Is Obamacare the End of Liberalism? Not So Much ArticleDecember 5, 2013 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. Dec 5, 2013 Eric Alterman
Murdoch, Ailes, and Fox: Right from the Start ArticleNovember 21, 2013 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. Nov 21, 2013 Eric Alterman
A Bully Pulpit for Billionaires ArticleNovember 14, 2013 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. Nov 14, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Super-Rich and Their Monster ArticleNovember 7, 2013 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. Nov 7, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Tea Party’s Forebears Are a Movement of the Rich ArticleOctober 31, 2013 The Tea Party’s Forebears Are a Movement of the Rich History can help us understand our present problems; the Tea Party and its funders are nothing new. Oct 31, 2013 Eric Alterman
10 Years of False Equivalence and Still Going Strong ArticleOctober 24, 2013 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? Oct 24, 2013 Eric Alterman
Heads, the Tea Party Wins; Tails, the Tea Party Wins ArticleOctober 17, 2013 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. Oct 17, 2013 Eric Alterman
‘Who Speaks for the Jews?’ ArticleOctober 10, 2013 ‘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. Oct 10, 2013 Eric Alterman
According to Politico, Ted Cruz Is the Same As Wendy Davis, “More or Less” ArticleOctober 3, 2013 According to Politico, Ted Cruz Is the Same As Wendy Davis, “More or Less” When false equivalence is the aim, facts go out the window. Oct 3, 2013 Eric Alterman
Bill de Blasio, ‘Sandalista’ ArticleSeptember 26, 2013 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. Sep 26, 2013 Eric Alterman
Austerity Kills, and So Will the Sequester ArticleSeptember 19, 2013 Austerity Kills, and So Will the Sequester The mainstream media paints an inaccurate and overly rosy picture of sequestration's devastating effects. Sep 19, 2013 Eric Alterman
Rupert Makes the News—Literally ArticleSeptember 12, 2013 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. Sep 12, 2013 Eric Alterman
Labor for a Day, Capital for the Rest of the Year ArticleSeptember 5, 2013 Labor for a Day, Capital for the Rest of the Year The lack of media focus on labor helps ignore the relative paucity of benefits for American workers. Sep 5, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Mainstream Media and the Slowly Boiling Frog ArticleAugust 29, 2013 The Mainstream Media and the Slowly Boiling Frog When it comes to global warming, we’re cooked. Aug 29, 2013 Eric Alterman
When ‘Journalism’ Became ‘Liberalism’: Remembering Jack Germond ArticleAugust 22, 2013 When ‘Journalism’ Became ‘Liberalism’: Remembering Jack Germond Jack Germond was a smart, tough-minded, no-nonsense political reporter. That’s why people called him a liberal. Aug 22, 2013 Eric Alterman
Neoconservatism on the Decline ArticleAugust 15, 2013 Neoconservatism on the Decline Neoconservatism’s roots are being pulled up by the likes of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Aug 15, 2013 Eric Alterman
How to ‘Ignore’ and Obsess About a Story Simultaneously ArticleAugust 8, 2013 How to ‘Ignore’ and Obsess About a Story Simultaneously The mainstream media do not ignore right-wing pet issues; they indulge them—just not in the way conservatives want. Aug 8, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Nonexistent ‘Center’ Folds ArticleAugust 1, 2013 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. Aug 1, 2013 Eric Alterman
Indiana Is the Latest Skirmish in the Conservatives’ War on Knowledge ArticleJuly 25, 2013 Indiana Is the Latest Skirmish in the Conservatives’ War on Knowledge Purdue University president and former Gov. Mitch Daniels does not trust faculty or students with ideas he doesn’t like. Jul 25, 2013 Eric Alterman
Mainstream Media Refuses to Recognize the Elephant in the Room ArticleJuly 18, 2013 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. Jul 18, 2013 Eric Alterman
Have Progressives Abandoned Economic Liberalism? ArticleJuly 11, 2013 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. Jul 11, 2013 Eric Alterman
Kurtz Joining Fox News Comes As No Surprise ArticleJune 27, 2013 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. Jun 27, 2013 Eric Alterman
America Is Much Less Conservative than the Mainstream Media Believe ArticleJune 20, 2013 America Is Much Less Conservative than the Mainstream Media Believe Journalists and pundits—and even politicians—routinely overestimate the relative conservatism of the American people. Jun 20, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Mainstream Media Needs to Break Its Addiction to the Drudge Report ArticleJune 13, 2013 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. Jun 13, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Power of Money, Not Logic ArticleJune 6, 2013 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. Jun 6, 2013 Eric Alterman
Blame the News for the Public’s Ignorance About the Climate ArticleMay 30, 2013 Blame the News for the Public’s Ignorance About the Climate The general public remains misinformed on the issue of climate change, largely due to deception from the mainstream media. May 30, 2013 Eric Alterman
Remembering the ‘Feminine Mystique’ ArticleMay 23, 2013 Remembering the ‘Feminine Mystique’ Fifty years after Betty Friedan’s groundbreaking book, The Feminine Mystique, was published, American society remains in her debt. May 23, 2013 Eric Alterman
Harvard Professor’s Gay Theory for the World’s Economic Problems Is Nothing If Not Novel ArticleMay 9, 2013 Harvard Professor’s Gay Theory for the World’s Economic Problems Is Nothing If Not Novel A noted Harvard historian’s homophobic rant against iconic economist John Maynard Keynes, in the guise of intellectual exchange, cannot be excused and certainly not condoned. May 9, 2013 Eric Alterman
A Realistic Approach to Syria ArticleMay 2, 2013 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. May 2, 2013 Eric Alterman
‘Class Warfare’ Revisited ArticleApril 18, 2013 ‘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. Apr 18, 2013 Eric Alterman
Campaign-Finance Reform in an Age of Corporate Influence ArticleApril 11, 2013 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. Apr 11, 2013 Eric Alterman
Why Didn’t the Iraq War Kill “The Liberal Media”? ArticleApril 4, 2013 Why Didn’t the Iraq War Kill “The Liberal Media”? The mainstream media’s initial coverage of the war should have erased any notion of a liberal media bias. Apr 4, 2013 Eric Alterman
Acknowledging Our Mistakes in Iraq Would Prevent Us from Repeating Them ArticleMarch 28, 2013 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. Mar 28, 2013 Eric Alterman
Are Journalists Any Less Gullible Today than They Were 10 Years Ago? ArticleMarch 21, 2013 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. Mar 21, 2013 Eric Alterman
Real Reporting and Right-Wing Ideology Don’t Mix ArticleMarch 14, 2013 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. Mar 14, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Terrible Power of Purposeful Ignorance ArticleMarch 7, 2013 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. Mar 7, 2013 Eric Alterman
Republicans Ignore the Evidence About Higher Taxes on the Wealthy ArticleFebruary 28, 2013 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. Feb 28, 2013 Eric Alterman
Mainstream Media Is Missing the Point ArticleFebruary 21, 2013 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. Feb 21, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Mainstream Media Is Gobbling Up Conservative Crazies ArticleFebruary 14, 2013 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. Feb 14, 2013 Eric Alterman
Pity the Poor Folks at Fox News ArticleFebruary 7, 2013 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. Feb 7, 2013 Eric Alterman
It’s Not Really ‘Krugman vs. the World’ ArticleJanuary 31, 2013 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. Jan 31, 2013 Eric Alterman
The ‘Virtually Voiceless’ ArticleJanuary 24, 2013 The ‘Virtually Voiceless’ Perhaps conservatives’ biggest disconnect from reality is that they think they have no voice in the media or national dialogue. Jan 24, 2013 Eric Alterman
Is Contemporary Conservatism Just ‘Payola’? ArticleJanuary 17, 2013 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. Jan 17, 2013 Eric Alterman
More Tea Party Fiction ArticleJanuary 10, 2013 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. Jan 10, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Top 10 Stories of 2012—or Maybe Not ArticleJanuary 3, 2013 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. Jan 3, 2013 Eric Alterman
The Power of Un-Reality ArticleDecember 20, 2012 The Power of Un-Reality As honest journalism has declined, we are more vulnerable to manipulation and distortion of information propagated by powerful interests. Dec 20, 2012 Eric Alterman
Murdoch, Murdoch, Everywhere ArticleDecember 13, 2012 Murdoch, Murdoch, Everywhere Rupert Murdoch’s actions over the past few days are further proof of his wanton disregard for journalistic ethics. Dec 13, 2012 Eric Alterman
Will the Times’s Terrific Tax Reporting Matter? ArticleDecember 6, 2012 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. Dec 6, 2012 Eric Alterman
Tax Cuts: The Faith and the Facts ArticleNovember 29, 2012 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. Nov 29, 2012 Eric Alterman
Why Were Pundits All In on ‘All In’? ArticleNovember 15, 2012 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. Nov 15, 2012 Eric Alterman
Our Trivial Political Media, Continued… ArticleNovember 8, 2012 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. Nov 8, 2012 Eric Alterman
George McGovern—A Lifetime of Conscience and Courage ArticleOctober 25, 2012 George McGovern—A Lifetime of Conscience and Courage Eric Alterman remembers a liberal lion of progressive politics and a statesman of true conviction. Oct 25, 2012 Eric Alterman
Considering CNN’s Choice to Hire Piers Morgan ArticleOctober 18, 2012 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. Oct 18, 2012 Eric Alterman
How to Be a Political Journalist in America ArticleOctober 11, 2012 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. Oct 11, 2012 Eric Alterman
How Conservatives Treat Media Bias (Hint: Confusingly) ArticleOctober 4, 2012 How Conservatives Treat Media Bias (Hint: Confusingly) Eric Alterman observes the pervasive conservative flip-flopping on media bias. Oct 4, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Media and Climate Science: ADHD or Deliberate Deception? ArticleSeptember 27, 2012 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. Sep 27, 2012 Eric Alterman
Ignoring Poverty and Hunger ArticleSeptember 20, 2012 Ignoring Poverty and Hunger The mainstream media’s silence on these interrelated issues contributes to the starvation of millions both here and abroad. Sep 20, 2012 Eric Alterman
Of Groupthink and ‘Groupthink’ ArticleSeptember 13, 2012 Of Groupthink and ‘Groupthink’ Intense pressure on mainstream journalists to stick to the same narrative cripples our ability to conduct robust democratic debate. Sep 13, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Mistaken Bias of The New York Times’s Public Editor ArticleSeptember 6, 2012 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. Sep 6, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Color of Hollywood Is Green ArticleAugust 30, 2012 The Color of Hollywood Is Green Eric Alterman explains that profit, not politics, is the driving force in modern entertainment. Aug 30, 2012 Eric Alterman
Political Dysfunction Summer Reading ArticleAugust 23, 2012 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. Aug 23, 2012 Eric Alterman
News Corp. Hacking Scandal Still Hiding in Plain Sight ArticleAugust 16, 2012 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. Aug 16, 2012 Eric Alterman
Thoughts on Milton Friedman and Gore Vidal ArticleAugust 2, 2012 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. Aug 2, 2012 Eric Alterman
Our Broken Political System ArticleJuly 19, 2012 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. Jul 19, 2012 Eric Alterman
When It Comes to Bruce Springsteen, Chris Christie Is a Big, Stupid Idiot ArticleJuly 12, 2012 When It Comes to Bruce Springsteen, Chris Christie Is a Big, Stupid Idiot Eric Alterman explains how Gov. Christie’s views of “The Boss” reflect the distorted perspectives of contemporary conservatism. Jul 12, 2012 Eric Alterman
What Howard Kurtz Thinks You Don’t Need to Know ArticleJune 28, 2012 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. Jun 28, 2012 Eric Alterman
Fearmaking, Then and Now ArticleJune 21, 2012 Fearmaking, Then and Now Eric Alterman explores the links between the McCarthyist movie industry of the 1950s and modern-day right-wing fearmongers. Jun 21, 2012 Eric Alterman
Government by (and for) Murdoch ArticleJune 14, 2012 Government by (and for) Murdoch Eric Alterman exposes the extent of Rupert Murdoch’s influence in the political sphere. Jun 14, 2012 Eric Alterman
When Labor Unions Were at the Center of Politics ArticleJune 7, 2012 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. Jun 7, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Conservative War on Knowledge ArticleMay 24, 2012 The Conservative War on Knowledge The far right is vehemently opposed to any evidence that conflicts with its ideology, writes Eric Alterman. May 24, 2012 Eric Alterman
As a Matter of Fact ArticleMay 17, 2012 As a Matter of Fact Eric Alterman illustrates how some fact-checking operations aren’t actually getting the facts straight. May 17, 2012 Eric Alterman
A Chronicle of Journalistic Malfeasance ArticleMay 10, 2012 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. May 10, 2012 Eric Alterman
Murdoch ‘Unfit?’ Ya Think? ArticleMay 3, 2012 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. May 3, 2012 Eric Alterman
How Classical Liberalism Morphed Into New Deal Liberalism ArticleApril 26, 2012 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? Apr 26, 2012 Eric Alterman
Jews Are Still Liberal ArticleApril 19, 2012 Jews Are Still Liberal Eric Alterman examines why American Jewish conservatives continually yet wrongly surmise that Jews are moving to the right. Apr 19, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Ryan Budget Show, Part 2 ArticleApril 12, 2012 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. Apr 12, 2012 Eric Alterman
John Bolton and the Problem with On-the-One-Hand Objectivity ArticleApril 5, 2012 John Bolton and the Problem with On-the-One-Hand Objectivity Eric Alterman demonstrates why John Bolton defines the problem of on-the-one-hand objectivity in the so-called liberal media. Apr 5, 2012 Eric Alterman
Money Talks, Media Balks ArticleMarch 29, 2012 Money Talks, Media Balks The real story this election season is the wealthy buying up our political system, writes Eric Alterman. Mar 29, 2012 Eric Alterman
The End of Newspapers and the Decline of Democracy ArticleMarch 22, 2012 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. Mar 22, 2012 Eric Alterman
Homeless Hotspots? Reality Bites ArticleMarch 15, 2012 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. Mar 15, 2012 Eric Alterman
Labor and the ‘Civil Right’ to Organize ArticleMarch 8, 2012 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. Mar 8, 2012 Eric Alterman
Cracks in the Worldwide Murdoch Empire ArticleMarch 1, 2012 Cracks in the Worldwide Murdoch Empire Eric Alterman looks at the widespread alleged illegal activity at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Mar 1, 2012 Eric Alterman
The Long March of Patrick J. Buchanan ArticleFebruary 23, 2012 The Long March of Patrick J. Buchanan Eric Alterman on Pat Buchanan’s long, odd, and controversial career in Washington. Feb 23, 2012 Eric Alterman
Is America Getting More Conservative? ArticleFebruary 16, 2012 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" /> eschipul)"> Is America Getting More Conservative? Eric Alterman debunks claims from the right that our nation is becoming more conservative. Feb 16, 2012 Eric Alterman