Mainstream Media

The Position We’re In

By Justin Katz | November 8, 2008 |

One consideration that brings some of the darker visions for an Obama presidency a few steps closer to the light of plausibility is the astonishing complicity of the media. Victor Davis Hanson states it well: In the 3rd book of his history, Thucydides has some insightful thoughts about destroying institutions in times of zealotry—and then…

Bias Illustrated

By Justin Katz | November 7, 2008 |

Granted, Bob Kerr is a columnist, but it would be difficult to concoct a more striking example of the mentality behind the media’s liberal bias. Indeed, it’s difficult to believe that he’s not a right-winger and parodist. His basic premise is that the Era of Mean is over. Liberals have borne victory better than blustering…

Dressing Up the Spin

By Justin Katz | October 23, 2008 |

In case anybody’s wondering, Clothing-gate is a non-story. Governor Palin didn’t hit the streets of New York on a Pretty Woman shopping spree. The campaign sent out aids to outfit a sudden candidate who had an Alaskan wardrobe for a whirlwind tour of the country in an environment in which campaigning has become showbiz. Rich…

Hard and Soft News: A Difference of Candidate

By Justin Katz | October 23, 2008 |

Last night on the Matt Allen Show, Marc and Matt chatted about the egregious media bias evident in the current campaign. Stream by clicking here, or download it.

A Free and Fair Press

By Marc Comtois | October 22, 2008 |

By now, conservative complaints about media bias is well-trod ground and indulging in them tempts the tune-out factor, but when Mark Halperin of Time magazine, former CBS newsman Dan Rather and sci-fi writer and registered Democrat Orson Scott Card are publicly acknowledging the media slant in this year’s presidential campaign, well, it’s worth a mention.…

The Power of Headlines and Scandal

By Justin Katz | October 21, 2008 |

So, if you were to see the headline “Priest compelled to reveal he’s gay,” what would you expect to see in the story? That the Church (or somebody) forced him to admit his orientation as a targeted effort laced with malice. But in actuality, the LA Times story to which the Providence Journal gave that…

Poise by Contrast

By Justin Katz | October 19, 2008 |

Ann Althouse isn’t sure how to understand Saturday Night Live‘s script as delivered by Alec Baldwin, standing next to Sarah Palin: Alec Baldwin got to stand next to Palin and insult her — by accident, thinking she was Tina — and then got to say something that’s true: Sarah Palin is more attractive than Tina…

A Quick Question on Granting Power

By Justin Katz | October 5, 2008 |

Why does my Sunday newspaper inform me that “an American member of al-Qaida… taunted Americans over their economic crisis” in a half-hour video? That’s quite a reward of notoriety for a twenty-nine-year-old terrorist based on little more than a dull YouTube rant.

More Pink Slips at the Providence Journal

By Monique Chartier | September 25, 2008 |

Ian Donnis at Not for Nothing brings this to our attention. From the Providence Newspaper Guild website: Journal to Lay Off 30 From News Staff; No One Cut From Advertising The Journal will be cutting its entire News Department part-time staff plus five full-time positions. No advertising jobs will be cut. With one exception, the…

A Rich Lesson in Government Finances from Gregg

By Justin Katz | September 17, 2008 |

The article’s a few days old, but one comment from writer Katherine Gregg yields too rich of a lesson for Governor Carcieri not to highlight: How did we get to this point? Despite orders to cut spending, some state administrators simply couldn’t bring themselves to do it. And state lawmakers seemed content to accept the…