MSNBC has recently reported on the prosperity gospel of Televangelist Kenneth Copeland, which appears to be benefiting mostly---Kenneth Copeland and his relatives. Kenneth Copeland, 71, is a pioneer of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that believers are destined to flourish spiritually, physically and financially — and share the wealth with…
Check out this video: McCain is pointedly reminding the Wall Street Journal that media access isn't free. If you don't write nice things about McCain, you might not get any story at all. The accompanying article and video provide both the incident and the motive. If reporter Elizabeth Holmes shapes…
Here's a standard account of autism, from Wikipedia: Autism is a brain development disorder that first gives signs during infancy or childhood and generally follows a steady course without remission or relapse. Impairments result from maturation-related changes in various systems of the brain. Autism is one of the five pervasive…
We like to believe, as Americans, that this country is a meritocracy. The idea---Horatio Alger, Thomas Edison, McGuyver, all emblematic of this notion---that the best qualified rise to the top, that those who can display and apply ability, skill, and intelligence are the ones who are selected---either by themselves or…
This was the third year I attended the National Conference for Media Reform sponsored by Free Press. This year's conference was held in Minneapolis. As in previous media reform conferences, I was reminded about many of the hurdles faced by those American citizens who are attempting to get serious and coherent coverage of the news. By "news," I mean the type of information that is critically important in order to prepare us to make good decisions as citizens (i.e., voting). One of the most distressing things one learns from attending the conference is that very little news is available to those watch local TV "news" and read their local "news"papers. One of the fundamental principles of Free Press is that there cannot be a healthy democracy without a vigorous news media. The problem is that our news media is sickly, poisoned by rampant commercialism. The modern corporate media is over-consolidated to such an extent that it reflexively kowtows to political power and repeatedly refuses to challenge abuses of that power.
McChesney/Nichols - Part I
Topics covered in Part I: