Business Coverage
MSNBC's Ratigan -- Who Constantly Blasts Crony Capitalism -- Ignores S
September 16th, 2011 4:54 PM
MSNBC ranter extraordinaire Dylan Ratigan is no fan of "crony capitalism" -- when businessmen get government to help them socialize the risk of their ventures through government subsidies or bailouts, leaving taxpayers on the hook for failure while reaping the benefits of government largesse.
The Obama administration's handling of solar energy firm Solyndra is a perfect example of same.
Yet…

In Detroit's Big 3 Auto Talks, AP 'Forgets' GM and Chrysler Workers Ca
September 7th, 2011 11:57 PM
It's hard to figure out why Tom Krisher at the Associated Press bothered filing a report on the status of contract talks between Detroit's Big 3 automakers and the United Auto Workers. The only reason I can discern is that he wanted to brag about how he and his wire service pals have access to anonymously-sourced info about how the talks are going. Surprise: As has been the case almost always…
Despite 0.7% Average First-Half Growth, Press Not Questioning White Ho
September 1st, 2011 10:50 PM
Today, the White House's Office of Management and Budget published its Mid-Session Review (large PDF), an economic forecast projecting, among other things, that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for calendar 2011 will be 1.7%. That doesn't sound like much (and it isn't), but to get there growth will have to almost triple its most recently reported level during the second half of the year. Second-…

Solar Singed: Two Weeks After Two Other Bankruptcies, Solyndra Goes Be
August 31st, 2011 4:46 PM
Two weeks ago (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), yours truly pointed out how establishment press coverage of the bankruptcy of Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar had emphasized its Bay State assistance, and only rarely brought up how it benefitted by being able to sell solar panels it otherwise would probably not have bothered to produce to projects benefitting from American Recovery and…
AP's Kuhnhenn: Obama 'Hamstrung' by 'Limited Tools' to Improve Economy
August 30th, 2011 11:59 PM
Poor President Obama. There's only so much he can do to lift the economy. He's tried so much already, yet somehow it just hasn't worked. Now his options are limited by those darned Republican demands for "fiscal austerity" and a "tight debt ceiling" (of "only" $2.4 trillion) which was only raised by enough to get him through his reelection effort (in 14-1/2 months).
This is the utter garbage…

AP's Pace, Covering Krueger Nomination: Obama Struggles With 'Percepti
August 29th, 2011 2:17 PM
Maybe AP stands for "Alternative Planet."
In an early version of Julie Pace's coverage of President Obama's selection of Alan Krueger to be the next head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, the following paragraph appeared (bolds are mine):

Why Does the New York Times Adore 'Legendary Investor' Warren Buffett
August 27th, 2011 5:40 AM
There’s some strange respect shown today for one particular multi-billionaire investor in the liberal pages of the New York Times. Friday’s lead story by Nelson Schwartz, “Buffett to Invest $5 Billion In Shaky Bank of America.” introduced Buffett as “Warren E. Buffett, the legendary investor, is sinking $5 billion into Bank of America in a bold show of faith in the country’s biggest, and most…

AP Contends That Unemployment Claims Are 'Stabilizing,' Misses N.Y.-On
August 25th, 2011 8:48 PM
In his coverage of the Department of Labor's weekly report on unemployment claims this morning, the Associated Press's Christopher Rugaber, after noting how initial claims filed by Communications Workers of America members who are on strike against Verizon (more on that later) inflated this week's and last week's results, wrote that "excluding the work stoppage, layoffs appear to be stabilizing…

NY Times's Ashley Parker Takes Another Snipe at Mitt Romney, 'Out-of-T
August 25th, 2011 11:35 AM
In the latest in a series of snipes from reporter Ashley Parker directed at Republican candidate Mitt Romney, a brief “Caucus” item in Thursday’s New York Times, “Romney Stands By Corporations Remarks,” suggested Romney’s remark to a heckler that “corporations are people, my friend” made him look like “an out-of-touch millionaire.” But isn't Romney right? (Parker’s article first appeared in a…

Seriously?! WaPo Wonders If There's Subtle Racism in Verizon Commercia
August 24th, 2011 6:15 PM
To you or me this commercial is a pitch for a smartphone being sold by Verizon Wireless. To the Washington Post it may be the subtle racism of typecasting Asian actors into tech-wiz roles.
Reporter Paul Farhi expended 26 paragraphs on how Asian actors are "shown as intellectuals, but some resent the stereotyping":

Networks Hardly Criticize Obama Green Jobs Flop
August 22nd, 2011 10:46 AM
While campaigning President Obama promised to create 5 million “green” jobs, and shortly into his term he announced a “task force” to do just that. His stimulus package included tax credits for renewable energy companies, allotted funds for weatherization and more. Now with the economy once again on shaky ground the President may pivot back to jobs in September, specifically of the “green”…

Bankrupt Evergreen Solar's U.S. Govt. Benefits Mostly Unreported, Prob
August 21st, 2011 3:04 PM
On August 15, the Boston Herald, the Boston Globe, and the Associated Press all reported that Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Oddly enough (no, not really), The New York Times, which published a 1,600-word report in January (HT to an NB emailer) on the company's competitive difficulties, did not take note of Evergreen's filing.
Each of the three…

AP's Rugaber Discloses Specifics in States' Largest July Job Gains/Los
August 20th, 2011 10:52 AM
Establishment press reporters will insist from now until the cows come home that they play it straight. Their actions all too often belie their claims.
One such face-hitting example came yesterday in Associated Press reporter Chris Rugaber's coverage of the government's Regional and State Employment and Unemployment report. If it weren't already given away in this post's title, veteran media…

NBC's Lauer Blames Continuing High Unemployment on Employer 'Discrimin
August 18th, 2011 3:37 PM
On Wednesday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer teased an upcoming segment on unemployment by fretting: "And just ahead, help not wanted. If you're one of the 14 million Americans looking for work, you may have noticed a growing trend. Employers are posting job ads that say they're seeking only people who are currently employed or just recently laid off. Is that discrimination…