Author: Norman Solomon
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Acts of God, Acts of Media
The new year has scarcely begun, but Americans watching television have already heard a lot about God. When Larry King interviewed George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton the other night, CNN presented ample split-screen evidence that the Lord transcends political parties and backgrounds. The former presidents — blue-blooded Yankee and hardscrabble Arkansan — spoke…
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Media Sense and Sensibilities
At a pair of British daily newspapers — the Independent and the Guardian — plus the Observer on Sunday, journalists are far more willing than their U.S. counterparts to repeatedly take on powerful interests. Tough questions get pursued at length and in depth. News coverage is often factually devastating. And commentaries don’t mince words. A…
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2004 Stories the U.S. Media Missed
On the Thursday, Dec. 30, NPR News hosted by Tony Cox, Amy Goodman and Norman Solomon discussed (audio online) "the top stories that should have received more attention by the media this year." Other stories on the show included World Stories That Didn’t Make the Headlines in 2004 and Events That Mattered Most to African-Americans…
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Tailgated by Media Technology
The last few days of every year bring a heightened sense of time passing, never to return. “Not always so,” the end of a calendar reminds us. When Time recently invited readers to pick up their mobile phones and participate in a “wireless poll,” the question was: “Who’s your pick for Person of the Year?”…
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The P.U.-litzer Prizes For 2004
The P.U.-litzer Prizes were established a dozen years ago to provide special recognition for truly smelly media performances. As usual, I’ve conferred with Jeff Cohen, founder of the media watch group FAIR, to sift through the large volume of entries. And now, the thirteenth annual P.U.-litzer Prizes, for the foulestmedia performances of 2004: MANDATE MANIA…