Media Matters Daily Summary 06-07-11

NYC Investigation Provides More Evidence That Allegation Of Union Snow-Removal "Slowdown" Was Bogus
After a blizzard struck New York City last year, right-wing media were quick to smear unions, using a bogus allegation that a planned union slowdown delayed cleanup efforts. Even then, New York City officials took responsibility for the slow response. Now, a report by the New York City Department Of Investigation says that the source of the slowdown claim "contributed no actual evidence about a possible slowdown." Read More

Beck Falsely Claims Obama Says Americans Should "Side With" Syrian Government
Glenn Beck falsely claimed that President Obama "is telling Americans that we need to side with the governments like Syria." In fact, Obama and his administration have repeatedly criticized the Assad regime in Syria for violently suppressing protests and said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should lead a transition to democracy or "get out of the way." Read More

REPORT: Opponents Of EPA Climate Action Dominate TV News Airwaves
Media Matters analyzed television news guests who discussed the Environmental Protection Agency's role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions from December 2009 through April 2011. Driven largely by Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, results show that in 76 percent of those appearances, the guest was opposed to EPA regulations while 18 percent were in favor. Of the appearances by elected officials, 86 percent were Republican. Only one guest in 17 months of coverage across nine news outlets was a climate scientist -- industry-funded Patrick Michaels. Read More

Beck Ignores Immediate Government Aid To Joplin, MO, Residents After Devastating Storms
On Fox & Friends, Glenn Beck falsely suggested that the federal government was not involved in relief efforts following May's devastating storms in Joplin, MO. In fact, FEMA responded immediately to assist storm victims at the request of President Obama. Read More

NY Times Slurs American-Born Children Of Foreign Nationals As "Anchor Babies"
In an article on New York businesses that cater to new immigrant women from China who have recently given birth, The New York Times used the term "anchor babies" in referring to women who "come to the United States to give birth so that the children would be American citizens." The term "anchor babies" has been identified, among other things, as "derogatory," "racist," "ugly," and "derisive"; moreover, data show "anchor babies" to be a myth. Read More

WSJ's John Fund Spreads Falsehoods About Indiana Law Defunding Planned Parenthood
On the June 6 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund spread falsehoods to defend a recent Indiana law that bans state Medicaid money from going to non-abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood. Fund falsely claimed that Indiana "has the right to decide" whether to contract with Planned Parenthood for Medicaid services and that Planned Parenthood "counselors advis[ed] underage teenage girls who were supposedly sex workers on how to have an abortion." Read More