Clipmarks | ratilfar's 'news' clips

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:39:29 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: For once ABC News is back to doing some real news coverage (and not the scaremongering crap Brain Ross slings around) and this is what happens. WTF?

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

DENVER -- Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker's neck, then twisted the producer's arm behind him to put on handcuffs.

A police official later told lawyers for ABC News that Eslocker is being charged with trespass, interference, and failure to follow a lawful order. He also said the arrest followed a signed complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel.

During the arrest, one of the officers can be heard saying to Eslocker, "You're lucky I didn't knock the f..k out of you."

Eslocker was released late today after posting $500 bond.

Tags: reporters, news, media, police, arrest, denver

Sean Hannity on "demoniz[ing]" Hillary Clinton: "That's my job"

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:33:22 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Fair and balanced! HA!

Clip Source: mediamatters.org

Summary: On Fox News, Sean Hannity stated, "If Hillary was chosen [as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee], this would have electrified" the DNC. Juan Williams replied: "I agree, but I can't believe you are saying this. You demonized Hillary." Hannity then said: "That's my job ... I led the 'Stop Hillary Express.' By the way, now it's the 'Stop Obama Express.' "

Tags: faux news, fox, sean hannity, hillary, clinton, attack

FOX News Gets A Little Freaked Out By Convention Protesters

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:49:00 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

[Video]

I’m of two minds about these protesters, but the coverage of them on FOX is hi-damn-larious. It is to seriously giggle. They clearly did not expect to see the vitriol towards ~~Pravda~~, er…FOX News from the “far left” protesters (why are all Democrats “far left” in FNC’s eyes? Do they think that moderates stay home or just don’t exist?), or they wouldn’t have sent relative newbie Griff Jenkins (gawd, if that doesn’t sound like a frat boy, I don’t know what does) out amongst the riff-raff to ask them if they believe in freedom (of speech). Dude, they’re protesting. That IS exercising their freedom of speech. That they choose not to validate the Republican Party’s official propaganda arm isn’t exactly ignoring freedom of speech.

Griff is shocked–shocked, I tell you!–that there could actually be people protesting at the Democratic National Convention who might not support Obama (because aren’t all Democrats lemmings like the unquestioning party-over-country Republicans?

Tags: democratic, convention, protest, freedom, democracy, speech

Fox News: Edwards Yes, Georgia War, No

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:31:58 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: From the article:

ERBE: The American public have told pollsters, this political season they want substance. Both these candidates have expressed support for allowing Georgia into NATO. … We could have been on the verge of nuclear war. Those are the kinds of the things that the American public wants to see discussed.

JARRETT: Right. You know, but getting back to Edwards, during the Monica Lewinsky affair, Edwards absolutely ripped into Bill Clinton.

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Yesterday, Russia launched a major military offensive against Georgia, which Georgia has called “a state of war.” Nearly two thousand people have died and the conflict risks sparking a wider war. Also yesterday, former senator John Edwards admitted to having an extramarital affair in 2006.

Fox News has decided which story is worthy of more coverage. Today, host Gregg Jarrett interviewed PBS’s Bonnie Erbe. “We have these huge stories going on like the one you’re reporting in Georgia,” Erbe noted when asked about Edwards. Jarrett, however, completely ignored Erbe’s comment on Georgia and continued to talk about Edwards, offering praise for the National Enquirer:

JARRETT: You know, his excuse for lying is absolutely stunning. He claims he denied the affair because the reporting by the National Enquirer was “99 percent wrong.” Well, so far, they’ve been about 100 percent right.

[Video]

Of course, this is nothing new for Fox, which has a history of covering tabloid issues more than wars.

Tags: faux news, war, tabloid, edwards, georgia, priorities

Anthrax and ABC News: Selling the Saddam Anthrax Link

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:00:52 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: So much for the so called "Liberal" media!

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Much more important than the general attempt to link the anthrax to Islamic terrorists, there was a specific intent -- indispensably aided by ABC News -- to link the anthrax attacks to Iraq and Saddam Hussein. In my view, and I've written about this several times and in great detail to no avail, the role played by ABC News in this episode is the single greatest, unresolved media scandal of this decade. News of Ivins' suicide, which means (presumably) that the anthrax attacks originated from Ft. Detrick, adds critical new facts and heightens how scandalous ABC News' conduct continues to be in this matter.

ABC News, including Peter Jennings, repeatedly claimed that the presence of bentonite in the anthrax was compelling evidence that Iraq was responsible for the attacks, since -- as ABC variously claimed -- bentonite "is a trademark of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's biological weapons program" and "only one country, Iraq, has used bentonite to produce biological weapons."

Tags: lies, damned, anthrax, terror, saddam, iraq, no, link

Fox News Busted

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:00:10 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Oh and spare me the "Democrats did it to" bit. First that doesn't make it right and two, bring some evidence if you have it.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: faux, news, fox, fake, propaganda, busted

McClellan: White House gave FOX commentators talking points

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:31:45 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

This just in from the Department of the Obvious: Scott McClellan admits to Chris Matthews that the White House made a deliberate effort to use FOX News commentators like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly to disseminate White House talking points.

Download | Play Download | Play

Matthews: “Did you see FOX television as a tool when you were in the White House? As a useful avenue to get your message out?”

McClellan: “I make a distinction between the journalists and the commentators. Certainly there were commentators and other, pundits at FOX News, that were useful to the White House.” […] That was something we at the White House, yes, were doing, getting them talkng points and making sure they knew where we were coming from.

Matthews: “So you were using these commentators as your spokespeople.”

McClellan: “Well, certainly.”

Straight from the source. Enough with the “fair and balanced” crap already.

Tags: faux news, media, talking points, propaganda, politics

FOX News Hilarity: Producers Misspell ‘Education’ During Segment on… Education

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:39:20 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Some people don't have any edumacation!

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

Download | Play Download | Play

“Bret Baier opened a segment [Sunday] with the question, ” Will the high price of gas cost your kids their education?” Unfortunately, it looks like the weekend production staff at FOX News has their own education issues, at least in the spelling department.”

Tags: faux, news, stupid

North Korea destroys nuclear reactor tower

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:29:22 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Some good news, if it holds. I guess diplomacy does work!

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

This image from television shows the demolition of the 60-foot-tall cooling tower at its main reactor complex in Yongbyon North Korea Friday June 27, 2008. North Korea destroyed the most visible symbol of its nuclear weapons program Friday in a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs. (AP Photo/APTN)

YONGBYON, North Korea — North Korea destroyed the most visible symbol of its nuclear weapons program Friday, blasting apart the cooling tower at its main atomic reactor in a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs.

An explosion at the base of the cylindrical structure sent the tower collapsing into a cloud of white and gray smoke that billowed into blue skies as international journalists and diplomats looked on, according to video footage filmed by international video news agency Associated Press Television News.

Tags: north korea, nukes, talks, diplomacy, politics

Faux News: "[W]e regret the error" in report of Jerusalem Post story about Obama's half brother

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:30:46 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Yeah, you regret that you got caught!

Clip Source: mediamatters.org

Summary: On Special Report, Brit Hume issued a correction following his false claim that Sen. Barack Obama's half brother had told The Jerusalem Post that Obama had a "Muslim background." But while Hume suggested that his only "error" was in repeating a flawed report in the Post, he did not acknowledge that he had falsely claimed Malik Obama had spoken with The Jerusalem Post. The Post did not claim that Malik Obama spoke to the newspaper; the article indicated that Malik Obama gave an interview to Israel's Army Radio, not the Post.

But while Hume acknowledged an "error," he understated its extent. Suggesting that his only "error" was in repeating a flawed report in the Post, Hume did not acknowledge that he had falsely claimed Malik Obama had spoken with The Jerusalem Post. The Post did not, in fact, claim that Malik Obama spoke to the newspaper.

Tags: brit, hume, fox, faux, false, news, fixed, noise, gop, propaganda

The "Dark Genius" of Fox News

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:56:23 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: "To me, that's the smoking gun if you're looking for evidence that Fox News is as much a partisan political machine as a news organization. I think TVN is a great piece of evidence in that whole puzzle. And Joe Coors played the role of Rupert Murdoch in that. Basically, Ailes learned how to run a national news service. He learned how to get stories to deadline, he learned how journalists work the news, but most importantly, he learned from Coors and his associates, people like Jack Wilson, how to try and manipulate the news product. Because the Coors people, they wanted a conservative news service, they were frustrated they couldn't get that because it turned out the reporters they hired were too professional."

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Why a book about Roger Ailes?

I couldn't believe that no one had written a book on him yet. He's been such a central figure for so long. And you see biographies and analyses of other figures in media and politics but not on him. So I said, it was past time to look at his career. I just thought he'd make a great character study.

I do think that he's been very political for the last four decades beginning with Nixon. This is a guy who has been at the center, really, of this huge effort to push the country to the right wing for 40 years. He says he's not, he makes all these claims that he's objective, but when you look at the record, there's just no way.

TVN produced conservative video content that it shopped around to stations and networks, and it was intended as a counter to the supposed liberal bias of the news media.

Tags: faux news, roger ailes, unfair, unbalanced

The Republican Good News Fairy

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:40:51 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Telling you exactly what you want to hear.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Tags: lies, damned lies, rushbo, gop, republican

Jon Stewart Explains the 'Cavuto Mark'

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:03:57 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: For those who simply don't get it.

Clip Source: www.newshounds.us

On the "Daily Show" on Wednesday (September 13, 2006), Stewart aired a segment on the increasing use of question marks in the chyrons of 24-hour news channels. He ribbed CNN a little for its use of questions on the lower third of its screen -- questions such as "Can Your Purse Make you Sick?" or "What If ... ?"

Stewart's real target, however, was Fox News. He strung together a number of examples from Fox News' Neil Cavuto's "Your World" show to demonstrate how Fox News uses questions to ask attack questions about Democrats and other news media and supportive questions about Republicans. Examples: "Have the Democrats Forgotten the Lessons of 9/11?" "Is the Liberal Media Helping to Fuel Terror?" or "The Best President?"

"...Cavuto's not saying these things. He's just asking, like, 'Is your mother a whore?' What? I'm not saying she's a whore. I'm just wondering out loud if she is a whore. All I'm saying is that reasonable people who have banged your mother for money can disagree."

[Video]

Tags: cavuto, faux news, thinly, veiled, attacks, points, i, haz, them

Jon Stewart Slams Media for Blacking Out Iraq War Lies Report

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:56:28 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: I wonder why they are so quiet?

Clip Source: www.crooksandliars.com

The Daily Show reports on the media’s failure to report on the Senate report that proves the Bush administration knowingly lied to us about the reasons for war. Surely the “Big Three” have more important things to cover.

Download | Play Download | Play (h/t Heather)

Stewart: “Let’s go back to the Big Three, that’s where real Americans get their news. Charlie Gibson, cover it!”

Gibson: “Something that doesnt happen every day, and certainly doesn’t happen twice..a well-know French daredevil named ‘Spiderman’…”

Stewart: “Yes, he was climbing the New York Times building. Perhaps looking to read the story about the administration leading us into a war that you didnt cover at all! At all!

For a “fake news” anchor, Jon Stewart sure does a better job reporting actual news than the entire mainstream media combined. I’m sure Stewart wouldn’t take offense when I say that that’s pretty sad.

Tags: jon steward, media, news, war, senate

Moyers on the Crisis of US Media

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:47:35 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar
clipper's remarks: Moyers tells it like it is.

Clip Source: www.juancole.com

[Video]

Tags: media, news, news media, truth, communication, democracy, journalism