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xchrom

(108,903 posts) Sat Dec 28, 2013, 07:18 AM Dec 2013

The P.U.-Litzers: Here Are the Stinkiest Media Moments of 2013

http://www.alternet.org/media/pu-litzers-here-are-stinkiest-media-moments-2013

Magical Politicians Award: Mark Halperin

On NBC's Meet the Press (11/10/13), Time reporter Mark Halperin had this to say about New Jersey's Republican governor: "Chris Christie is someone who is magical in the way politicians can be magical, like our last three presidents."

--The Sponsors Speak Award: PBS

The January 23 episode of PBS series Nova was a mostly upbeat report on drones and surveillance. What viewers may not have known about "Rise of the Drones" was that it was funded in part by Lockheed Martin--the giant aerospace corporation that just happens to be a major drone manufacturer.

--Perfect Weapons Award: Brooke Baldwin, Tom Foreman

When it appeared that the US would carry out a military attack on Syria, some CNN reporters stepped right into Pentagon PR mode. Anchor Brooke Baldwin (8/30/13) declared that US warships "can carry cruise missiles able to strike targets more than 1,000 miles away with pinpoint accuracy." A few days later, CNN correspondent Tom Foreman (9/2/13) told viewers: "Cruise missiles are extraordinary weapons. They're very reliable. They have pinpoint accuracy."

--The Richard Cohen Award: Richard Cohen

The Washington Post columnist attempted to write a piece about the GOP and racism--but wound up revealing his own (11/11/13): "People with conventional views must repress a gag reflex when considering the mayor-elect of New York--a white man married to a black woman and with two biracial children.... To cultural conservatives, this doesn't look like their country at all." This wasn't Cohen's only racist outburst this year; this summer ( 7/16/13), he said that while he was sorry that Trayvon Martin had been gunned down, he was "wearing a uniform we all recognize."