Open Thread

An early morning start to your day. Posts may be sparse today as NewsBusters staffers attend the 21st annual "DisHonors Awards," the MRC's fake award show that pokes fun of the worst examples of media bias in 2007.The nominees are here.
Matthew Sheffield

ABC's Vargas Suggests Removing Bullets Before Confronting Angry Mob

Brad Wilmouth

No Forgiving Charlton Heston

Some media figures think it's okay to hate somebody because he disagrees with their political beliefs.
Brian Fitzpatrick

Matthews For Senate? Chris Says Anything But 'No

A week ago I was mystified when Chris Matthews went out of his way to butter up Ed Rendell when the Dem Pennsylvania governor appeared on Hardball, and described the schmoozing here. Now, call it mystery likely solved. According to one account, Matthews has approached Rendell for help in a possible 2010 U.S. Senate run. That seems an ever-more-likely scenario, given Matthews's decidely non-…
Mark Finkelstein

LAT Op-ed Writer Compares Petraeus' Ribbons to Chotchkie's Flair

"Memo to Petraeus: When you're making the case for more patriotic gore, go easy on the glitter." That's how Los Angeles-based writer Matthew DeBord concluded his LA Times op-ed entitled "Petraeus' 'ribbon creep.'"So DeBord apparently thinks ribbons worn on the service dress uniform are the equivalent of "flair" that Chotchkie's waiters wore in the comedy classic "Office Space"? Here's how DeBord…
Ken Shepherd

Matthews: Neo-Cons Spread Human Rights at 'Point of a Gun

Geoffrey Dickens

Newspapers Continue to Cover Up Liberal Slant of Families USA

News agencies across the country are still largely refusing to inform readers of the liberal-leanings of Families USA. The organization has a fresh crop of new news articles thanks to its latest study. In March, Families USA published a report which attributes lack of health care coverage with premature death. Local newspapers across the country are attracted to this report because it…
Lyndsi Thomas

Morning Shows Ignore Rockefeller Smear of McCain, Military Pilots

Our news analysts at the MRC have combed through the April 9 editions of ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show," and NBC's "Today," and found zero mentions of the comments that Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) made smearing McCain and military pilots past and present.[See a related NewsBusters item by Clay Waters here.]Yesterday I noted how news agencies were slow to cover the story,…
Ken Shepherd

Post Pulitzer Winner: Ignore CEOs, Treat Them 'Like Social and Politic

Business columnist Steven Pearlstein says he advocates pursuing class envy, admits to ignoring CEOs in his reporting.
Jeff Poor

Olbermann Smears Iraq Vet, McCain as Racists

On his April 8 "Countdown," host Keith Olbermann smeared Iraq war veteran David Bellavia as a racist:OLBERMANN, from the April 8 "Countdown" opening credits: Nothing obscure about this: Racism as a Republican campaign plank. Sen. McCain introduced at a rally on Capitol Hill."BELLAVIA, introducing then hugging McCain: You can have your Tiger Woods. We've got Sen. McCain.OLBERMANN: Did he actually…
Ken Shepherd

NBC News Can’t Seem to Find a Water Bottle it Likes

Last summer NBC told viewers bottled water was bad for the environment because of its packaging and transportation demands. This time, NBC's April 9 "Today" warned viewers some reusable water bottles are bad for society because they contain a dangerous substance. "[M]any of those sturdy, reusable plastic bottles contain a chemical, bisphenol-A, that many scientists are worried about," NBC…
Jeff Poor

Richard Cohen Recycles 20-Year-Old Willie Horton Inaccuracy

Tim Graham

'Today' Incites More Alarm over Water Bottles - Even Reusable Ones

Segment's medical expert warns against use of plastic bottles made with traces of Bisphenol-A, despite having a long track record of being safe.
Jeff Poor

NYT Focuses on Sen. Jay Rockefeller's Apology, Not Offensive Anti-McCa

Clay Waters