Waxman says government has ‘to be involved’ to help media: a horror story

During hearings on Cap and Trade in April, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) told former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, "You gotta have some threat sometimes—you have to say to incentivize you, we’re going to give you some assistance, but there are going to be consequences." The exchange illustrated Waxman's disdain for Main Street, in the opinion of some conservatives.[Photo of Waxman screen shot/TUSR.]Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) treads dangerous constitutional waters by declaring “government's going to have to be involved in one way or the other" in order to help struggling media companies. Waxman made that statement, as well as acknowledging such support raises “red flags” when the Federal Trade Commission held a workshop themed on journalism surviving the “Internet Age.”

Click to read more ...

Wire story on global warming shows root problem in newspapers’ meltdown

Updated on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 1:24PM by Kay B. Day, Editor

by Kay B. Day

On the heels of one of the greatest scandals in the history of science, my hometown newspaper ran stories on global warming, carbon dioxide levels and the end of the world in 2012. The stories ran in section A in Sunday’s big fat paper—fat because of all the Christmas advertising inserts. There was no mention of the scandal, however. [Story continues after photo.]

My copy of my hometown newspaper's Sunday feature on global warming, along with a feature on carbon dioxide emissions and a feature on the end of the world. No opinions opposing global warming alarmism could be found on the page.

Click to read more ...

Heritage Foundation discloses AP outsourcing news to nonprofits

At times I’ve thought maybe I am too critical of the Associated Press—I disagree with the wire service writers’ slant very often. But a column at The Heritage Foundation shed light on what I often perceived as pro-Democrat bias. Ken McIntyre’s ‘Associated Press outsourcing to leftist nonprofits is a bad idea’ is a real eye-opener. You might print that and hand it out to friends and family.

I had no idea the AP was outsourcing news to freelancers and others associated with non-profit organizations most of us would view as statist in their thinking. Sure, most non-profits declare they’re nonpartisan. Both statists and conservatives do this and it’s their right to do so. It is definitely the right of the AP to lean in any political direction they choose—this is America. But as a reader, and as a hometown newspaper subscriber, I like to know the facts, especially if a column portrayed as news comes from an organization with a political preference.

McIntyre wrote, “Earlier this summer, the 163-year-old news cooperative announced it would distribute ‘watchdog and investigative journalism’ penned not by its own staff or that of member papers, but by four outside groups: the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkeley, Calif.; New York-based ProPublica; and two D.C. outfits, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) and the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.”

Click to read more ...