Friday, November 04, 2011

Media Matters Daily Summary 11-04-11

Right-Wing Media Hype "Really Thin" Accusation That Rahm Emanuel Leaked Cain Story
The conservative media is divided on anonymous sources: Some right-wing media figures have been hyping a claim by an anonymous source that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is "likely involved with the sexual harassment" allegations against Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. At the same time, however, other conservative media figures have tried to cast doubt on the sexual harassment allegations against Cain by pointing out that they are based on anonymous sources. Read More

Right-Wing Media Hype Study Suggesting Public School Teachers Are Overpaid
Right-wing media have hyped a study published by conservative groups American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Heritage Foundation that claims "public-school teachers are not underpaid in wages by private-sector standards, and they may even be overpaid." But many other studies have shown that public school teachers are paid relatively less than comparable workers, that their wages have been declining for decades, that U.S. teachers are paid less than their counterparts in most other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, and that low teacher pay hurts recruitment and retention. Read More

Fox Twists Facts To Claim Greece Will Get US "Bailout"
Fox News hyped a report that G-20 leaders want to increase the resources of the IMF to claim that "the taxpayer in the United States will end up bailing out [Greece]." However, while G-20 leaders have discussed strengthening the IMF, the White House has already said that the U.S. will not be giving additional money to the fund. This story follows Fox's similarly misleading attacks in May, when President Obama visited Ireland ahead of a proposed EU bailout. Read More

Right-Wing Media Outraged That Obama Hugged Leader Of NATO Ally
Right-wing media have expressed outrage over President Obama hugging Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the G-20 summit, claiming that Obama is "hugging enemies [and] abandoning allies." In fact, Turkey is an ally of the United States via its membership in NATO; moreover, this is just the latest example of the right-wing media's obsession with how Obama greets leaders. Read More

The Right Wing's Insurrectionist Mindset
The federal government has alleged that four Georgia militia members who are accused of plotting to kill federal employees modeled their plan on right-wing blogger Mike Vanderboegh's online novel Absolved, which depicts underground militia fighters who declare war on the federal government over gun control laws and same-sex marriage, leading to a second American revolution. Vanderboegh is not alone in promoting such insurrectionism: several right-wing media figures, including other gun rights bloggers, have suggested the possibility of political violence or revolution as a means of responding to progressive policies. Read More

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