media

By Jake Johnson, staff writer | – (Commondreams.org) – The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday indicted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for a “computer hacking conspiracy,” a charge some corporate talking heads and reporters immediately touted as evidence that journalism is not under threat. “Indictment of Assange charges him with hacking, not publishing, a crucial difference […]

Featured

Rupert Murdoch’s Fox postpones Pirro, as his Sky Channel is Pulled from NZ Airwaves for airing Shooter’s Video

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – World-straddling press lord Rupert Murdoch’s media is under pressure in the wake of the massacre of 50 worshipers by a white supremacist terrorist at a Christchurch mosque. Murdoch’s Fox News is known for pushing white nationalist themes and for demonizing Muslims, and his Sky News Australia is not very different. […]

journalism

Rupert Murdoch Provocateur Tucker Carlson Exposed in Bubba the Love Sponge Interview (TYT Video)

Juan Cole

Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian | The Young Turks | (Video News Clip) | – “Media Matters for America has released an interview Tucker Carlson did on the Bubba The Love Sponge show, Tucker probably wishes this didn’t come out. Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur discuss Tucker’s disgusting comments on The Young Turks.” The Young […]

censorship

In Middle East, Impunity for Human Rights Abuses reigned in 2018: Amnesty

Juan Cole

Beirut (AFP) – “The crackdown on civil society actors and political opponents increased significantly in Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia,” the rights watchdog said in its annual regional report. “Is it acceptable for activists to undergo arbitrary detention, torture, sexual harassment … and even enforced disappearances simply for expressing their opinions in a peaceful way,” […]

journalism

BBC Demands Review After Cameraman Attacked when Trump Whips Mob into anti-Press Frenzy

AFP

Washington, DC (AFP) – The BBC asked the White House to review security arrangements Tuesday after a BBC cameraman was assaulted at a rally in Texas with President Donald Trump. British Broadcasting Corporation cameraman Ron Skeans was attacked by a Trump supporter yelling anti-media slogans during the US president’s rally in El Paso late Monday. […]

Featured

Did the National Enquirer blackmail Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to Protect the Saudi Crown Prince?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – David Pecker’s attempt to blackmail Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos would not ordinarily attract my eye. Except for this paragraph: “And sometimes Mr. Pecker mixes it all together: “After Mr. Trump became president, he rewarded Mr. Pecker’s loyalty with a White House dinner to which the media executive brought a guest […]

journalism

Thanks to our Generous Supporters

Juan Cole

Many, many thanks to our our generous supporters for a successful fundraising season. We got over halfway to a very ambitious goal, and certainly you made the campaign a great success by any measure. 2019 is very likely going to be an epochal year. We could well see a constitutional crisis or more than one, […]

journalism

That Time Hannity Campaigned with Trump v. Dems & Called Press ‘Fake’

AFP

New York (AFP) – Fox News admitted Tuesday it was a mistake for its star news host Sean Hannity to speak at a campaign event with President Donald Trump, saying it was an “unfortunate distraction” which “has been addressed.” The statement from Fox came hours after the popular Fox personality joined Trump in Cape Girardeau, […]