Permanent link to MTA daily media news

Proof Bin Laden Tape Is 5-Year-Old, Re-Released Footage
Though some reports included the proviso that the tape could contain old footage, the importance and ceremony attached to the re-release of the Bin Laden tape over the weekend left the distinct impression that the footage was new and that it correlated with the alleged increase of “chatter” amongst terrorist organizations indicating that a new attack is imminent… In reality, the tape was being released for the third consecutive time, having first popped up in 2002 before re-airing again in 2003. The footage of Bin Laden was filmed six years ago in October 2001.

Curious Timing
Hot on the heels of [Tuesday]’s release of the declassified NIE on Al Qaeda, the U.S. military in Baghdad announced today that it has captured a top leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq… [T]he capture took place two weeks ago but was not announced until [Wednesday]… And the detainee just happened to confess to a greater level of coordination between AQ in Iraq and Osama bin Laden’s global AQ, right in line with the official White House line.

Getting filibusters backwards
Josh Marshall has been documenting just how irresponsible the media has been in neglecting to report on GOP filibusters, leading to widespread confusion as to why Congress isn’t passing legislation. Now, once the media finally brings itself to start introducing the word to the public, major news outlets get it backwards. I can almost understand [Fred] Barnes screwing this up, but Diane Sawyer has been a professional political correspondent in DC since 1978.

Kyl, McCain Obstruct Defense Bill, Then Dishonestly Blame Reid For Not Funding The Troops
Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) raced to the television cameras this afternoon to offer hyperbolic attacks against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, following Reid’s decision to pull the entire Defense Authorization bill from consideration. McCain and Kyl were quick to dishonestly politicize Reid’s maneuver, after obstructing passage of the bill over opposition to an Iraq redeployment amendment.

The Politico Sewer
Noting that the Politico’s posting of “another vapid, petty and inane ‘news story’–the type of story which has, in just a few short months, become its hallmark”: An account of the $300 that Republican Mitt Romney spent on makeup consulting. While this might be seen as a “balance” to the Politico’s obsessive coverage of John Edwards’ $400 haircut, the rest of the media showed little sign of leaping on the Romney story the way they had with Edwards–and that to the extent that the left wing of the blogosphere paid attention to the story, it was mostly to condemn it.

Tucker Carlson on Clinton: “[W]hen she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs”
[P]roducer Willie Geist described a Clinton doll being advertised at the website HillaryNutcracker.com that features “serrated stainless steel thighs that, well, crack nuts,” according to Geist. He introduced the story by saying, “I think the metaphor in this next story, Tucker, is pretty clear. So I will just report the straight facts.” He later asked, “What do you think they’re saying about Hillary?” Host Tucker Carlson replied, “I have often said, when she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs.”

With no objection from Novak, Scarborough falsely cleared Rove of leaking Plame’s identity
At the beginning of his conversation with Novak, Scarborough said the press “followed [the CIA leak investigation] like a pack of dogs talking about was it Rove, is it [Vice President Dick] Cheney, is it [President] Bush, who was it, who was it, and when they found out it was [then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard] Armitage, everybody kind of yawned and went on.”

O’Reilly defends comparison of Daily Kos to Nazis and KKK
During the July 17 edition of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, discussing comments he made the previous night comparing the Daily Kos blog to the Nazi Party and to the Ku Klux Klan, host Bill O’Reilly asserted that “[t]he comparison is valid.”

Larry Flynt says he has 30 more names!
Larry Flynt told Larry King that he has at least 30 more names to release in his quest to expose Republican hypocrisy. And ye shall be shocked at a certain Senator that he has left unnamed so far.

When the governor of Texas asks you to do something…
Dick Cheney offered The Weekly Standard’s Stephen F. Hayes enormous access for his new … book… Cheney tells Hayes why he agreed to be Bush’s running mate. “If the president of the United States asks you to do something, you really have an obligation to try to do it, if you can.” Hayes apparently didn’t follow up, which is a shame. When Bush asked Cheney to join the ticket, he wasn’t president of the United States, he was the governor of Texas.

Cult of the Amateur? Keen v. Weinberger
David Weinberger (Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder) … “Amateurs aren’t driving out the pros… The old media are available on line. If some falter, other credentialed experts will emerge… The history of the Web so far says that we are highly motivated to come up with ways to make sense of a world richer and more interesting than the constrained resources of the traditional media let on.”

Old Media More Trusted Than New When It Comes To Politics
About three-quarters of people surveyed last month said they look to mainstream media, rather than the Internet, for political information.

Hypocritical Editorial Policies
Henry Fernandez on The New Haven Register’s policy to advocate for immigrant rights in its Spanish-language paper and against them in its English-language paper.

Contract Reporters at the Washington Post?
The Post identified the person who wrote an article on the progress of a new farm bill as ” contract writer for the newspaper and a fellow with the German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan public policy institution that promotes understanding between the United States and Europe.” This raises a whole set of questions that I will leave others to consider (e.g. is the German Marshall Fund paying this person’s salary? If so, can other institutions pay to get someone on the staff of the Post, such as the Heritage Foundation or the American Petroleum Institute?).

Dow Jones CEO Tells Employees They Have A Bright Future
In a memo to employees, Dow Jones CEO Richard Zannino sought to ease concerns over the board of directors Tuesday night vote authorizing a sale to Rupert Murdoch and the upcoming Bancroft family meeting to consider the sale, telling workers, “News Corp. sought us out because we have successful businesses and products to offer.”

U.S. Gov’t Gave Away Billions Worth Of Spectrum
A study by the New America Foundation has found that spectrum holders have successfully used lobbying to acquire more than $100 billion of spectrum.

Is The Fairness Doctrine Fair Game? A PEJ Backgrounder
It’s been off the books since the FCC repealed it two decades ago. But an old rule regulating content on the airwaves has suddenly become a topic on Capitol Hill and on the talk radio circuit. Is the Fairness Doctrine really headed for a comeback?

iPhone to Spur Growth in the Mobile Video Industry?
Interpret, the media research firm, has reported that … even in the few weeks since the iPhone’s release, 63% of users have viewed videos on the mobile device, in comparison to 28% of regular cell phone users. And what are iPhone users watching? YouTube, of course.

The downturn in the newspaper industry is getting worse
In the first quarter, revenue for every major ad category — classified, national and retail advertising — was down, reports Emily Steel. The sharpest declines were for classifieds, where spending dropped 13.2%.

Fresno Bee sends advertising production work to India
Seven of 31 workers in the Bee’s advertising design department will lose their jobs. “This is a difficult decision for the newspaper to make, but the Fresno Bee needs to operate more efficiently,” says a Bee veep.

Some junk-food ads cut from kids’ diets
Eleven of the nation’s biggest food and beverage companies are junking ads for junk food on kids’ TV shows. Products include candy bars, soda pop and sugar-laden cereals, including such brands as Trix — famously advertised for decades as being “for kids.”… Companies aim to placate legislators who may crack down on food marketing amid rampant childhood obesity.

Arbitron Releases Radio Ratings From Houston PPM
Arbitron Wednesday released the first radio ratings from the Houston portable people meter ratings service. It’s the second radio market to transition to electronic measurement.