for the organized labor movement. (AP Photo/File)
Article

Triangle at 100: Back to the Future?

The Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1911 led to major changes in our labor laws, writes Eric Alterman. But many of those gains have been rolled back.

Eric Alterman

NPR and O’Keefe: Déjà Vu All Over Again
James O'Keefe, right, with Hannah Giles, once again duped the mainstream media with his doctored video of a meeting with an NPR fundraiser. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

NPR and O’Keefe: Déjà Vu All Over Again

The mainstream media again allowed themselves to be fooled by conservative scam artist James O’Keefe, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

“Follow the Money”
National Public Radio CEO Vivian Schiller, above, resigned this week over a fundraising scandal. NPR’s desperation to raise money made it vulnerable, and this desperation was likely inspired by the possibility of the Republicans defunding NPR in the current congressional session. (Flickr/<a href= The Aspen Institute)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/03/schiller_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/03/schiller_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/03/schiller_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/03/schiller_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2011/03/schiller_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

“Follow the Money”

Money is at the bottom of many of today’s major stories, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Contours and Context of the Conservative Class War in Wisconsin
Pro-union protesters hold up an American flag as they march around the the State Square in Madison, Wisconsin on February 19, 2011. (AP/Andy Manis)
Article

The Contours and Context of the Conservative Class War in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin union battle represents a turning point in American politics, writes Eric Alterman. The question is whether the media can report what’s really going on.

Eric Alterman

A Real Tea (Pity) Party
Tea Party supporters at a tax day rally in Anchorage, Alaska, on April 15, 2010. If the media is out to get the Tea Party they are sure being kind about it. (AP/Rachel D'Oro)
Article

A Real Tea (Pity) Party

The media’s self-hatred is on full display with its sympathetic Tea Party coverage, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The ‘Problem’ of Liberal Academics, Again
David Horowitz, above, has been decrying liberal dominance in academia for more than a decade. But a University of Virginia social psychologist has also taken up the argument and is highlighted in a recent <i>New York Times</i> article. (AP/Bebeto Matthews)
Article

The ‘Problem’ of Liberal Academics, Again

Eric Alterman debunks the recurring argument that liberal dominance of academia is detrimental to society.

Eric Alterman

Chutzpah on the Right
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, right, meets with U.S. Senior Mideast specialist on the National Security Council Elliott Abrams at Qureia's office in the town of Abu Dis, in the outskirts of Jerusalem on August 5, 2004. In recent weeks, Abrams, now associated with the Council on Foreign Relations, has criticized the president for his insufficient attention to democracy around the world in general and Egypt and Tunisia in particular. (AP/Oded Balilty)
Article

Chutzpah on the Right

Elliott Abrams shows some serious cojones lecturing the president on democracy in Egypt, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Call It ‘Craven News Network’
In this screen grab taken from video, Rep. Michele Bachmann, (R-MN),  delivers her response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union  address Tuesday, January 25, 2011. CNN aired the response. (AP)
Article

Call It ‘Craven News Network’

CNN’s airing of Michele Bachmann’s alternative State of the Union was spineless, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Gift Who Keeps on Giving
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a benefit dinner for Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. (AP/Jamie Martin)
Article

The Gift Who Keeps on Giving

Invoking blood libel may be Sarah Palin’s gaffe for the history books, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Hate We Tolerate
TV host Glenn Beck addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
Article

The Hate We Tolerate

Glenn Beck’s particular brand of madness may be inspiring a far more dangerous kind of outrage, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Economist’s “Happy” Ignorance
A girl holds up a Denmark flag in City Hall Square in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, Denmark’s “Quality of Life” index proved superior to that of America, with advantages like universal health care and day care, and an extremely low poverty rate that’s not even a quarter of that of the United States. (AP/POLFOTO, Thorkild Amdi)
Article

The Economist’s “Happy” Ignorance

The Economist doesn’t consider the possibility that a country’s happiness could be a result of the choices its leaders make to favor some people over others, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Missing “Least-We-Can-Do-No-Brainer Act of 2010”
New York City firefighters work amid debris on Cortlandt Street after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Congress approved a $4.3 billion aid package to 9/11 workers yesterday after legislative delay and scant media attention to the issue. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

The Missing “Least-We-Can-Do-No-Brainer Act of 2010”

The mainstream media were asleep at the switch on the 9/11 bill until Jon Stewart shamed them into paying attention, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Fox Propaganda Train Rolls On
A ship passes by the coast of Greenland where the nearby Sermeq Kujalleq glacier has thinned in recent years. <i>Politico </i>reports that Fox News Vice President Bill Sammon sent an email to staff last December insisting that everyone at the station refrain from recognizing the global scientific consensus on man-made global warming. (AP/Michael Kappeler)
Article

The Fox Propaganda Train Rolls On

Recently released memos show Fox News’s deliberate attempts to misinform, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Florida 2000 Forever
Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris hired a GOP-connected database company in 2000 to purge the state's voter rolls of thousands of mostly minority citizens, many of whom it falsely categorized as felons. Some 200,000 Floridians were either not permitted to vote in the November 7 election or saw their ballots discarded and not counted. (AP/Pete Cosgrove)
Article

Florida 2000 Forever

The Bush-Gore election illustrates three key points about today’s political and media environment, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Post Panders to Conservatives
<i>The Washington Post </i>continues its desperate attempts to appeal to conservatives by hiring writers who can’t get their facts straight. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

The Post Panders to Conservatives

The Washington Post continues its desperate attempts to appeal to conservatives by hiring writers who can’t get their facts straight, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

When Money Talks, Who Listens (Besides Politicians)?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce building is shown in Washington, D.C. The chamber functions as a kind of fence for many corporations looking to intervene in the political process without leaving any footprints. (Flickr/<a href= NCinDC)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/11/ta111810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/11/ta111810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/11/ta111810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/11/ta111810_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/11/ta111810_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

When Money Talks, Who Listens (Besides Politicians)?

Perhaps the most important role money can play in politics is to maintain the status quo, and not many in the media know how to cover “nothing,” writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Glenn Beck and the Uses of Anti-Semitic Propaganda
Glenn Beck's attack on George Soros Tuesday was disgraceful and full of untruths, but it also went uncontested in the mainstream media. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
Article

Glenn Beck and the Uses of Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Eric Alterman asks why media “rodeo clowns” like Glenn Beck get away with unabashed hate, ignorance, and lies on the air without as much as a comment from the mainstream media.

Eric Alterman

War for the Hell of It: The Sad Decline of David Broder
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech in a public gathering at the city of Bojnord, northeastern Iran, on November 3, 2010. <i>Washington Post</i> columnist David Broder argues attacking Iran would improve our economy and help President Barack Obama's reelection prospects. (AP Photo/IIPA, Abolfazl Nesaei)
Article

War for the Hell of It: The Sad Decline of David Broder

Washington Post pundit David Broder’s recent suggestion to wage war to improve the economy belies his reputation of level-headedness, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

And They Call It Democracy
David Koch, center, poses with his wife Julia and Fred Thompson in 2007. Koch funds a vast network of pseudo-scientific organizations to undermine legitimate climate science, and he also funds Tea Party groups that provide foot soldiers to march on behalf of his and his fellow plutocrats’ financial and political interests. (Flickr/<a href= freddthompson)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/10/ta102810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/10/ta102810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/10/ta102810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/10/ta102810_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/10/ta102810_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

And They Call It Democracy

The media is slow to realize that outside groups are spending hard to tilt the balance of our democracy in their favor, explains Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Collapsing Infrastructure? Who Knew?
Crews clean up oil from a ruptured pipeline where Talmadge Creek meets the Kalamazoo River in Marshall Township, MI, July 30, 2010. Politics notwithstanding, America’s infrastructure is approaching a crisis point. (AP/Paul Sancya)
Article

Collapsing Infrastructure? Who Knew?

The need to repair our nation’s crumbling infrastructure is news, says Eric Alterman. It's just not the kind so many in the mainstream media appear to think it is.

Eric Alterman

Just What Exactly Is Fox News?
Steve Doocy, left, E.D. Hill, and Brian Kilmeade pose on the set of "Fox & Friends," in New York. (AP/Frank Franklin II)
Article

Just What Exactly Is Fox News?

It’s hard to pin down what Fox News really is, writes Eric Alterman. But it sure isn’t journalism.

Eric Alterman

Is Farm Work Funny, Mr. Colbert?
Migrant farm workers thin budding lettuce crops in San Luis, AZ. (AP/Paul Connors)
Article

Is Farm Work Funny, Mr. Colbert?

Stephen Colbert’s testimony may have gotten a negative reception, but it certainly appears to have drawn attention to the plight of migrant farm workers, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Inequality and America’s Antiquated Politics
Citizens United President David Bossie, right, meets with reporters outside the Supreme Court on January 21, 2010, after the Supreme Court ruled on the <i>Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission </i>campaign finance reform case. The case earned corporations a right by a 5-4 majority that wealthy individuals have enjoyed since 1976’s <i>Buckley v. Valeo</i>: to spend unlimited amounts on campaigns. (AP/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Article

Inequality and America’s Antiquated Politics

Concentrated wealth and an anachronistic system of political representation threaten our democracy, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The World as It “Ought to Be”
Members of the media, like Cokie Roberts pictured above,  who are charged with being sophisticated, nonideological interpreters of political reality regularly embrace the childish good vs. bad dichotomy whenever they find it convenient. (AP/Matthew J. Lee)
Article

The World as It “Ought to Be”

Journalists and pundits like to pretend they’re moralists when it serves their purposes, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Forget the Question. The Answer Is “Tax Cuts”
Conservatives are fighting to extend President George W. Bush's tax cuts even though doing so would add $2.3 trillion to the total 2018 debt according to the Congressional Budget Office. (AP/Susan Walsh)
Article

Forget the Question. The Answer Is “Tax Cuts”

Conservatives cling to tax cuts—which increase the deficit—while complaining of out-of-control deficit spending, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Anniversaries: Remembering Ted Kennedy
Sen. Ted Kennedy delivers remarks at the National Press Club in Washington on January 12, 2005. Kennedy died on August 25 last year. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Article

Anniversaries: Remembering Ted Kennedy

Eric Alterman looks back on the life of Ted Kennedy on the first anniversary of Kennedy’s death.

Eric Alterman

Wall-to-Wall Craziness
Foud Ajami, left, a Johns Hopkins University professor, meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2007. Ajami's editorials in <i>The Wall Street Journal </i>frequently challenge President Obama's legitimacy. (AP/Wathiq Khuzaie)
Article

Wall-to-Wall Craziness

Today’s skewed political spectrum allows The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page to get away with falsifying facts, observes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Left and Right Both Do it? Wrong.
The mainstream media equates the smear tactics and antics of conservatives such as Andrew Breitbart, above, with those of left-wing pundits and journalists. (AP/Reed Saxon)
Article

Left and Right Both Do it? Wrong.

The mainstream media pretends that the left is equally at fault for the dishonesty and character assassination that pollutes our debate these days. This is false, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

What’s Wrong with this Mainstream Media Picture?
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) voted to kill the Disclose Act, a bill that intended to uphold the senator's greatest legislative legacy, the McCain-Feingold Act. (AP/Ross D. Franklin)
Article

What’s Wrong with this Mainstream Media Picture?

A conservative filibuster ensures corporate coffers will harm our democracy by financing political attack ads anonymously, notes Eric Alterman. This isn’t about partisan politics.

Eric Alterman

Economist, Heal Thyself
Nouriel Roubini, a professor of economics at New York University, speaks during the Global Financial Forum in New York in April. Roubini has made claims in his lectures that are untrue and reveal a misunderstanding of economic policy in a democracy. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

Economist, Heal Thyself

Economists need to make more of an effort to understand politics and their place in it, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Kabuki Democracy: The Responses
Barack Obama's inability to make good on many of his most significant campaign promises so far is less a reflection of the administration’s strategic errors or any backing away by Obama from those promises but more a series of structural bottlenecks in our system that impede progressive change. (AP/Paul Beaty)
Article

Kabuki Democracy: The Responses

Many readers missed the point of my recent Nation piece, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

“No Opinions Except Ours,” Says The Washington Post
<i>Washington Post </i>columnist David Broder sits in his office. <i>The Post</i> recently ousted blogger Dave Weigel for expressing "bias" in his writing, but Broder, who's been a reporter and columnist for the paper, has clearly showed bias himself and retains his job. (Flickr/<a href= Mr. Wright)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/07/ta070810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/07/ta070810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/07/ta070810_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/07/ta070810_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/07/ta070810_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

“No Opinions Except Ours,” Says The Washington Post

The forcing out of Dave Weigel at the Washington Post raises several issues about The Post and journalism's future, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

A “Very, Very Bad” Article
Michael Hastings's <i>Rolling Stone</i> piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal, above, has set the Washington media establishment afire. (AP/Musadeq Sadeq)
Article

A “Very, Very Bad” Article

The Washington journalistic establishment’s reaction to Michael Hastings’s Rolling Stone piece on Gen. McChrystal is nearly as impressive as the article itself, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Foolish Loudmouths in the Military and in the Media
Mortimer Zuckerman—the real estate billionaire who owns <i>U.S News and World Report</i>—gives an interview at his Boston Properties office in New York. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

Foolish Loudmouths in the Military and in the Media

McChrystal’s Team America isn’t alone in its mundane and unsubstantive criticisms of the Obama administration—take a look at Mortimer Zuckerman.

Eric Alterman

Networks to Women: “Never on Sunday”
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has not appeared on any Sunday morning talk shows this year. (AP/Denis Poroy)
Article

Networks to Women: “Never on Sunday”

Female legislators are conspicuously absent on Sunday morning talks shows, observes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Springtime for Hitler
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is interviewed on "Fox and Friends" on May 18, 2010. Gingrich claims that contemporary Democrats, including particularly the Obama administration, are a “secular-socialist machine” that “represents as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.” (AP/Richard Drew)
Article

Springtime for Hitler

Conservative pundits are drawing far-fetched comparisons between progressive policies and Nazi Germany, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Chafets and Limbaugh: An Army of 1.1
Zev Chafets new book provides a comically skewed look at Rush Limbaugh and a cautionary tale to journalists gone astray, writes Eric Alterman. (AP/Ron Edmonds)
Article

Chafets and Limbaugh: An Army of 1.1

Chafets’s new book provides a comically skewed look at Rush Limbaugh and a cautionary tale to journalists gone astray, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

This “Tea” Swallows Republicans
Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul raises his arms to the cheers of supporters at his primary victory party in Bowling Green, KY on May 18, 2010. Paul is one of several winning Tea Party candidates in the midterm election primaries. (AP/Ed Reinke)
Article

This “Tea” Swallows Republicans

The Tea Party’s surge in the midterm election primaries may lead to its peak on Election Day, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Kagan Gets the Kitchen Sink
Media figures have made all kinds of accusations about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, above. But they've hardly made a whisper about her actual legal views. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Article

Kagan Gets the Kitchen Sink

The media debate over Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has covered everything about her except her legal views, observes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Heckuva Job, Mainstream Media
President Barack Obama makes a statement to reporters at the Coast Guard Venice Station in Venice, LA, as he visits the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP oil spill. The mainstream media is buying into the weak claim that the BP oil spill is Obama's "Katrina." (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

Heckuva Job, Mainstream Media

There’s a clear lack of evidence behind the claim that the BP oil spill is President Obama’s “Katrina,” writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Scammed by the Right
Sarah Palin gestures while addressing a crowd during a stop of the Tea Party Express, April 14, 2010, on the Boston Common in Boston. Palin is on her way to making $20 million this year alone through her various television, book, speaking, and other self-promotional products. (AP/Charles Krupa)
Article

Scammed by the Right

Time's curious choices of authors (and subjects) for the "The World’s Most Influential People" have one thing in common: cash, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

CNN Sells Itself Again (and Again)
CNN is working hard to claim credible nonpartisanship, but it's a seemingly hard sell given the network's push to attract right-wing viewers. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

CNN Sells Itself Again (and Again)

CNN once again tries to attract conservative viewers in a moment of ratings panic, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Global Warming: You Don’t Need a Weatherman
Icebergs float in a bay off Ammassalik Island in Greenland in 2007. The science behind global warming remains unchanged despite media distortions, and predictions include threats to species due to the loss of Arctic sea ice as well as rising sea levels. (AP/John McConnico)
Article

Global Warming: You Don’t Need a Weatherman

Don’t look to the media or your local weatherman for accurate information on climate change, says Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

What Is Conservatism?
Michael Steele, the chair of the Republican National Committee, denies responsibility for a recent RNC-sponsored $1,946 field trip to Voyeur, a topless dancers and bondage club. He also spent $18,000 to redecorate his office and gives personal, motivational speeches for tens of thousands of dollars. (AP/Matt Houston)
Article

What Is Conservatism?

Many contemporary conservatives aren’t accepting responsibility for their actions, which is antithetical to their philosophy’s core values, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Health Care Promises, Predictions, and Propaganda
President Barack Obama signs the health care reform bill, Tuesday, March 23, 2010, in the East Room of the White House. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

Health Care Promises, Predictions, and Propaganda

Conservative pundits say they’re worried about liberal promises about the historic health care bill. They should think again, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Mission Accomplished? Really?
President Bush gives a "thumbs-up" sign after declaring the end of major combat in Iraq on May 1, 2003. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

Mission Accomplished? Really?

America is no stranger to revisionist history, but media claiming victory in Iraq are just comically Pollyannaish in their wishful thinking, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

On TV News, “Right” Makes Right
Former Bush strategist and pollster Matthew Dowd on the floor of the 2004 Republican National Convention. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

On TV News, “Right” Makes Right

Apparently conservatives aren’t the only ones expected to sound like conservatives on TV news—liberals are, too, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Conservative? Bad? How About Both?
Mark Thiessen, right, pictured with Donald Rumsfeld in 2003, was recently hired by <i>The Washington Post </i>as an op-ed writer. Thiessen is a pro torture advocate who insisted that torturing Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2003 would have prevented a terrorist attack on Los Angeles's Library Tower in 2002. (AP/Sgt. Andy Dunaway)
Article

Conservative? Bad? How About Both?

The Washington Post editorial page appears to going down a road toward increasing conservatism and increasing awfulness simultaneously, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

A Hard Week on the Planet
United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer addresses a press conference in New Delhi, India, on February 4, 2010. Today de Boer announced his resignation in the wake of the organization’s failure to achieve much of anything in terms of concrete commitments at Copenhagen. (AP/Gurinder Osan)
Article

A Hard Week on the Planet

Mainstream science’s concerns are left out of the media conversation on climate change, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Kill Me Before I Sing Again
A man sings karaoke in a Filipino bar. <i>The New York Times</i> recently reported that people in the Philippines are killing each other over karaoke versions of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," but the article's sources are questionable and very little information is verified, drawing attention to the ability of journalists to make vague claims. (Flickr/<a href=hankoss)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/02/ta021110_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/02/ta021110_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/02/ta021110_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/02/ta021110_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2010/02/ta021110_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Kill Me Before I Sing Again

A recent story in The New York Times about karaoke killings illustrates the lax standards of the media, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Truth About Conservative “Journalism”
Andrew Breitbart, center,  flanked by James O'Keefe III, left, and Hannah Giles, takes part in a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbar)
Article

The Truth About Conservative “Journalism”

Conservative organizations are investing millions to overturn the media’s “liberal bias” and subverting the media’s professional standards in the process, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Court Disposes, Media Yawn
Citizens United President David Bossie meets with reporters outside the Supreme Court on Thursday, January 21, 2010, after the Supreme Court ruled on <i>Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission</i>. (AP/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Article

Court Disposes, Media Yawn

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will open the floodgates for corporate interest, but somehow the media didn’t notice, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Tea Party/Fox Party
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) speaks in Los Angeles, Wednesday, September 25, 2013. (AP/Nick Ut)
Article

Tea Party/Fox Party

The Tea Party movement and Fox News teamed up to help elect Scott Brown. Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich wonder if Sarah Palin is next.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Blame Gitmo
Guantanamo detainees jog at dusk inside the exercise yard at the Camp 4 detention facility on May 13, 2009. A number of conservatives who are opposed to closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay are attempting to exploit the “underpants bomber” to make their case. (AP/Brennan Linsley)
Article

Blame Gitmo

Conservatives are quick to use the underpants bomber to make their case on leaving Guantanamo open, but not so fast, say Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Money for Nothing?
Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) discuss clean energy legislation at a press coference on Capitol Hill last year with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

Money for Nothing?

Our broken campaign finance system is what’s producing less than satisfactory legislation, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

A Climate of Conspiracy
U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern speaks during a press conference at the Major Economies Forum, Thursday, July 1, 2010. (AP/Riccardo De Luca)
Article

A Climate of Conspiracy

“Climategate” is the latest conservative conspiracy theory in the age of Obama, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

“History” Isn’t a Dirty Word
President George W. Bush meets with Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill in O'Neill's office on March 7, 2001, to discuss Bush's tax cuts. When the cuts sunset at the end of 2010, the previous administration will have left the government holding the bag for well over $2 trillion in lost revenue. (AP/Ron Edmonds)
Article

“History” Isn’t a Dirty Word

Obama’s “spending binge” should be put in context of what he inherited from the previous administration, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

This Fish Rots from the Head Down
George Will, above, is the only columnist who continues to quote articles on global cooling from the 1970s to bolster his argument against global warming. He has been rebutted by his own newsroom on these claims. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

This Fish Rots from the Head Down

The embrace of crank politicians and scientists on the right quite possibly signals a conservative intellectual decline, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Obama’s Commie Past Exposed Yet Again
Bill Ayers, above, a founder of the Weathermen revolutionary group of the 1970s, continues to be linked to Barack Obama by conservatives. Some conservative sites claim Ayers ghost wrote Obama's memoir <i>Dreams from my Father.</i> (Flickr/<a href= Steve Rhodes)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/10/ayers_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/10/ayers_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/10/ayers_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/10/ayers_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/10/ayers_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Obama’s Commie Past Exposed Yet Again

Conservative media figures are still trying to connect Obama to ex-terrorist Bill Ayers, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Catfight on the Right
Sens. Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham confer while walking out of a meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama about immigration reform.
<br /> (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Article

Catfight on the Right

Conservative bickering remains in the metaphorical junior high locker room, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

CBS and Dan Rather—Doing the Right’s Dirty Work
Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS was dismissed by a New York appeals court last week. In the suit he claims the network committed fraud by commissioning a “biased” and incomplete investigation of a “60 Minutes” broadcast in order to “pacify the White House.” (AP/Henny Ray Abrams)
Article

CBS and Dan Rather—Doing the Right’s Dirty Work

Dan Rather’s lawsuit is really about a corporate media power failing to stand by its most famous reporter to avoid a battle with the Bush administration, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Falling for the Far Right’s ACORN Agenda
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), above center, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released a report in July 2009 that repeated many of the allegations against ACORN made during the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign and that generated media attention. (AP/Harry Hamburg)
Article

Falling for the Far Right’s ACORN Agenda

The far right’s successful attack on ACORN shows how easily the mainstream media can be manipulated with deliberately distorted information, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

The Conspiracy Nuts Take Over
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) has admitted that she believes Barack Obama was legitimately elected to the presidency, yet she was caught on tape Labor Day weekend telling a birther, "I agree with you, but the courts don't." (AP/Tom Uhlman)
Article

The Conspiracy Nuts Take Over

Media figures and even elected representatives are feeding false claims by fringe groups instead of preventing them from polluting public discourse, write Eric Alterman and Mickey Ehrlich.

Eric Alterman, Mickey Ehrlich

Ted Kennedy, in Substance
Ted Kennedy on October 14, 1970. (AP/JWG/File)
Article

Ted Kennedy, in Substance

Some of the most substantive and most significant pieces on Ted Kennedy were written before his death and highlight his great work for people who needed someone like him to fight for them, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Official Evidence vs. “Gut Hatred”
Neale Lunderville, former secretary of the Vermont Agency of Transportation, points to critical areas on a failing bridge in Middlesex, Vermont. It’s heartening that plans to repair our infrastructure even made it on to the House leadership’s “to do” list. But it’s frightening that with 72,000 bridges in urgent need of repair, the best idea on the table is grounded in fantasy. (AP/Toby Talbot)
Article

Official Evidence vs. “Gut Hatred”

Not only were mainstream media commentators wrong about the Bush administration, but they remain kinda snotty about those who were right, observes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

That Doggone Librul Media, Caught Again…
Stacks of Obama T-shirts sit on a shelf in a collectibles store in Washington, D.C. FOXNews recently suggested that the NBC Universal store's selling of Obama memorabilia indicates the network has a left-wing bias. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
Article

That Doggone Librul Media, Caught Again…

Eric Alterman looks at what constitutes “proof” of liberal bias in the conservative media.

Eric Alterman

Media Ethics: “So Last Century”
The fact that tax expenditures are government spending is more  widely recognized by conservative economists and politicians.  President  Ronald Reagan’s chief economic advisor, economist Dr. Martin Feldstein, above, noted recently that tax expenditures are equivalent to direct government expenditures. (AP/Riccardo De Luca)
Article

Media Ethics: “So Last Century”

Media conflicts of interest continue and the industry doesn’t seem to care, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

The Mainstream Media Opens the Door to Hate
CNN is working hard to claim credible nonpartisanship, but it's a seemingly hard sell given the network's push to attract right-wing viewers. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

The Mainstream Media Opens the Door to Hate

CNN and other popular media sources continue to allow racism, sexism, and other divisive opinions to be freely expressed, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Why Does Barack Obama Hate America? (Hint: Blame ACORN)
President Barack Obama's comments on Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s arrest have sparked a myriad of half-baked conservative attacks on the president. (AP/Ron Edmonds)
Article

Why Does Barack Obama Hate America? (Hint: Blame ACORN)

The reaction to President Barack Obama's comments on the Henry Gates Jr. incident reveal the dismal quality of conservative commentary, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Why Not the Best?
President Barack Obama answers questions during a news conference in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, July 22 as cameras look on. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Article

Why Not the Best?

Eric Alterman debunks health reform opponents’ claims that the United States has the best health care system in the world and that we don’t need health reform.

Eric Alterman

The End of Local Reporting?
A home undergoing abatement for removal of asbestos iin Libby, Montana. The Environmental Protection Agency began investigating the town due to local investigative reporting.
<br /> (AP/Rick Sheremeta)
Article

The End of Local Reporting?

Eric Alterman on how the crisis in publishing is affecting local and regional reporting.

Eric Alterman

Conflicts of Interest by the Wealthy and for the Wealthy
El juez conservador John Roberts usó un razonamiento de impuestos en su  defensa de la constitucionalidad del mandato individual – y la ley en su  totalidad – la semana pasada. Pero Roberts hacía un argumento técnico y  usaba la palabra
Article

Conflicts of Interest by the Wealthy and for the Wealthy

Funding journalistic conflicts of interest is an expensive business that runs in only one direction: the rich and powerful, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Who Jails Journalists?
A South Korean man watches a TV broadcasting news about two American journalists detained in North Korea at the Seoul Railway Station, in South Korea. There are a total of 29 countries that jail journalists. (AP/Ahn Young-joon)
Article

Who Jails Journalists?

The United States could really lead by example when it comes to keeping journalists out of jail, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Chiller, Socialist Theater
 (Flickr/<a href=Mr G's Travels)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/06/tasocialism_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/06/tasocialism_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/06/tasocialism_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/06/tasocialism_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/06/tasocialism_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

Chiller, Socialist Theater

Conservatives have lately branded the United States as the newest socialist republic in an attempt to reprise former scare tactics, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

The Surprising Success of the Right-Wing Rant
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP/Susan Walsh)
Article

The Surprising Success of the Right-Wing Rant

Right-wing pundits are casting Obama's Supreme Court pick in racist terms, and it appears to be working, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Dick Cheney’s Post Presidency
Former Vice President Dick Cheney flexes his punditry muscles on CNN's "State of the Union."
<br /> (AP/Kevin Wolf)
Article

Dick Cheney’s Post Presidency

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is still causing trouble, this time as a pundit, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Sex and the Single Justice
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been mentioned as a possible choice for the Supreme Court. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Article

Sex and the Single Justice

The media is obsessing about potential Supreme Court nominees’ sexuality instead of their qualifications, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory. Plus, an update on George Will’s environmental reporting career.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Codeword “Empathy”
The Roberts Court, photographed in 2006, is set to have a new member, as Justice David Souter, seated to the far right, will retire at the end of the term in June. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

Codeword “Empathy”

Conservatives already know exactly who Obama will appoint to the Supreme Court, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

The DHS Report: Torturing the Truth
Conservatives, including <i>Fox News</i> commentator Sean Hannity, above, are up in arms over a recently released Department of Homeland Security report on right-wing extremists. (AP/Douglas C. Pizac)
Article

The DHS Report: Torturing the Truth

Conservatives fuss over a Bush report on the potential for domestic terrorism while remaining unperturbed by reports of real torture, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

It’s Still the Bush Economy
Protesters hold signs at a Fox News-promoted tax day "tea party" yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama. (Flickr/ <a href=Josh Self)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/04/teaparties_onpage.jpg?w=600 600w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/04/teaparties_onpage.jpg?w=600 600w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/04/teaparties_onpage.jpg?w=600 600w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/04/teaparties_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/04/teaparties_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

It’s Still the Bush Economy

The media seem to have forgotten already that it was President Bush who got us into this recession, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Will-ful Ignorance, Round 26
Arctic sea ice is melting so fast it could be gone within 30 years, found a report released last Friday. Stubbornly, George Will refuses to acknowledge the truth about global warming. (AP/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward, File)
Article

Will-ful Ignorance, Round 26

George Will's standoff on global warming with the Washington Post's news room and the scientific community is troubling for the paper's editorial standards, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Mice, Playing: The Decline of Skeptical Journalism
A shopper walks toward the pharmacy at a Little Rock, AK, Wal-Mart store on February 20, 2008. An increased availability of jazzy scientific-sounding press releases erodes the chance that journalists will develop original health care investigative stories. (AP/Danny Johnston)
Article

Mice, Playing: The Decline of Skeptical Journalism

Science and health journalists are taking just as many shortcuts as their business reporting peers, and we’d all be wise to watch out, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Cable News Blues
The US Airways plane that crashed into the Hudson River in January provided a
Article

Cable News Blues

Cable news may be the only healthy part of the journalism business, but that's bad news for the rest of us, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Remember Real Journalism
A photo journalist wearing a black mask shoots as he participates in a protest rally against attacks on free media in Colombo, Sri Lanka on January 26, 2009. The Committee to Protect Journalists identified the traditionally repressive regimes that continue to threaten a free press. (AP/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Article

Remember Real Journalism

Journalists risk their lives for democracy every day. It’s time we pause to remember their sacrifices, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Whose News Is It, Anyway?
Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's Mad Money, attends the opening bell of the Nasdaq stock market in New York. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

Whose News Is It, Anyway?

Business news is increasingly aimed at investors, not citizens, a problem the industry must address to provide high-quality coverage, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

The Other Meltdown: Conservatives
Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, at the White House in January, took center stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week. (AP/Ron Edmonds)
Article

The Other Meltdown: Conservatives

Conservatives gathered last week at CPAC to rediscover their ideological heart, but the result was more identity crisis than true direction, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Thank God for Gitmo!
Detainees at the prison at Guantanamo Bay participate in the morning prayer, as a U.S. guard watches nearby. (AP/Brennan Linsley)
Article

Thank God for Gitmo!

The punditocracy's attacks on Obama for the decision to close Guantanamo deserve close scrutiny, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

Media to Climate: “Drop Dead”
An iceberg is seen in Disko Bay, Greenland, above the Arctic Circle. The American press, hampered by budget constraints and other concerns, has taken a shortsighted approach to the so-called climate policy beat. (AP/John McConnico)
Article

Media to Climate: “Drop Dead”

Developing a climate policy beat has been a nonstarter in the mainstream media, write Eric Alterman and Danielle Ivory, but this is one disaster we can see coming.

Eric Alterman, Danielle Ivory

FCC, Meet “Change”
Kevin Martin, President Bush's FCC chairman, speaks during a news conference last year. (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Article

FCC, Meet “Change”

President Obama’s FCC will have their work cut out for them in restoring the agency to the side of the citizens and consumers, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

William Kristol: Journalism’s Indispensable Man
William Kristol's last column for the <i>New York Times</i> on January 25, 2009. (<a href=Flickr/Adam "Slice" Kuban)" data-srcset="https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/02/kristol_nyt_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/02/kristol_nyt_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/02/kristol_nyt_onpage.jpg?w=610 610w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/02/kristol_nyt_onpage.jpg?w=500 500w, https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2009/02/kristol_nyt_onpage.jpg?w=250 250w" data-sizes="auto" />
Article

William Kristol: Journalism’s Indispensable Man

Columnist William Kristol moves to the Washington Post after a year of blurring the line between journalism and political strategy at the New York Times, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Spying on Journalists? Why the Silence?
The White House press corps—many or all of whose communications were monitored, according to new imformation from Russell Tice. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

Spying on Journalists? Why the Silence?

It now appears that the Bush administration was spying on American journalists; so Eric Alterman and George Zornick ask, why’s the media keeping quiet?

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Bush’s Free Ride to the Finish Line
President George W. Bush speaks during the final news conference of his administration on Monday, January 12, 2009. (AP/Gerald Herbert)
Article

Bush’s Free Ride to the Finish Line

After failing to challenge Bush and Cheney's misstatements over the past eight years, it's unsurprising that the press failed to do so during his last interviews.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Scarborough’s Fare
Joe Scarborough on the set of his MSNBC talk show. (AP/Bill Kaczor)
Article

Scarborough’s Fare

Eric Alterman and George Zornick wonder why MSNBC gives Joe Scarborough more time on the air than anyone else if it’s as liberal as everyone says?

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Mainstream Media Malpractice
The three network news anchors, from left Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and Charles Gibson, appear together for an interview on the Today Show in 2008.<br /> (AP/Richard Drew)
Article

Mainstream Media Malpractice

Not only does the mainstream media ignore critical health policy issues; when it does cover them, it often offers misleading information, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Mr. Pot, Meet Mr. Kettle
Bill O’Reilly is definitely a top contender in the race for the most outrageous conservative comments. (AP/Jeff Christensen)
Article

Mr. Pot, Meet Mr. Kettle

Eric Alterman and George Zornick take a look at some of conservatives’ most outrageous comments.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

War on War (and More)
Trying to prevent photos of war dead from showing up in the news is just one way the Bush administration has tried to prevent press access in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (AP)
Article

War on War (and More)

In the last installment of a four-part series on Bush’s war on the press, Eric Alterman looks at treatment of press during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Bush Legacy: War on the Press
While President George W. Bush held the fewest first-term press conferences in modern presidential history, the administration's suppression of information also took place on other, more secretive fronts. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

The Bush Legacy: War on the Press

Eric Alterman posits that a sure Bush legacy will be the administration’s consistent suppression of information and press freedoms.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Meanwhile, Back in Baghdad…
Chris Tomlinson of the Associated Press was embedded with U.S. Army soldiers from the A Company 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, about 100 miles south of Baghdad in 2003. The Army has grown more reluctant to embed reporters since the start of the war. (AP/John Moore)
Article

Meanwhile, Back in Baghdad…

News coverage of Iraq dwindled in the shadow of the presidential campaign, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

What Obamedia?
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain are shown on television screens at the media filing center during the final presidential debate held at Hofstra University. (AP/Jae C. hong)
Article

What Obamedia?

Complaints about the Obama-loving media are emptier than the Biltmore ballroom at midnight Tuesday night. But it’s no surprise they’re being raised, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Plummeting Press Freedom
The U.S.-issued ID card of an Iraqi translator who died in 2006 while working with an American journalist. The United States ranks 119th for how it treats journalists in the foreign areas it controls, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. (AP/Hadi Mizban)
Article

Plummeting Press Freedom

A new report puts the United States at 36th in the world for press freedoms, and 119th when it comes to actions beyond our borders, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Invisible Battle Over Posse Comitatus
A largely silent battle has been fought over the president's ability to deploy military troops in the United States. Overturning longstanding statues limiting this ability has implications for martial law. (AP/Petros Giannakouris)
Article

The Invisible Battle Over Posse Comitatus

A battle raged in 2006 over the president’s ability to deploy troops in the United States, yet it went completely uncovered by the mainstream media, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Meltdown: The Blame Game
The Fannie Mae building in Washington, DC. (Center for American Progress)
Article

Meltdown: The Blame Game

The conservatives' argument that progressives, Fannie and Freddie, and minorities caused the current crisis has no validity, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Uses and Abuses of “Voter Fraud”
An investigator enters the ACORN office in Las Vegas this week after allegations of voter fraud were filed. (AP/Jae C. Hong)
Article

The Uses and Abuses of “Voter Fraud”

The mainstream media needs to spend more time explaining voter issues rather than obscuring them, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

White Open Spaces, Owned by Us
There is a battle going on over “white spaces” in the broadcast spectrum, which exist unused between television channels. (Flickr/jk5854)
Article

White Open Spaces, Owned by Us

White spaces in the broadcast spectrum can spread knowledge and advance democracy, and the beauty of the entire enterprise is that we—the public—already own them.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Crisis from Nowhere
The front page of the <i>New York Times</i> on September 16, 2008. (Flickr/kbaird)
Article

The Crisis from Nowhere

No wonder Americans were shocked when Wall Street fell into crisis last week. The media had barely been covering economic issues for months.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Out, Out, Damned Earmark
President George W. Bush holds up a pile of earmarks as he speaks about the economy in Manassas, VA, on February 6, 2007. Congressional earmarks get a lot of press, but the president is earmarker-in-chief. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Article

Out, Out, Damned Earmark

Earmarks get a bad rap, but they're not necessarily bad and receive more attention than is deserved, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Shallow Reporting on Deep Drilling
Newt Gingrich has become a spokesperson for the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" campaign, part of the continuing effort by drilling proponents to promote offshore oil exploration despite evidence by the Energy Information Agency that it would do little to affect prices. (AP/Gerald Herbert)
Article

Shallow Reporting on Deep Drilling

Months after the offshore drilling debate first intensified, the media has all but forgotten the hard facts that dispute drilling's effectiveness.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Remember Iraq?
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appeared at a press conference in Baghdad with Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari in August, where they said that the two governments agree on setting a timetable for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. (AP Photo/Ali Abbas)
Article

Remember Iraq?

The media buries news of an agreement that could end the war, write Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Olympic Coverage or Cover-up?
While the media salivated over Michael Phelps and other sporting accomplishments in Beijing, coverage of other news, like the declining economy and the war in Iraq, slipped. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Article

Olympic Coverage or Cover-up?

The Beijing Olympics dominated American television, but what did we really learn? Eric Alterman and George Zornick investigate.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Return of the Cold War Punditocracy
Russian soldiers sit atop a tank in Tskhinvali, the main city in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia on August 20, 2008. (AP/Dmitry Lovetsky)
Article

Return of the Cold War Punditocracy

There are no good guys in the Georgia-Russia conflict, but the media seems hell-bent on simplifying it so that Russia is the only aggressor.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Money for Nothing
Article

Money for Nothing

Barbara Ehrenreich's new book received an undeserved and unfair review in the New York Times, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman

Poor Coverage on Poverty
Bill O'Reilly insisted in October of 2006 that those who "fail in this country" are "stupid," "addicted," or have "mental problems." While networks like CBS do a poor job reporting on poverty, hosts like O'Reilly make outright ideological assumptions. (AP/Jeff Christensen)
Article

Poor Coverage on Poverty

The mainstream media can’t explain the causes of poverty, and right-wing talking heads say the poor are the problem, say Eric Alterman and George Zornick.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Sources Need Protection
Judith Miller, above, a former <i>New York Times </i>reporter, was jailed for 85 days for refusing to reveal a source in the Valerie Plame case. Reporters and their sources need protection for the function they serve in a democracy. (AP/Jae C. Hong)
Article

Sources Need Protection

Anonymous sources serve a critical role in journalism and deserve to be protected, but determining the limits of protection is more complicated.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Gore in the Funhouse
Al Gore walks onstage to give his speech on energy on July 17 in Washington, D.C. The speech's points have been lost on the media, preventing a serious discussion on global warming. (AP/Gerald Herbert)
Article

Gore in the Funhouse

Al Gore's speech last week offered a plan for solving the climate crisis that has been largely misinterpreted and misunderstood.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

“Nowhere-istan”
Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks to the media outside the presidential palace in Kabul. Network newscasts have devoted only 46 minutes of coverage to Afghanistan since Jan.1 of this year. (AP/Musadeq Sadeq)
Article

“Nowhere-istan”

Increased attacks in Afghanistan have garnered more media attention, but there is still a lack of journalistic manpower in the country.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

You Don’t Know Jesse
Senator Jesse Helms celebrates winning his fifth term to the U.S. Senate in 1996. (AP/Alan Marler)
Article

You Don’t Know Jesse

The coverage of Senator Jesse Helms' death has largely ignored unflattering facts about his life and racial attitude.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Quest to Save Red Lion
During the 2003 Billboard Music Awards, which were broadcast on Fox, Nicole Richie (right) made a profane statement that led the FCC to declare the broadcast indecent. Fox's lawyers have decided to challenge the FCC's authority to regulate
Article

The Quest to Save Red Lion

A Supreme Court case this fall could weaken the FCC's ability to regulate broadcast standards, including enforcement of indecency laws.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Drilling Deep to Mislead on Oil Prices
On MSNBC, former Mississippi senator Trent Lott spoke about the need for more offshore drilling. The program did not mention that he is a lobbyist for companies such as Chevron, Shell, and Plains Exploration & Production Co. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Article

Drilling Deep to Mislead on Oil Prices

It's still a bad idea to drill offshore for oil, and the issue is distorted when the media gives equivalence to both sides of the issue and repeats industry misinformation.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

New Orleans After the Storm
A FEMA trailer sits in front of home in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. U.S. health officials have confirmed that toxic levels of formaldehyde fumes in trailer homes the government provided to Gulf Coast hurricane victims have made as many as 300,000 people sick. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Article

New Orleans After the Storm

When Hurricane Katrina first happened, even the most docile reporters began to cover race, poverty, and inequality. But since then everyone has dropped the story.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction
During the second presidential debate in 2004, Bush claimed that everyone thought Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction before the invasion. (AP/Gerald Herbert)
Article

Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction

A look back at statements made by officials and reporters suggests there was not universal agreement about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Hatred for Sale
CNN's Lou Dobbs talks with former Foreign Minister of Mexico Jorge Castaneda about immigration at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists luncheon in 2006. Dobbs often highlights crimes committed by illegal immigrants on his program. (AP/Luis M. Alvarez)
Article

Hatred for Sale

Several cable news talk shows are deliberately fueling resentment and anger toward immigrants while citing false claims.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Case of the Missing Scandal
FBI agents raided the Office of Special Counsel Scott Bloch in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 2008. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
Article

The Case of the Missing Scandal

The media continues to ignore Bush administration wrongdoing--and this time, the offender is the administration's own watchdog, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Fire Next Time?
Article

The Fire Next Time?

Supporters of military action against Iran continue to beat the drum of war, but the justifications for war remain unproven.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Pentagon Propaganda and the Media Stonewall
Article

Pentagon Propaganda and the Media Stonewall

The Pentagon's subversion of democratic dialogue is saddening and limits an honest debate about the war, and the media refuses to admit complicity.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Boys in the Bubble
Article

The Boys in the Bubble

Stephanopoulos and Gibson somehow remain blissfully unaware—or worse—unconcerned about the problems facing the vast majority of Americans.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The Media (Finally) Talk About Torture
Article

The Media (Finally) Talk About Torture

April has seen a series of media revelations about the Bush administration's use of torture at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The End of the Network News?
Article

The End of the Network News?

Network news may still be valuable, but it's also aging with its audience in the era of the 24-hour cable network.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Getting Iraq Right
Article

Getting Iraq Right

Iraq demands a change in direction, but it's hard for people to demand a change on policies that go unreported, writes Eric Alterman.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Iraq Disappears from View
Article

Iraq Disappears from View

The public needs reliable information about the Iraq war, but media coverage of the conflict has dropped off the map.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Why We’re Liberals: The Polls Speak
Article

Why We’re Liberals: The Polls Speak

If Americans overwhelmingly support progressive policies, why are so many of them afraid to call themselves "liberal"? Eric Alterman has an answer.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

FCC vs. The Public
Article

FCC vs. The Public

Looking for evidence of the Bush administration's distaste for oversight and responsible government? Look no further than the FCC.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

9/11 De-Commissioned
Article

9/11 De-Commissioned

We are still in the shadow of a 9/11 presidency, and 9/11 Commission conflicts of interest don't make it easier to uncover the truth.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Fool Me 936 Times
Article

Fool Me 936 Times

The Bush administration’s 935 demonstrably false statements in the lead up to Iraq should give reporters pause when covering Iran.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

No Dhue Diligence for Bill O’Reilly
Article

No Dhue Diligence for Bill O’Reilly

“Ombuds-gal” Laurie Dhue does little to hold O’Reilly accountable. O’Reilly notes, “Why wouldn’t Laurie be on the side of goodness and light?”

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

No Iraq News (Still) Isn’t Good News
Article

No Iraq News (Still) Isn’t Good News

Media coverage of Iraq declined dramatically in late 2007, just in time for the run-up to the presidential election that could change our policy there.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Reporting on Warming, Dropping the Bali
Article

Reporting on Warming, Dropping the Bali

Reporting on global warming negotiations may not be particularly sexy fodder for The Situation Room, but we cannot live on Paris Hilton alone.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Reporting Iraq Is a Lot Harder than it Looks
Article

Reporting Iraq Is a Lot Harder than it Looks

Many of the best accounts of Iraq from reporters struggle with boiling down death and devastation while acting as their own security detail.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Bad Rates Risin’
Article

Bad Rates Risin’

A new postal rate that would benefit media megaliths could spell the demise of many smaller, particularly minority publications.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Liberals and Veterans: Welcome Back
Article

Liberals and Veterans: Welcome Back

A new G.I. bill would be progressivism at its best; our veterans deserve our full respect, and we can reshape America in this image.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Torturous Debate over Waterboarding
Article

Torturous Debate over Waterboarding

The politics of Mukasey's nonresponse to whether waterboarding is torture has, unsurprisingly, led the media to ask the same question.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Rejected Reruns from the FCC
Article

Rejected Reruns from the FCC

Plan from FCC Chair Kevin Martin once again tries to give big companies control of what we see, hear, and read.

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

Limbaugh and the Military: No Story There
Article

Limbaugh and the Military: No Story There

Why did the mainstream media shower criticism on MoveOn but find Limbaugh’s plainly anti-military remarks mostly uninteresting?

Eric Alterman, George Zornick

The More Things Change…
Article

The More Things Change…

Conservatives are now spouting the “If you disagree with me, you’re a racist” brand of moral bullying that people rightly criticized liberals for years ago.

Eric Alterman

Jena, Finally
Article

Jena, Finally

If Jena has shown one thing it’s that not only will racism continue on, but some in the mainstream media will always ignore or encourage it.

Eric Alterman

“Michael Mukasey: Man of Mystery”
Article

“Michael Mukasey: Man of Mystery”

Rather than make the same mistakes again, Congress should use Judge Mukasey’s confirmation to get straight answers on tough questions.

Eric Alterman

Beware the Ideas of Newt
Article

Beware the Ideas of Newt

By claiming that he’s a “man of ideas," Newt Gingrich has gained a following of columnists. But, Eric Alterman asks, what are his ideas?

Eric Alterman

The Surge Numbers Speak But Who is Listening?
Article

The Surge Numbers Speak But Who is Listening?

Believe it or not, some pundits and politicians are still bullish on the surge. One wonders whether they’ve seen its recent failing grades.

Eric Alterman

Investigating an Outsourced War
Article

Investigating an Outsourced War

We need the press to step up and get to the bottom of the corruption in Iraq, because the Bush administration is clearly uninterested.

Eric Alterman

FISA and the Founders
Article

FISA and the Founders

Congress’ passage of a new FISA law once again raises the question of whether democracies can “do” foreign policy patiently and competently.

Eric Alterman

The Rise and Rise of ‘Netroots Nation’
Article

The Rise and Rise of ‘Netroots Nation’

The success of the second Yearly Kos convention bodes well for the future of both the blogosphere and the mainstream media.

Eric Alterman

Rupert the Great
Article

Rupert the Great

From conflicts of interest to media consolidation, outright corruption, and a loss of credibility, The Wall Street Journal has much to look forward to.

Tim Fernholz

Deal Me In
Article

Deal Me In

It's getting hard out there for Bush supporters in the punditocracy, says Eric Alterman. Bill Kristol is one of the last Bush supporters standing.

Eric Alterman

The Pure Politics of “Privilege”
Article

The Pure Politics of “Privilege”

The Wall Street Journal's editorial page predictably fails to acknowledge legal wrongdoings of a presidency that practically beg for investigation.

Eric Alterman

Lies, Justice, and the Punditocracy’s “Place”
Article

Lies, Justice, and the Punditocracy’s “Place”

Libby’s commuted sentence makes you wonder what happened to the days when lying under oath was the worst thing in the world.

Eric Alterman

The Assault on Reality, Part II
Article

The Assault on Reality, Part II

It’s not just the mainstream media that’s attacking Al Gore and his new book -- more off-beat sources are making the same misinformed arguments.

Eric Alterman

Poll Faults
Article

Poll Faults

This early in the presidential race, voters aren’t paying attention to differences between candidates. So how about the issues?

Eric Alterman

Bible Class
Article

Bible Class

The Israelites of the Bible offer an interesting lesson to Americans about rejecting the Bush administration’s fear tactics when it comes to present day Iraq.

Eric Alterman

“Modest and Respectful No More”
Article

“Modest and Respectful No More”

Rightwing opponents of immigration reform experience personal attacks from Bush and his conservative allies. It is hard to be sympathetic.

Eric Alterman

Who Really Supports the Troops?
Article

Who Really Supports the Troops?

The media continues to say progressives are anti-military, but it’s the Bush administration that can’t admit the enormity of its error.

Eric Alterman

The Role of Public Opinion in Iraq and Vietnam
Article

The Role of Public Opinion in Iraq and Vietnam

What difference does popular dissatisfaction with the war make in the president’s prosecution of it? So far, looks like none.

Eric Alterman

Hot Planet, Hot Air
Article

Hot Planet, Hot Air

Our president is still stubbornly refusing to discuss a reasonable compromise on an issue critical to our future and security—global warming.

Eric Alterman

Another Unnecessary War? Another Media Misstep?
Article

Another Unnecessary War? Another Media Misstep?

Despite Kristof’s recent breakthrough, the media still seems to be suffering from a case of amnesia regarding negotiations with Iran.

Eric Alterman

Oversight, Overload?
Article

Oversight, Overload?

As Congress uncovers White House incompetence, the media seems eager to show trials and partisanship rather than examine the issues.

Eric Alterman

The “Surge”: The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking
Article

The “Surge”: The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking

Four months after the “surge,” it’s been damned difficult for even the most diligent Americans to try to figure out how the heck it’s going.

Eric Alterman

Campaign 2008: The “Story” vs. the Stories
Article

Campaign 2008: The “Story” vs. the Stories

Fact-checking the fact-checkers: a spot-check of four presidential candidates' stories, and the media’s stories about those stories.

Eric Alterman

The Best Things in Life Are Free…
Article

The Best Things in Life Are Free…

Why do journalists focus so fervently on how much money the presidential candidates have rather than on the issues?

Eric Alterman

The Best Things in Life Are Free…
Article

The Best Things in Life Are Free…

Why are journalists spending so much time harping on how much money candidates have rather than how they’re attracting the money, or even better, the issues?

Eric Alterman

Just One DOJ Scandal? Does the MSM have BAADD?
Article

Just One DOJ Scandal? Does the MSM have BAADD?

With the scandals piling up daily, the main stream media seems to have a case of Bush Administration Attention Deficit Disorder.

Eric Alterman

Taking Mr. Bush at his Word
Article

Taking Mr. Bush at his Word

On the anniversary of the invasion, we look back at what has come of the president’s sell four years ago to the American people.

Eric Alterman

Now You Tell Us …
Article

Now You Tell Us …

The firing of eight federal prosecutors is now becoming a full-fledged scandal, but if it wasn't for newspapers and blogs, we'd all still be in the dark.

Eric Alterman

What About Bob?
Article

What About Bob?

Let’s not forget that it was Robert Novak who played into the White House’s hand by revealing Valerie Plame’s identity in the first place.

Eric Alterman

You Call That News?
Article

You Call That News?

What’s news? Well, it depends who you ask. A press spat over Clinton and Obama? Britney’s shaved head? Or critical political issues?

Eric Alterman

No Substance, Please. We’re Journalists
Article

No Substance, Please. We’re Journalists

Is more time spent on the substance of the Iraq debate in Congress, rather than on its theatrics, too much to ask of the media?

Eric Alterman, Tim Fernholz

The Media’s Color (and Gender) Wars, Continued
Article

The Media’s Color (and Gender) Wars, Continued

So far media coverage of Clinton and Obama’s presidential bids seems strikingly reminiscent of the frenzy over Ferraro and Jackson in 1980’s.

Eric Alterman, Tim Fernholz

Still the Same
Article

Still the Same

Even post-protest, the Sunday talk shows featured pundits peddling the very pro-escalation memes that the majority of Americans disagree with.

Eric Alterman, Tim Fernholz

Conservatives Blame America First, Again
Article

Conservatives Blame America First, Again

Dinesh D’Souza’s new book blaming the left for 9/11 can’t be dismissed, unfortunately, as politically beyond the conservative pale.

Eric Alterman

The Viral Center
Article

The Viral Center

Despite all evidence to the contrary, pundits still claim that Democrats need to move to an undefined center in order to govern.

Eric Alterman

The “Surge” and the “Purge”
Article

The “Surge” and the “Purge”

As some reporters question the "surge," it's a welcome sign that Bush no longer controls the terms of the debate without a fight.

Eric Alterman

The Sunday Scene: Same as It Ever Was
Article

The Sunday Scene: Same as It Ever Was

The problem isn't that there aren’t pundits who have answers on issues like Iraq; it’s that political talk shows aren’t using them.

Eric Alterman

The New, New, New Journalism
Article

The New, New, New Journalism

Can the Center for Independent Media diversify media voices and help reshape the kinds of stories that local media outlets consider news?

Eric Alterman

What’d I Say?
Article

What’d I Say?

Even with the Iraq Study Group report release and the Gates nominations this week, we’ve gotten no indication that the tides of war are changing.

Eric Alterman

Defining Civil War Up
Article

Defining Civil War Up

Experts agree that Iraq is in a civil war, but somehow that doesn’t seem to stop mainstream media and the White House from saying otherwise.

Eric Alterman

So Who’s “The Decider?”
Article

So Who’s “The Decider?”

Certainly Rumsfeld isn’t innocent when it comes to Iraq, but has the press forgotten who the commander-in-chief is?

Eric Alterman

Back to 9/11: Was Condi a Friend in Need?
Article

Back to 9/11: Was Condi a Friend in Need?

Why hasn’t more investigation been done into 9/11 Commission Chairman Zalikow’s close relationship with Secretary Rice?

Eric Alterman

This Election, We All Lose
Article

This Election, We All Lose

During this election season, media frenzy over scandals has once again taken the focus away from the real issues.

Eric Alterman

“Oh Never Mind, Mr. President”
Article

“Oh Never Mind, Mr. President”

Asking the president the tough questions that commentators have been letting slide.

Eric Alterman

Portraying an Electoral Victory
Article

Portraying an Electoral Victory

Mainstream media does America a disservice with its misleading and often ignorant political coverage.

Eric Alterman

Blaming Success, Upholding Failure
Article

Blaming Success, Upholding Failure

Mainstream media mostly fails to hold conservatives accountable for misrepresenting North Korean policy under Bush and Clinton.

Eric Alterman

Radio Marti: “Hecka of a Job, Kenny”
Article

Radio Marti: “Hecka of a Job, Kenny”

Tomlinson is at it again, using taxpayer money to pay conservative journalists to write "politically correct" news and editorials.

Eric Alterman

9/11: Business as Usual
Article

9/11: Business as Usual

The president and his allies once again use national day of mourning for political gain?with the help of the mainstream press.

Eric Alterman

Spun Dizzy
Article

Spun Dizzy

The press needs to challenge the conservative spin machine on Iraq and al Qaeda. It's best to start with Tony Snow.

Eric Alterman

Are the Times A-Changing?
Article

Are the Times A-Changing?

There are still times when the press interprets the news with two proverbial feet planted firmly in the soil of what used to be called "reality."

Eric Alterman

Remember Iraq?
Article

Remember Iraq?

The White House's colossal failure down the road in Iraq is falling through the cracks of mainstream media coverage.

Eric Alterman

Change the Tone
Article

Change the Tone

Eric Alterman

Do as We Say…
Article

Do as We Say…

Eric Alterman

The War at Home
Article

The War at Home

Eric Alterman

Port Insecurity
Article

Port Insecurity

Eric Alterman

Spinning Spying
Article

Spinning Spying

Eric Alterman

Think Again
Article

Think Again

Eric Alterman

How We Got Here
Article

How We Got Here

Eric Alterman

Weird Science
Article

Weird Science

Eric Alterman

Pay to Play
Article

Pay to Play

Eric Alterman

Indylink
Article

Indylink

Eric Alterman