Media
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The BBC’s ‘Why Poverty?’ Series: A Missed Opportunity
The Why Poverty project is a recent collaboration between the Open University and the BBC that attempts to highlight the causes of global poverty and explain the different contexts in which it is experienced… In my view, however, parts of the BBC 4 series, as well as the overall narrative of the project were not… Continue reading
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The BBC’s ‘Why Poverty?’ Series: A Missed Opportunity
The Why Poverty project is a recent collaboration between the Open University and the BBC that attempts to highlight the causes of global poverty and explain the different contexts in which it is experienced… In my view, however, parts of the BBC 4 series, as well as the overall narrative of the project were not… Continue reading
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FAIR TV: The Beltway Bubble, Syria Stenography, Iran's "Meddling" By Peter Hart
This week on FAIR TV, we look at the bubble that Joe Scarborough and David Gregory live in– where the government must make “big” spending cuts, and Paul Krugman doesn’t know economic. Also, does ABC’s Martha Raddatz understand what the government is telling her about Syria? And Reuters grants a U.S. government official anonymity to… Continue reading
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Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal by Rodolf Etienne
American film-maker, Stephen Vittoria’s latest film, Long Distance Revolutionary: A Journey with Mumia Abu-Jamal, proposes a new vision of Mumia Abu-Jamal, by analysing his remarkable career as journalist and writer from Death Row. I spoke with Mr. Vittoria about the film Continue reading
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Iran's 'Nuclear Weapons Program,' Again By Peter Hart
On Monday’s edition of the NewsHour (1/28/13), host Gwen Ifill referred to concerns about the “threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program,” and told viewers at the end of a Margaret Warner report that “Margaret’s next story looks at the debate in Israel over how to deal with the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.” Continue reading
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Raddatz Misreports Raddatz on Syrian Weapons By Peter Hart
The implication…is that Syria has loaded chemical weapons at the ready, and that it would take a matter of hours for the Assad government to use them. But that’s not what Panetta told…well, Raddatz herself. Continue reading
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The Crimes of NATO’s Neocolonial Wars: The Mainstream Media are Organs of State and Corporate Propaganda By Gearóid Ó Colmáin
“Mainstream media is nothing more than the propaganda organ of the powers that be” Belgian MP denounces the crimes of NATO’s neo-colonial wars. Continue reading
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Why Do Poor People Living in an Abandoned Skyscraper So Outrage the New Yorker? By Jim Naureckas
His latest piece for the New Yorker, “Slumlord: What Has Hugo Chavez Wrought in Venezuela?” (1/28/13–subscription required), reads almost like a parody of corporate media coverage of an official enemy state. Continue reading
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Sanctions Not Really Hurting Ordinary Iranians, Says Anonymous U.S. Official By Peter Hart
We’ve talked so often about the practice of granting anonymity to U.S. officials that it’s hard to be surprised by it. Nonetheless, I was surprised to be reassured in the Washington Post (1/20/13) that the U.S.-led sanctions on Iran aren’t really harming ordinary Iranians–based on the word of an anonymous U.S. official. Continue reading
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“The PirateBox”: WiFi + USB Drive = Your Own Mini-Internet (Freedom) By Tony Cartalucci
Worried about draconian Internet laws? Creeping surveillance? The inability to share with others without being criminalized? The Internet is still a tool of tremendous power, but a deep rot has set in. We have caught it early and we are fighting to stop this rot, but there are other options we can begin exploring to… Continue reading
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“The PirateBox”: WiFi + USB Drive = Your Own Mini-Internet (Freedom) By Tony Cartalucci
Worried about draconian Internet laws? Creeping surveillance? The inability to share with others without being criminalized? The Internet is still a tool of tremendous power, but a deep rot has set in. We have caught it early and we are fighting to stop this rot, but there are other options we can begin exploring to… Continue reading
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The Guardian vs. the Conventional Wisdom on Venezuela By Alex Main
Just as it appeared that the current conventional wisdom on Venezuela had spread and hardened irreversibly throughout the major media, on Monday the UK daily The Guardian published an editorial entitled “Venezuela, defying predictions – again.” The piece deftly takes on a few commonly held views found in much of the media coverage of Venezuela. Continue reading
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Copyright for People, Not for Publishers By Jim Naureckas
In a release today from the Institute for Public Accuracy (1/17/13) on the legacy of Aaron Swartz, I came across a link to a great essay by Richard Stallman that appears to have been written about a decade ago. Called “Misinterpreting Copyright: A Series of Errors,” it’s one of the best explanations I’ve seen for… Continue reading
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Welcome to the Shammies, the media awards that recognise truly unsung talent By John Pilger
The Shammies celebrate the finest sham media. “Competition for the 2013 Gold Shammy,” said the panel of judges, “has been cutthroat.” The Shammies are not for the tabloid lower orders. Rupert Murdoch has been honoured enough. Shammies distinguish respectable journalism that guards the limits of what the best and brightest like to call the “national… Continue reading
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Video: Aaron Swartz – a Fighter Against the Privatization of Knowledge
Two colleagues and friends of Aaron Swartz talk about his activism and vision of technology in the service of a more democratic and just society Continue reading
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Hugo Chavez: Why Does He Hate Us? By Peter Hart
While it’s hard to say Chavez has made a “career” out of U.S.-bashing–he does have, after all, a full-time job as president of Venezuela–you, too, might be excused for harboring some hard feelings towards a government that helped to try to overthrow your own. Which may be why U.S. reports rarely bring up the 2002… Continue reading
cbs, CIA, coup, Evening News, FAIR, Iran, New York, PBS, Syria, United States, Venezuela, Washington Post -
Venezuelans Continue to Defy Washington Post By Peter Hart
The Washington Post has never been fond of left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. As serious questions mount about the state of Chavez’s health, the paper’s editorial page (1/5/13) found it a good time to take another swipe Continue reading
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Ireland copyright battle: Newspapers demand $400 for sharing links
The body representing Ireland’s main newspapers is demanding a minimum of $400 for third parties to directly link their articles, sparking an unprecedented copyright row which strikes at the very heart of sharing content on the World Wide Web. Continue reading
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Technological Servitude By Joel S. Hirschhorn
Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high tech devices, while driving, while walking, while shopping, while in groups of friends, while in restaurants, while waiting in doctor offices and hospitals, while sitting in toilets – everywhere. While connected electronically, they are inattentive to and disconnected in physical reality. Continue reading
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Global split over telecom treaty By Kevin Reed
The 2012 World Conference on Information Technology (WCIT-12) in Dubai collapsed on Friday, December 14 after the United States delegation walked out and refused to sign the new International Telecommunications Union (ITU) treaty. Western allies including the UK, France, Germany, Australia and Canada joined the US. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 