Air America: Bankrupt

The experiment of a profit-making liberal talk radio network has it the wall. Air America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy:

Air America Radio, a liberal talk and news radio network that features the comedian Al Franken, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a network official told The AP.

The network had denied rumors just a month ago that it would file for bankruptcy. On Friday, Air America spokeswoman Jaime Horn told The Associated Press that the filing became necessary only recently after negotiations with a creditor from the company's early days broke down.

The network will stay on the air while it resolves issues with its creditors, Horn said. In addition to Franken, the network also features shows from liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes and Jerry Springer.

The Smoking Gun has the bankruptcy filing. Al Franken is owed over $350,000 (even half of that would be nice to start bankrolling a future U.S. Senate campaign), and Chuck D of Public Enemy fame is owed over $10,000.

Brian Maloney reports the network was supposed to be bought by a Democratic moneyman, but those plans fell apart. Maloney wonder how Air America will continue to operate "because there simply isn't enough cash coming in to cover basic expenses, beyond payroll and perhaps a few utility bills."

Lefty weblogger Shakespeare's Sister writes,

Predictably, conservative bloggers are touting this as evidence that there’s simply no market for progressive ideas. I don’t actually think this is true. I’m ostensibly the perfect target audience for Air America, and I can’t frigging stand it.

...

And many of the criticisms of Air America being poorly run are valid. Even when I was trying to give Air America a good chance, they were completely screwing up in Chicago. On the air, not on the air, a different station, filled with static, off the air, what the f***? In one of the bluest cities in the country, and hence presumably one of the best audiences, they should have sorted that shit out long ago.

"Air America Radio files for Chapter 11"

"Air America Files Chapter 11"

"Air America Deflates"

Insensitive Morons at the NY Post

We only have one planet. We're stuck with each other. Jews are stuck with Muslims who are both stuck with Christians, Hindus, athiests, and a host of other faiths. Blacks are stuck with whites who are stuck with Asian yadda, yadda, yadda. Respecting one's boundaries, both physical, economic, emotional, and spiritual are needed or society breaks down into chaos. It's bad enough for some sick bastard to send Lefty looney toon Keith Olberman an envelope filled with white powder. I hope that creature is soon arrested. To make things worse the NY Post's gossip section, Page Six, mocked Olberman for calling 911 for help. (Here's Olberman's account.) I wonder what employees of the Post would do if they were sent such a threatening piece of mail. Wait, we already know because it happened five years ago:

A letter mailed to the New York Post has tested positive for anthrax and is similar to anthrax-laced letters sent to NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, police said late yesterday.

The letter addressed to "Editor" was postmarked Sept. 18 - as was a contaminated letter sent to Brokaw - and bore a Trenton, N.J., postmark like the letters to Brokaw and Daschle. The letter to Daschle was postmarked Oct. 9.

The handwriting on the Post letter is similar to that found on the two other letters, according to statement released by New York police and the FBI.

Police found the unopened envelope late Friday night during an investigation launched after a Post employee tested positive for the bacteria. The letter, which contained a small amount of a powdery substance, has been sent to Maryland for testing.

You can be pretty sure the Post people weren't the most cool and calm as they called the police.

Page Six's Paula Froelich took gossip to a new low. She was cruel and heartless. For shame! She better be working on that apology.

"Why Doesn't Page Six Take A Big Whiff Itself?"

"Aren't Death Threats Just Hilarious"

Newsweek Chooses to Sell Book Instead of News with Cover

When seeing this graphic at Outside the Beltway I started singing "One of these things is not like the other...."

It just so happens famed photographer Annie Leibovitz is coming out with a new collection of her photos called A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005. Newsweek is obviously involved in promoting the book. Thus the Taliban get bumped for a celebrity photographer for U.S. readers. That's some amazing P.R. firm Leibovitz has to get actual news bumped off the cover of a national newsweekly.

"Taliban vs. Annie Leibovitz"

Path to 9/11 Clips

Even with all the yapping around the blogosphere and inside Washington, D.C. I had not intention of watching ABC's Path to 9/11. Mike Krempasky posted some controversial clips of the show on Redstate. After watching the over-acting, the melodramatic slow motions and music, and ex-New Kid on the Block Donnie Walberg I still won't be sacrificing Sunday Night Football for the miniseries.

"ABC's Path to 9/11: The Video Democrats DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE"

"ABC's Path to 9/11: Clip Synopsis"

Crikey! Steve Irwin was a Freak

Steve Irwin had a few screws loose. That's not surprising since he thought is was a perfectly good idea to roll around with creatures that could kill him in an instant. The U.K.'s Daily Star reports the Crocodile Hunter wanted the cameras to keep rolling even while he was being killed. Irwin once said, "My number one rule is to keep that camera rolling. Even if it’s shaky or slightly out of focus, I don’t give a rip!

"Even if a big big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, ‘Crikey!’ just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me."

Me, I'd prefer is someone would try to save me, but I didn't have a death wish.

I figured Irwin's death video would pop up on the internet. Instead, it might be broadcast on television so people can watch the death of a man from the confines of their living rooms.

But that won't happen if Irwin's manager John Stainton has his way. He told Larry King, "I would never want that tape shown. It should be destroyed. At the moment, it's in police custody. A coroner's inquest is taking place. When that is finally released, it will never see the light of day, ever."

If Stainton tries to destroy the tape it will eventually leak onto the internet. That's just the state of the world and technology today. It's easy to make copies and send them anywhere; and too many can't control their urges and want to see anything and everything.

"Show My Death on TV"

Couric Photoshopped

I didn't figure the petite Katie Couric needed any photoshopping done. But her CBS people did a fantastic job. She looks pretty slim in this AP photo. They took off a bunch off the waste and the neck.

"CBS Magazine Slims Down Couric in Photo"

Released Fox News Journalists Were Forced to Convert to Islam at Gunpoint

The Holy Jihad Brigades that held Fox News correspondent Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig don't have much faith in the power of their own religion. The forced the two journalists to convert at gunpoint:

"We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint," Centanni told FOX News. "Don't get me wrong here. I have the highest respect for Islam, and I learned a lot of good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns, and we didn't know what the hell was going on."

"Captors Release Two FOX News Journalists Kidnapped in Gaza Aug. 14"

Our Dark Secrets

Ladies and gentlemen, let me remind you that all of us have something in our past that, if known, would have others seriously questioning our integrity. Greg Mitchell has, Mary Katherine Ham has, Mary Katerine's father has, even I have. The only difference is Mitchell told the whole world.

Sorry, you get no hints or any inkling of what I regret. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Olbermann Has Really Gone Wacky

Last night was one of the few times I turned on Keith Olbermann's Countdown. I have to say, "Never again!" During the two minutes of my viewing I watched how Keith tried to pin numerous terrorism stories onto a timeline claiming President Bush used them to advance his political agenda. At the end Keith toppled his own conspiracy theory by admitting you could link the stories to just about anything. In other words, Keith's lips were just flapping in the wind.

Olbermann Watch puts it this way:

Then there was Krazy Keith's Top Ten List of terror incidents that coincide with politics: a "pattern of exploiting fear for political gain". Don't get the impression that there's much new here. He replayed the same interminable propaganda piece he ran last October. The only difference is that back then, MSNBC forced him put on an opposing point of view. Even that minimal concession to journalistic integrity was dispensed with on tonight's Hour of Spin.

"Countdown with Keith Olbermann - August 14, 2006"

Media Used to Keep a Secret

Once upon a time the media could be trusted to keep a secret when lives were on the line. Former reporter Michael Berlin tells us the story of Americans hidden in the Canadian embassy in Tehran when Iranian militants stormed the U.S. embassy in 1979.

On Nov. 4 of that year, Islamic militants stormed and occupied the U.S. Embassy compound in Tehran and took hostage the more than 70 Americans there.

But six American officials happened to be outside the compound, elsewhere in the Iranian capital, at the time of the takeover. The militants never realized that some Americans were missing; they were being sheltered by Canadian diplomats in Tehran, who were risking their own safety to protect them.

At that time, I was a reporter covering the United Nations for the New York Post and The Washington Post. On the second day after the takeover, I got hold of a published diplomatic list of Americans attached to the embassy in Iran, just to try to put names to the hostages. So did journalists all over Washington, and in newsrooms across America.

I noticed a discrepancy in the numbers: People on the list outnumbered hostages announced by the militants. That day, in the U.N. lunchroom used by resident reporters, press officers and the occasional lost tourist, I asked an American press officer about the discrepancy. He brushed me off but suggested that I might ask the Canadians about it, immediately making me suspicious.

I asked the Canadians, who said they would get back to me. By then I had pieced together a pretty good idea of the basics of the story.

I soon got a call from a high-ranking member of the American U.N. delegation, a good source before and after, who formally asked me to hold back the story. Publication, he said, could put the lives of the fugitive Americans and their Canadian hosts in danger.

I called my editor at the New York Post and put the request before him. His only question was whether I could rely on my American source to cue me the moment the story was about to leak or could be released. I called the ambassador back, and he promised to put me on the Washington list of those who would receive simultaneous green-light calls. The New York Post accepted the deal, and my editors at The Washington Post told me their State Department writers were on the same green-light list.

Media could keep a secret back then. Bravo for those journalists who cared more about the possible ill effects of their reporting than their careers. Back then it was still in the media's cultural DNA to be careful with certain secrets. Life and death were in the balance.

That's a far cry from today when Bill Keller and his NY Times decided it was in the public's interest to tell the world and America's enemies about the Swift financial surveillance program. I can imagine Keller's attitude in 1979. He would have wanted to report on the hidden Americans and their Canadian friends. He would have argued the public had a right to know that all the embassy workers were accounted for and where the missing were.

With his op-ed Berlin tries to demonstrate the media can keep a life-threatening secret. The MSM can be trusted while he worries "that some blogger or counterculture ideologue using journalism as a political tool rather than as a mechanism for dispensing straight information, would make the wrong call." All Berlin really proves is reporters had more prudence and a better sense of cause and effect than today's gaggle, or as Tom Maguire writes, "About all this incident proves is that the press could make the easy calls almost thirty years ago."

"A Secret the Media Kept" [via digg]

White Powder Found in NY Times Letter

Someone who is no fan of the NY Times sent a letter to the New York office containing a unknown white powder and a recent editorial defending the newspaper's publishing of classified terrorist surveillance programs:

"At about 12:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) this afternoon ... an employee opened an envelope that contained a white powdery substance. The envelope was handwritten and addressed to the New York Times, not to any individual. The postmark was from Philadelphia with no return address," said Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis.

Emergency vehicles and an ambulance responded to the newspaper's offices on 43rd Street and Mathis said the man who opened the envelope was taken to hospital for precautionary tests and treatment.

Thanks to Reuters the campaign to indict conservatives in general in the courtroom of public opinion:

Conservatives have criticized the Times in recent weeks for writing about the Bush administration's covert anti-terrorism programs. This week protesters rallied outside the newspaper to object to its decision to publish details about terrorism financing and secret government programs to monitor phone conversations of U.S. citizens.

It would actually be news had Reuters found an example of a prominent conservative who called for the assassination of NY Times staff. The harshest words I've seen call for Bill Keller et al. to be tried for treason. And that's a legal proceeding not vigilanteism.

To the unhinged (and probably Free Repubic-reading) criminal who sent the letter: you're disgusting and evil. If the white powder is anthrax you tried to kill someone for no good reason. If the victims inhaled the powder they would endure "severe breathing problems and shock." The CDC gravely writes on its website, "[I]nhalation anthrax is usually fatal." If the white powder isn't the virus you inflicted a tremendous amount of psychological trauma on someone for no good reason. I hope you're hunted down and brought to justice.

"Letter to NY Times had White Powder, Own Editorial"

UPDATE: The powder wasn't anthrax but corn starch.

"Powder Sent to The Times Not Anthrax" [via Wizbang]

Business Secrets Protected Better than National Security

Devulging business trade secrets such as "confidential Coca-Cola documents and a sample of a product the company was developing" are treated with more intensity than the methods the government used to hunt down and stop Islamist terrorists. Pepsi has more moral integrity than the NY Times and LA Times. Pepsi helped Coke and the FBI catch the leakers. In the newspapers' case they plastered secret information about terrorist tracking methods all over their front pages. This despite being told by government officials that the Swift program was currently being used for three investigations. It also doesn't say much for the Bush administration who hasn't prosecuted any government leakers nor taken any retaliatory actions against the newspapers such as rescinding their White House credentials.

[via Charlie Sykes]

Viagra was Rush Limbaugh's

The mess surrounding Rush Limbaugh's Viagra has been sorted out. The pills were under his psychiatrist's name to protect the talk radio host's privacy--not that it matters now.

The state attorney's office said that Dr. Steve Strumwasser's name was on the Viagra bottle, not Limbaugh's. Strumwasser, who is Limbaugh's psychiatrist, told authorities he "agreed to have his name on the label in an effort to avoid potentially embarrassing publicity for the suspect," according to the state attorney's office filing. "Thus, the medication contained in the subject pill bottle was legitimately prescribed to the suspect by his physician."

It is generally not illegal under Florida law for a physician to prescribe medication in a third party's name if all parties are aware and the doctor documents it correctly, said Mike Edmondson, a spokesman for the Palm Beach County state attorney.

However, since the doctor wrote the prescription in Miami-Dade County, the case has been forwarded to prosecutors there for review.

Limbaugh's lawyer, Roy Black, has said the prescription was written in Limbaugh's doctor's name "for privacy purposes." The conservative radio host was released without being charged and investigators confiscated the Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction.

"Based on the sworn facts presented by the investigating officer as well as the suspect, the elements of the offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney Paul Zacks wrote in a filing Wednesday.

"Limbaugh Will Not be Charged over Viagra"

Rather Era Over at CBS

CBS News and Dan Rather have agreed to part ways. Rather still wants to report and might sign with Mark Cuban's HDNet network and reach the half-a-dozen sports and movie geeks who have spilled a few grand on HD televisions.

"Rather Leaving CBS"

"WaPo's Shales: Rather Was 'Very Activist Anchor' [I'll Say!]"

The "Stunt" That Wasn't

Washington Times editors really wanted to catch Democrats for not being enthusiastic for the Zarqawi news. They even went so far as to write a headline reading "Democrats call Zarqawi killing a stunt." If you read the story no Democrat used the s-word. They fixed it for the Friday edition of the newspaper.

"The Washington Times Slimes Democrats With a Lie"

U.S. Media Reaction to Zarqawi's Death

This morning, ABC and NBC both went into Bush criticism mode on news of Zarqawi's death. They didn't even take time for satisfaction at the end of an evil man's bloody reign of death. NBC's Ann Curry let Sen. Joe Biden go off on a rant about President Bush's so-called "incompetence" "at home and abroad." ABC let Richard Clarke say wacking Zarqawi wouldn't make much of a difference in curbing the violence in Iraq. I guess that was a waste of intellegence and smart bombs.

Either the media feel the orginal story was "old news" because it came in the middle of the night U.S. time, or they have a predisposal to beat on the President.

"ABC Quickly Brings In Peacenik Dad to Condemn Zarqawi Killing"

Thomas on Zinmeister

Helen Thomas continued to prove she's too old and crotchety to be at White House briefings. Here's Thomas questioning Tony Snow about new domestic policy advisor Karl Zinsmeister:

Q Why did the President pick a man who is so contemptible of the public servants in Washington to be his Domestic Advisor -- saying, "People in Washington are morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings"? Why would he pick such a man to be a Domestic Advisor?

MR. SNOW: You meant contemptuous, as opposed to contemptible, I think.

Q Pure contempt.

MR. SNOW: Well, I'm not sure it's pure contempt. I know Karl Zinsmeister pretty well, and he is somebody who expresses himself with a certain amount of piquancy -- you're perhaps familiar with that, aren't you, Helen? And so, as a consequence, from time to time he's going to say -- he'll have some sharp elbows.

Q If this is his attitude toward public servants --

MR. SNOW: No, I don't think it's his attitude toward public servants -- it may have been toward the press. Just kidding. No, I -- look, if you look at the bulk of what Karl Zinsmeister has done at The American Enterprise and elsewhere, I think you're going to find somebody who's done some pretty meaty and interesting research on a variety of topics. The reason he's being brought in is that he's --

Q Do you agree with his assessment of Washington?

MR. SNOW: I'm not -- there's one sentence the guy wrote, and perhaps you may recall -- yes?

Q Arrogant, morally repugnant, cheating, shifty -- come on.

MR. SNOW: That's a lot in one sentence, isn't it? He just packed it right in.

Jim.

Q So what is the attitude toward --

MR. SNOW: The attitude is we're glad to have a guy on board who has breadth of knowledge, who has breadth of interest and of experience, and is going to bring --

Q No tolerance for other human beings.

MR. SNOW: Helen, tell you what, why don't you get to know Karl, because I think you're going to find out that to judge somebody --

Q Bring him on. (Laughter.)

MR. SNOW: -- on the basis of one sentence is probably a little unfair.

Q How could it be unfair?

MR. SNOW: He'll charm you.

In Old Woman Helen's world only those with the "proper respect" for Washington should be advising the President. Calling people in D.C. "morally repugnant, cheating, shifty human beings" fits when talking about Jack Abramoff, Congressman William Jefferson, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and convicted Congressman Duke Cunningham.

Heaven forbid someone at a distance from the capital's insularity could offer ideas to improve the government and think Washington isn't the Emerald City full of pure hearts and good intentions.

Wait until Old Woman Helen reads this Editor & Publisher article that quotes Zinsmeister calling embedded reporters in Iraq "whiny and appallingly soft."

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

WSJ Wrong on Raid

Paul Gigot and the Wall Street Journal editorial board get it wrong for once. This time with regards to the FBI raiding Congressman William Jefferson's office. They oppose the raid mentioning the Speech and Debate Clause multiple times. Yet they don't explain their reasoning. They don't even bother to quote from the constitution. Here's the portion they referred to:

They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

The WSJ editorial board are conservatives. It's safe to assume they're constitutional originalists. I see no where in the text about Congressmen's offices protected from search warrants. The raid of Congressman Jefferson's office had to do with a bribery investigation not preventing him from speaking in the House or casting a vote.

"Raiding Congress" [via Michelle Malkin]

UPDATE: McQ at QandO praises Sen. Frist for not opposing the raid.

Al Jazeera, Fox News Most Trusted

A media poll has something in it to bug everybody:

Asked to name the news source they most trusted, without any prompting, 59 percent of Egyptians said Al Jazeera, 52 percent of Brazilians said Rede Globo, 32 percent of Britons said the BBC, 22 percent of Germans said ARD and 11 percent of Americans said Fox News, each leading their respective nations.

Right-wingers will be bugged over Al Jazeera's trustworthiness while blue-staters will be indignant that anyone could think the network of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity could be worthy on any praise.

"Fox, BBC, Al Jazeera Most Trusted: Poll"

TIME 100: Waste of Time

The TIME 100 list is full of conventional wisdom (Hillary Clinton, Matt Drudge, President Bush), self-congratulations (Bill & Melinda Gates, Bono TIME's 2005 people of the year), and those that got on the list because their publicists did a good job kissing up to the magazine to promote their new albums (Paul Simon, the Dixie Chicks). Then there's Elie Wiesel. He spoke out at yesterday's Darfur rally. Other than that he hasn't done anything substantial in years. He most recent claim to fame is being an Oprah Winfrey book club selection.

What is Paul Gigot Smoking?

Pamela Anderson has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. With the rise of the blogosphere there are thousands of capable writers to offer unique insights and perspectives. So the paper picks someone known for being a busty, blond boob who has her private, home made porn video floating all over the internet.

Has Hell froze over? Is it the sign of the apocalypse?

My hope of a future writing career has been (temporarily) torn asunder.

Show Prep

For once, I might actually be a trendsetter.

"Hewitt Show Prep"

Two Years for Franken

Doug Payton of Stones Cry Out informs us Al Franken's radio show is two years old, longer than Doug thought it would last.

As a national force Franken and Air America Radio have so far failed. Liberal talk radio isn't infecting the airwaves. Air America's financial troubles may play a part; no personality has taken hold of listeners; or liberals don't really want to listen to talk radio outside NPR and college radio stations. They might prefer the alternatives of much of mainstream media and screaming websites like Daily Kos. The notion of liberal talk radio listeners as an untapped market hasn't born fruition.

"Prediction: Wrong"

Brit Hume Profiled

Howard Kurtz profiles Fox News' Brit Hume.

"Moving to the Right"

McBride on Media Pulitzers

Yesterday, I covered the Pulitzer book winners. Former reporter, now journalism instructor Jessica McBride looks at the newspaper winners. She isn't impressed.

"Pulitzer Prizes: Liberal Media Backslapping"

Al Jazeera Correction

Last month, I mentioned a Jew-bashing article demonstrating that Al Jazeera International, the soon-to-be new cable news channel would have a tough time gaining credibility. The article mentioned (forgot the link, me bad) was from Aljazeera.com. A reader pointed out that site is not connected to Al Jazeera the infamous news network. The Aljazeera.com website confirms that. The article only took up one paragraph and without it the essence of my post stands true. Still, I apologize for my error and will try harder to be more accurate.

Telegraph, Provide the Links

A lot of people were stupid for jumping on the "Jill Carroll went batty" bandwagon. Some are still stupid demanding an apology to themselves. The Telegraph blows it completely when they accuse right-wing webloggers of bashing her. It's not that it didn't happen, it's that they provided no links or quotes to support the accusation. I want to know who was dumb enough to want Carroll arrested for treason. The paper isn't opposed to hyperlinks; they linked to another Telegraph story, just not to any offending webloggers.

"Right-Wing Bloggers Attack Freed Hostage for 'Treason'" [via LMA]

Borders Bans Magazine Issue

Borders has decided not to carry the April-May issue of Free Inquiry because it will contain Muhammad cartoons that sparked violent outrage among some Muslims:

"For us, the safety and security of our customers and employees is a top priority, and we believe that carrying this issue could challenge that priority," Borders Group Inc. spokeswoman Beth Bingham said Wednesday.

Robert Bidinotto isn't happy:

By its public declaration of pre-emptive surrender, Borders has given the bullies of our age a clear message: Your intimidation works. Your bullying works. Your coercion works. Your terrorist threats work.

Borders has set a morally irresponsible and frighteningly dangerous precedent. It has told fanatics everywhere that all they need to do in order to obliterate First Amendment rights is to growl menacingly -- at which point a leading bookstore chain in America will clear its shelves of anything that could possibly offend the thug of the moment.

I work for Barnes & Noble, Borders' chief competitor, and have heard nothing that the same will be done in their stores. I'd be shocked if they did. The company is pretty absolute in making available materials their customers want to buy. You can buy The Anarchist Cookbook for pete's sake.

It's one thing to write a letter to the company expressing your complaint. It's another going into your nearest Borders and asking for the banned issue of Free Inquiry then complaining. This was a company decision. Your average Borders bookseller has no control over this. They're working stiffs like anyone else. Don't give them a hard time.

"An Open Letter to Borders Books"

"Fear of a Jihadi Planet"

"The Heckler's Veto"

UPDATE: Andrew Cory, another Barnes & Noble employee, writes:

See, a bookstore’s only stocking priority ought to be “will it sell”. Once the commercial judgment is replaced with editorial one, a company sets itself up as a censor. It begins to limit access to knowledge, and democracy itself is tarnished.

Making available what people want to buy is a way a free market supports other freedoms. Milton Friedman would be pleased.

An Embarassment to All Seans Everywhere

What little respect I had for Sean Hannity went out the window with this incident with Alec Baldwin.

"Alec Baldwin v. Sean Hannity in Radio Donnybrook" [via Little Miss Attila]

UPDATE: Patrick at Badger Blogger has audio of Sean Hannity's side of the story. He tries all he wants but he doesn't sound positive at all. But Baldwin sounded as unhinged as he usually does.

David Duke, Al Jazeera on Same Page

As an addendum to my piece below on Al Jazeera International David Duke and Islamists are fond of the same study the Arab Al Jazeera promoted:

A paper recently co-authored by the academic dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government about the allegedly far-reaching influence of an "Israel lobby" is winning praise from white supremacist David Duke.

The Palestine Liberation Organization mission to Washington is distributing the paper, which also is being hailed by a senior member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization.

"David Duke Claims to Be Vindicated By a Harvard Dean" [via Betsy's Page]

Al Jazeera's English Face

The toughest sales job in the world today has to be getting Al Jazeera International (AJI) broadcasting slots in the U.S. Here they're known for airing terrorist and hostage videos. In building the new news network they've hired former Nightline reporter David Marsh, ex-Marine Josh Rusing, and British interviewing legend David Frost.

What doesn't help in selling AJI are "news" articles from the Arabic Al Jazeera with headlines like "AIPAC Behind U.S. Criminal ME Policy" [emphasis mine]. They offer nothing to show what laws the U.S. broke. The article is simply a lengthy passage from a study "proving" the U.S. is in the pocket of "Israel Lobby."

[CORRECTION: The article mentioned above is from Aljazeera.com which isn't connected to the news network. My correction is here.]

AJI will be attempting a more global approach to international world coverage with rotating news centers throughout the day:

Instead of being run out of a central command post, AJI's news day--and news management--will follow the sun: Programming will begin in Doha, Qatar, which will likely host a 12-hour chunk of the day, then shift to London for a four-hour segment, then to Washington, DC, for a 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (local-time) slot, and finally to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The top of each hour will be hard news; the back half, analysis, chat shows, and documentaries, some of it generated by viewers. There will be only one feed, so viewers worldwide will all see the same broadcast at the same time.

More intriguing, each news desk will be run independently, with the mandate to report international news through its own lens. Imagine, says Stebbins, by way of illustration, the follow-up to Bush's recent State of the Union speech: In Doha, broadcasters might have lined up reaction to the president's warning to Hamas to disarm; in Kuala Lumpur, analysis might have dialed in on Bush's comments on protectionism; and in London, on his admonishment of Iran. And in the States, Stebbins says, instead of the usual pundits, he might have rung up Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's fiery president, or polled Mexicans on Bush's remarks on immigration enforcement.

Even without American distribution AJI will move forward. That's because its audience is more than the almost 300 million U.S. viewers:

Prior to being hired, Rushing learned an embarrassing lesson in the blinding effects of cultural myopia. At a lunch with AJI managing director Nigel Parsons, he'd suggested that the channel consider changing its name before launching in the United States. Parsons just laughed: Because of the Al Jazeera name, "it will gain access that other media outlets won't have, not just in the Middle East but in other places in the world," he told the young Marine. "It's not all about America." As Rushing says now, that was "a perception-shattering moment."

There are one billion english speakers worldwide. AJI is gunning for them as well.

"Al Jazeera's {Global} Mission"

Editor's note: I'm going to try something new. If you want to talk (or scream) instead of type Odeo has a feature allowing anyone to easily send me voice mails. All you need is a microphone plugged into your computer. Then just click on the button below. Either state the subject of your message or type it into the neighboring text box. I will either post the most interesting audio messages and/or include them in a future episode of my podcast Speak.

A Pathetic "Situation"

Tucker Carlson's MSNBC show The Situtation has sunk to a new low, and I don't mean ratings. Of all people he had sports radio yapper Max Kellerman talking about army recruiting. When I'm looking for someone to talk about the army Kellerman is the first to pop into my mind. Someone, please put this show out of its misery.

I did find this snipe by Carlson toward Arianna Huffington:

This isn't honest political debate. It's attempted character assassination by a nasty little propagandist. Arianna Huffington ought to be ashamed of herself. I wish I could tell her that to her face.

The guy should have stuck to writing.

Mark Reardon is Alive

Not that I thought he was dead. After he got the boot from WTMJ I wondered if there was more to it than budgetary reasons. Not according to Reardon:

OMC: Give us the real scoop. Were you actually fired from WTMJ-AM? Did you know it was coming?

MR: There really isn't a "scoop." It was a budget-cutting move, and I understand that these things sometimes happen in radio. Look, because of the sports programming there were times I was only on the air for an hour or less. That might have been good for my golf game in the summer but it didn't make sense to have a full-time person in that position. Actually my golf game still sucked -- but you get the point. I had no idea it was coming, but there are times when someone needs a good kick in the ass -- and this certainly accomplished that.

St. Louis' KMOX hired Reardon. I wish him the best of luck.

"Milwaukee Talks: Mark Reardon"

The MSM, the Olympics, and the War

Robert Byers at Watchman's Words compares the Winter Olympics coverage to that of the Iraq War. Here's a portion:

The Olympics coverage didn't have the same knee-jerk opposition that the war does, but it did display the same lack of historical perspective and sense of balance that have marked the media's coverage of the War on Terror, and the war in Iraq in particular.

...

While the press is trying to figure out how many shotgun pellets can dance on the face of a lawyer, progress is happening around the world. The media seem unwilling or unable to place events in any context, and as a result, many Americans are pessimistic about the war and our future. But hopefully events--and the ability of the new media to convey the truth--will catch up with the heirs of Walter Cronkite, and the "disappointments" will continue until morale improves.

"Media Disconnect: The Winter Olympics and the War on Terror"

Waste of Time

White House correspondents like David Gregory think they're being made foolish by right wing spinners and an administration that considers the media as another special interest:

David Gregory, the NBC correspondent who has been among the most ardent questioners in the briefing room, apologized for yelling at Mr. McClellan over the Cheney incident but said the situation had become particularly frustrating.

"There is a desire by some, particularly on the right, to morph these situations into a different kind of debate — it's the vice president against an angry, left-wing, cynical, hate-filled press corps that wants to expose him as a liar," he said. "This is a false debate, stoked by a president and vice president who have made no bones about the fact that they don't have much respect for the press corps as an institution."

One-time Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry wishes he never made the daily White House briefing a televised event, but current press secretary Scott McClellan has no desire to end the charade event. And why would he since it does such a good job embarassing the MSM?

"Another White House Briefing, Another Day of Mutual Mistrust" [via Betsy's Page]

Got Your Mojo?

A Fort Meyers, FL newspaper employs "mobile journalists" or "mojos" to teach readers how to gather hyper-local news for the paper's website.

It's a great idea that is boosting online traffic. But what happens when the two mobile journalists are sick on the same day? How can the News-Press survive without its mojo?

[You may begin the groaning now.]

Someone call Austin Powers.

"The Multimedia Reporter"

New Orleans Whiners

CNN found some New Orleans residents who thought the President didn't talk enough about Katrina relief. They consider it a "slap in the face." Since Bush didn't declare he'd veto any bill that didn't have basis in the constitution should we constitutionalists consider it a "slap in the face?"

"CNN's Soledad O'Brien: New Orleans Shortchanged"

"There's a Lot of Grumbling from Guys at All Ranks about it"

Troops in Iraq noticed the overreaction to Bob Woodruff's and Doug Vogt's injuries:

"Why do you think this is such a huge story?" wrote an officer stationed in Baqubah, Iraq, Monday via e-mail. "It's a bit stunning to us over here how absolutely dominant the story is on every network and front page. I mean, you'd think we lost the entire 1st Marine Division or something.

"There's a lot of grumbling from guys at all ranks about it. That's a really impolite and impolitic thing to say ... but it's what you would hear over here."

At least 2,242 troops have died in Iraq since the war's start, 1,753 of them killed in action. Another 16,000 have been injured, half of them seriously enough to require evacuation from the battlefield. According to the Pentagon, 60 percent of the deaths are the result of IEDs. IEDs have injured more than 9,200 troops, nine times more than gunshots.

"The point that is currently being made (is that) that press folks are more important than mere military folks," a senior military officer told UPI Tuesday.

The unavoidable consequence of war is this: People are savagely wounded and killed. Soldiers in Iraq watching the coverage on satellite television and reading the news on the Internet are getting the impression that the press has only just discovered this fact.

Even with reporters embedded with military units the MSM still feels little connection to those on the front lines. This colors all stories coming out of Iraq.

"Some US Troops Question Woodruff Coverage" [via Drudge]

Congressman's Staff Alters Wikipedia Entry

More evidence that Wikipedia should not be the vaunted reference many think it should be:

The staff of U.S. Rep Marty Meehan wiped out references to his broken term-limits pledge as well as information about his huge campaign war chest in an independent biography of the Lowell Democrat on a Web site that bills itself as the "world's largest encyclopedia," The Sun has learned.

The Meehan alterations on Wikipedia.com represent just two of more than 1,000 changes made by congressional staffers at the U.S. House of Representatives in the past six month. Wikipedia is a global reference that relies on its Internet users to add credible information to entries on millions of topics.

Defenders of Wikipedia has said if you don't like an entry edit it. Well, someone did. It didn't expand readers' knowledge. For political and other controversial subjects Wikipedia is turning into a propaganda stage. Its reputation is slowly dropping to the level of a James Frey memoir.

"Rewriting History Under the Dome" [via digg]

Media Makes Big Deal Out of Injured Media

An ABC News anchorman and his camera man get seriously injured from an Iraqi terrorist bomb, and it's the biggest story of the day. They were interrupting sports talk on Milwaukee radio to keep us informed. I feel badly for both Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt, but frankly, I never heard of either of them before today. You could have put Woodruff in a line-up and I wouldn't have been able to pick him out. Other reporters have gotten hurt in Iraq and there wasn't this much attention. U.S. soldiers have gotten hurt and killed but have garnered less attention.

My prayers are with Woodruff and Vogt.

"ABC's Woodruff, Cameraman Injured in Iraq"

Coulter Again Gives Conservatives a Bad Name

The unfunny Ann Coulter out did herself when she joked, "We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee." She's not a pundit. She's an unfunny comedian who uses conservative politics and long blond hair as her schtick. She's boring and she insults the movement she thinks she promotes. I won't be looking forward to listening to her stand-up routine at CPAC 2006.

"Ann Coulter 'Jokes' That a Supreme Court Justice Should Be Poisoned--And is Compared to Lil' Kim"

My New Crush

Attack on Murtha Unwarranted

CNSNews.com's attack on Rep. John Murtha (R-PA) was pointless. The cut-and-runner was fading from the news even with an upcoming interview on 60 Minutes. Plus, it's an ad hominem attack. Whether he deserved or didn't deserve his Vietnam War medals has nothing to do with his wrong-headedness about abandoning Iraq. It's like accusing Cindy Sheehan of being a crackhead. They should have challenged Rep. Murtha like this veteran did. Much more effective and powerful. CNSNews.com lost a lot of credibility in my book. I will definitely think twice when finding an interesting story from them.

"Web Site Attacks Critic of War"

Stern's First Day on Satellite

Howard Stern held back. Only 172 curse words were used on his Sirius radio debut. He told USA Today he wants to avoid a plethora of f-bombs. "[T]hose words can be funny in the right context." What wasn't held back was Stern's ego:

The colorful shock jock spent much of his first day on fee-based radio taking credit for Sirius adding 2.6 million subscribers in the past 15 months and by disparaging his competitors on "boring, old-fashioned, overcommercialized radio" such as that offered by Clear Channel Radio, CBS Radio, et al.

Jeff Jarvis found FamilyMediaGuide.com had too much time on its hands and documented every single curse word and sexual sound effect.

"Playing It by Ear: Howard Stern's Sirius Debut"

Editoral Page Fooled about Mao Hoax

Due to Christmas vacation the Sacramento Bee published an editorial decrying federal agents harassing a student for checking out Mao's "Little Red Book." It was published three days after we found out the story was a hoax. David Holwerk, editorial page editor, explains what happened.

"A News Hoax, a Holiday and a Dumb Mistake" [via Romenesko]

Study Finds Liberal Media Bias

A UCLA-led study has concluded that much of the media leans to the left.

While the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal is conservative, the newspaper's news pages are liberal, even more liberal than The New York Times. The Drudge Report may have a right-wing reputation, but it leans left. Coverage by public television and radio is conservative compared to the rest of the mainstream media. Meanwhile, almost all major media outlets tilt to the left.
...
The most centrist outlet proved to be the "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer." CNN's "NewsNight With Aaron Brown" and ABC's "Good Morning America" were a close second and third.

The mention of Jim Lehrer's show is interesting. I know a few conservatives who watch it nightly. I figured it was to get more in depth news. It might be for its balance.

The study's methodology is complex. It links media mentions of ideological think tanks to Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) voting scores of lawmakers. There's holes here. Those who don't see Leftist media bias will attack this part of the study. A good critic would have to think of a better way to determine bias. I'll be expecting something from Media Matters in 3...2...1...

What we do know is this will be the most popular article ever from the arcane Quarterly Journal of Economics.

"Media Bias Is Real, Finds UCLA Political Scientist" [via Charlie Sykes]

Let's Question the Timing

The NY Times must tell its readers why to chose today to run the NSA domestic spying story. In the story the Times tells its readers it waited a year to run it because of government conerns. Did the newspaper time the story to affect the Patriot Act vote? Well, it affected Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY):

I went to bed last night unsure of how to vote on this legislation...but today's revelation that the government listened in on thousands of phone conversations without getting a warrant is shocking and has greatly influenced my vote. If this government will discard a law that has worked well for over 30 years without a wit of discussion or notice, then for sure we better be certain that we have safeguards on that government....Today's revelation makes it crystal clear that we have to be very careful.

Just asking this question should let you know what I think. The NY Times engaged in advocacy journalism. That's fine. More power to them. But they should take the "All the news that's fit to print" mantra off their front page. Or they should change it to "All the news that's fit to print to advance our agenda." That would be truth in advertising.

Howard Stern Leaves FM

Today was Howard Stern's last day on over-the-air radio. Being the publicity whore he is Stern had to turn it into huge NYC event. Yahoo webcast it all. In a speech to the crowd he called the Religious Right the "American Taliban." Moron.

Stern moves to Sirius Satellite Radio next month. The big question is how many of Stern's fans will follow.

AlGore Might Be Onto Something

Ripping on AlGore's Current has been a minor hobby of mine. The jury is still out if it can make a go of it broadcasting short videos, many made by amateurs. Current has some big advertisers but their problem is they're only available to 20 million homes. The DIY nature is what's in and hip. Mix, remix, cut, paste, code. That's what youngins are doing with their media today. I'm in the top end of the 18-34 demographic the network is targeting so I'm not sure I can fully relate.

Current's real problem may be that it's a network. I wrote last spring, "[T]he network will always be behind the curve." There's greater variety of weblogs, podcasts, and homemade videos on the net. To these people if you can't download it to something portable to take with you and share with friends what's the point. AlGore might be onto something. It's just he might be using old means for a new idea.

"Made-by-Viewers TV"

O'Reilly Factor "Holiday" Ornaments

Bill O'Reilly: pompous ass.

Bozell v. Mapes

Mary Mapes, the ex-CBS reporter who still thinks Dan Rather's fake memos are real, will be on C-SPAN this weekend to talk about her book Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, and the Privilege of Power. Interviewing her will be the Media Research Center's Brent Bozell. This must-see-tv should be lively.

"MRC's Brent Bozell Interviews Mary Mapes"

JimK the High Podcaster

If you don't listen to the Starkcast, you should. If your a weblogger you must listen to JimK strung out on Ambien yammering about odd sexual proclivities as well as ripping on Pajamas Media.

And Many Wonder about Media Bias

CNN's X over Vice President Cheney may have been a technical glitch but an operator taking calls for the network decided to call it freedom of speech. Some interesting quotes of his include:

"Maam, it was just a comment or opinion of someone watching the speech."

"The point is, tell them to stop lying."

"Tell your President to stop lying."

"If you don't like it don't watch."

The tape may be a hoax. Even if it's real the operator was just a Lefty schlub. It doesn't mean it was anything more than a mistake. Dan McKenzie's work proves it was some technical graphic. But suppose a director knew it was there and decided to slyly state his opinion. Hmm...

"CNN Employees A Bit Touchy About The Cheney 'X'"

"CNN Employee On Tape: Cheney 'X' Is 'Freedom of Speech' - 'Tell Bush And Cheney To Stop Lying'"

Hatcher Sues Tabloid

The lovely Teri Hatcher is suing a British tabloid for libel:

London law firm Schillings said Hatcher, 40, had instructed them to begin libel proceedings against the Daily Sport over articles that she says "falsely alleged that she engages in sex romps on a regular basis with a series of men in a VW van parked outside her L.A. home for this purpose."

Why would she go outside of her house for a "sex romp" unless she wanted to get caught? It's obvious the Daily Sport didn't use any common sense. Not that we'd expect any from a Brit tabloid.

"Teri Hatcher Sues Tabloid Over Sex Story"

Charlie's Show Prep #2

Here are some good items for Charlie Sykes' show this morning:

• The Iraq government wants a