Wire Services/Media Companies
AP Hypes Fall of Texas's 'Divisive' Traditional Marriage Bill
May 28th, 2015 5:48 PM
Paul J. Weber of the Associated Press made his liberal slant clear in a Wednesday article detailing how a pro-traditional marriage bill failed to pass in the Texas state legislature. Weber played up the supposedly "divisive efforts by Texas Republicans to defy the U.S. Supreme Court if same-sex marriage is legalized." He clearly labeled the proponents of the bill as conservatives, but failed to…
Paper on ‘Changing Minds’ on Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Retracted (Part 2)
May 28th, 2015 5:16 PM
As noted in my previous related post, one of the authors of a late-2014 study which made the nonsensical claim that “a single conversation (can) change minds on divisive social issues, such as same-sex marriage,” causing "a cascade of opinion change," issued a retraction last week, because the data supporting it was faked. Since it was published in Science Magazine — and because it conveniently…
Paper on ‘Changing Minds’ on Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Retracted (Part 1)
May 28th, 2015 2:37 PM
"Science" has a problem — or more accurately stated, those who produce and publish "scienitific" studies — have a problem. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, one of the leading weekly peer-reviewed general medical journals, caused quite a stir last week when he said that "much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue." That may be an underestimate.
One of the more…
LA Unions Lobby for Exemption From Minimum Wage Law They Pushed
May 27th, 2015 11:07 PM
This has to be the month's top entry in the "Just when you think you've seen it all" category — and it will be more than a little interesting to see how the nation's press handles it.
As the Associated Press reported a week ago, the City Council in Los Angeles, by a vote of 14-1, ordered the drafting of a law mandating a citywide minimum wage of $15 per hour by 2020, noting that "the support of…
AP: Bill Clinton's Shell Company Only Evidence of 'Complexity'
May 27th, 2015 3:57 PM
The Associated Press and Stephen Braun did all they could to cover for the Clintons yesterday.
First, the wire service attached the most boring headline imaginable to Braun's story about Bill Clinton's shell company shenanigans: "Bill Clinton company shows complexity of family finances." The message to subscribers, particularly the broadcast networks: "This is boring and time-consuming. Don't…
AP: 'Islamic State Membership Has Its Privileges'
May 27th, 2015 11:22 AM
Associated Press reporter Sarah El Deeb and Abu Bilal al-Homsi, the person she now describes as a "Syrian fighter," have had a long acquaintance.
Sarah's and Abu's long-term relationship culminated in a Tuesday afternoon story which AP condensed into 140 characters on Twitter as follows: "Marriage, honeymoons and welfare: @AP exclusive shows Islamic State membership has its privileges." A great…
AP Offended That CEOs Are Paid As Well As Elite Entertainers
May 26th, 2015 4:06 PM
Seldom does one see such an obvious betrayal of reporters' biased mindsets as the one found in the opening paragraph of an Associated Press report earlier today on CEO pay at major U.S. publicly-held companies.
According to the AP's Steve Rothwell and Ryan Nakashima, that entertainers, whose incomes are derived from leveraging special physical and artistic talents, deserve all the money they can…
At AP, GOP's Mayoral Win in Nation's 13th-Largest City a Local Story
May 21st, 2015 9:45 AM
The idea that the nation's largest cities are impenetrable Democratic Party strongholds took a serious hit Tuesday night. In Jacksonville, the nation's 13th-largest city, a Republican took back the mayor's office, unseating the incumbent Democrat who won four years ago.
Predictably, the Associated Press, when it sensed that Democrat Alvin Brown might hold on in his reelection attempt, treated…
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As Press Ignores Soldiers Who Won at Ramadi, Debbie Lee Speaks Out
May 20th, 2015 11:57 PM
Web and news searches at Google, as well as a search at the Associated Press's national site, indicate that there is very little interest in the establishment press in getting the reactions of current and former U.S. soldiers who defeated enemy forces in Ramadi during last decade's Iraq War to the loss of that city to Islamic State forces.
Sadly, that's not surprising. As usual, Fox News is…
World and U.S. Press Botch Pope's 'Angel of Peace' Statement to Abbas
May 18th, 2015 10:49 AM
The competition is fierce, but perhaps the most consistent area of outright and arguably deliberate U.S. and worldwide press distortion is found in their coverage of the Catholic Church and its pontiff.
Last week, the major international wires and several U.S. outlets once again demonstrated that readers, listeners and viewers can never trust that they will get an accurate story relating to…
AP Celebrates April Budget Surplus, Ignores Its Cause: Tax Increases
May 16th, 2015 9:52 AM
On Tuesday, Associated Press reporter Martin Crutsinger celebrated the federal government's large April budget surplus, caused by "a flood of tax payments (which) pushed government receipts to an all-time high." He didn't mention that the tax payments were higher largely because of tax increases passed in 2013. It certainly didn't occur because of an improving economy — because it's not…
At AP, It's 'Heads We Report, Tails We Ignore' For Economic Data
May 15th, 2015 10:43 PM
On May 1, the Associated Press's Paul Wiseman was pleased to tell the wire service's readers and subscribing outlets that "The University of Michigan's sentiment index rose to 95.9 from 93 in March," reaching "its second-highest level since 2007." Among other things, the survey's chief economist said that the result reflected "improving prospects for jobs and incomes."
What a difference two…
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Halperin Lamely Apologizes 'To Those Offended' by His Cruz Interview
May 11th, 2015 6:52 PM
Today, Bloomberg TV's Mark Halperin inadequately apologized for his conduct and line of questioning during an April 30 interview of GOP presidential candidate which came off as rude and racist to many who saw it — well, basically because it was.
As Tim Graham at NewsBusters noted on Sunday, and as will be seen in the video following the jump, Halperin engaged in a "prove-you're-a-Cuban" line of…
Dorian Johnson Is Arrested; AP's Coverage Is Only at the New York Post
May 7th, 2015 10:15 AM
In a "completely unexpected" (no, not really) development, Dorian Johnson, the person who was with Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri when Brown was killed by police officer Darren Wilson, has been arrested. I know, I know, it's a real shock to learn that the guy who completely fabricated the "hands up, don't shoot" lie and, along with Brown, "stole a box of cigars" from a store before their…