Numbers released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which is part of the U.S. Federal Statistical System producing data and official statistics, show that the U.S. economy grew by an astonishing 6.9 percent annual rate from October to December 2021. That puts the growth of the U.S. economy for 2021 at 5.7 percent in 2021. Despite the ongoing pandemic, this is the fastest full-year growth since 1984.
A copy of my note to PBS RE: 1/25/22 News Hour segment with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith: I hope this helps a little:
It distresses me that this feature seems so negative in its nature, week after week. I am not sure of its purpose. How informative or accurate are the polls themselves?
In contrast, I think President Biden has done quite a good job in his first year under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike the former president, he is a coalition builder and sincerely wants to build a more unified America. He brings a bit of dignity back to the office. Mr. Biden and our nation are being tried by the world's superpowers all the while. Despite all this, the economy has survived a pandemic and a terribly skewed wealth differential.
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
There is a distinct bias to this program, and I doubt it serves the purpose of informing us viewers.
Hope, the reason for all the negativity - yes, even on NPR - is that dirt and negativity sells. Period. Also, NPR is, in the minds of most Americans, a liberal mouthpiece and I think they're trying to fit into the mix. No one seems to want to hear Mr. Roger's message: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... sadly. Just think of all the pushback of a "National Public" news station: communism, the right has said for decades. I for one am grateful to NPR and have supported them wherever I've lived. But if they keep on the track of placating the republicans, they can forget my support.
Keep in mind that PBS and NPR are not the same thing. I haven't watched PBS News Hour in years. They live in a different universe than I do. I do listen to NPR, and find a wide range of perspectives and commentary, which I can engage with.
You know what? I don't give a fig how the "Right" (whatever that is, really) perceives either NPR or PBS. What I care about is being clear about how people looking for accurate and thoughtful news, observations, and commentary perceive where they get their information. I'm tired of conversations that get jerked into being about the "Right" instead of looking for ways to get stuff done to fix where we're at right now. So I'll continue being a sustaining member of both NPR and PBS (whose programs come from various sources- there is a wide choice), and I will continue to write letters to programs and producers.
I will also continue to support public radio and television. I may reduce my considerable annual donations with communication for the reason. The local sources are at the heart of providing the programming, not the creators, but they need to know they are supporting groups who vote against their very existence, by shows that skew their reporting. I think Frontline and many special programs support our “need to know.” I’ll definitely watch with a more critical eye. I don’t want to live in Orwell’s 1984 and hear only one voice.
The thing is, there are some very good perspectives and ideas coming from both conservative and liberal ideologies. Our challenge is to weave a coherent pathway forward that incorporates the best of these not-so-diametrically-opposed modes of thought.
The word "NEVER" is a big word with big connotations. The more pertinent question might be "How come you seem to not ever listen or read to the media who are doing just that?"
"The bulk of NPR's funding comes from corporate sponsors and fees it receives from affiliate radio stations. Congress approves the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's annual budget two years in advance." Here's a link with pie graph to the breakdown of who pays.
PBS is a regular source for me - not the only one, not even the primary one. But I do support them (we have two PBS stations where I live). Not being a radio person, NPR doesn't enter my world.
It was interesting to hear an interview with former Fox reporter Gretchen Carlson on CNN where she really lays into Fox News for what it has become. In her words, "now obsessed with non-factual conspiracy theories". She lamented that it seems so many Republicans in Congress are marching to the tunes of someone like Tucker Carlson, and now cozying up to Russia and Putin. They're afraid of displeasing him. Hello?? And she also thought it alarming that Fox personalities directly had the ear of the President* on January 6th. As a journalist she sees the grave danger in such a set-up. It's no wonder she, and some others, have found the atmosphere there so troubling and had to leave.
Maybe. But, I do think Fox has gotten worse in the past 5-6 years since they became T***p's personal mouthpiece. Even since Biden's term started they have become steadily more and more strident and off-the-walls Loony Toons. I can't imagine what the atmosphere around there must be like right now. Lies, paranoia, back-biting, vastly inflated egos, etc....what fun!
Yes! It’s disappointing to see a trusted news source NPR, turn and change. And the change is slow enough that viewers may not notice. Especially if that’s their only source.
They've been placating Republicans for at least a decade. Their idea of "balance" on a story is to have a right-bent polemicist lining up against a responsible journalist. How else to explain the continued presence of the execrable Barbara Bradley Hagerty and her constant attempts to make Evangelicals appear to be the "mainstream" of American religious thought?
I consider that it is important to be aware of the perspectives of people who look at things differently than I do. How can I carry on a meaningful conversation otherwise. In Hagerty's world, that is likely a reality. But keep in mind that you are doing exactly the same thing, by requiring that your world contains only people who see things as you do. Hagerty might be right that Evangelicals are now the mainstream of American (Christian) thought. That's important to know. Of course, there is a context missing: the number of people who do not consider themselves religious, or who adhere to a growing body of folks who are exploring other spiritual paths. Evangelical thought is diminishing in that context. They are just willing to make loud fools of themselves insisting that they and only they matter.
I don't mind a different view. I just want it presented honestly. She's done stuff like presenting "Catholic in the street" interviews about John Kerry without revealing her interviewees were Republican activists.
Hope. Such a good letter! Where did you send? ( the actual email address) The relentless undermining is so disturbing. Infuriating actually. I too watch newshour every night. How great it would be if Judy just commented one time on this phenomenon rather than just endorsing everything that comes out of their mouths as brilliant spot on assessments.
Hope, in addition to sending this to PBS and the producers, send a copy to the underwriters of the program - national and local and let them know you won’t be using their services/products. As a former PBS news producer and fundraiser, I know that hitting them in the pocketbook works far better than attempting to influence news direction/analysis. Excellent letter; great work! Thank you. Going to do this myself today. Sick to death of the media BS.
I’ve read many of your comments and agree that President Biden really has done a solid job but that the news media isn’t fairly representing it as honestly and clearly as they might. We can and should bemoan this since what gets said enough times starts to become the story people internalize. This is why an historian like Dr Richardson is so important as she has the training and talent to provide a more accurate and appropriate interpretation of current events comprising the history being made as it is happening. Nonetheless, we live in the world as it is and our news media is big business. I think Dr Richardson would be quick to point out that the media has always been very interested in successfully selling its “product”. Lincoln, Roosevelt, Grant, Truman, ….really, all our presidents…would likely commiserate with Biden. Joe knows that the story gets written after things happen and he is very focused on trying to make things happen but he must continue to also try to do a better job of helping the American people understand the impact of what’s already been done, so that they’ll more enthusiastically embrace his vision for what comes next. That’s a hard one for all of us…right? Well, say a prayer for our good president that he keeps with it as I know he hopes he will and that our country during the Biden Administration will keep making solid progress that will encourage more Americans to support his leadership.
They are in the self promoting business, they are never introduced without the same long repetitive description of who they are affiliated with, which is themselves. The NH also cuts people off when they have something to say because they are going to run out of time and yet they have plenty of time for their breathless happy talk with it’s sing song lilting. They have fallen a long way from their beginnings as the MLNH. Judy seems clueless, maybe she was smart at one time, but not anymore, I don’t know if it’s the TD that’s calling the show that’s distracting her in her ear piece, or if she just doesn’t listen to what her guests are saying and has her own agenda, either way the show seems to have lost it’s way and it’s a parody of what it once was, hard news reporting it’s not anymore, and they want us to fund them?
McNeil Leher News Hour was how it started, TD is the Technical Director, that's the person that calls the show technically, whenever the shot changes pan, zoom, cut to another taped piece, cut to another camera on the set, there are probably 3 or 4 on the set, all of whom are being given instructions in real time about what the TD wants them to be doing next. The show is taped in the afternoon probably 3 - 5, they mention the market close which happens at 5, but that could be a little piece that they cut into the rest of the show.
PBS has plenty of company in what used to be the reliable press. The level of intelligence, clarity, and just plain information is a disgrace - no a disaster.
To summarize in case you can't view it, he said, "Trying to tell readers and viewers whether Biden is winning or losing on a given issue, or what he and his opponents are saying about one another — the practice of horse-race-style journalism — takes away from what’s really at stake for the public. But that’s what we have come to be subjected to."
After reading this piece, I started looking for more about horse-race journalism/reporting. It's been discussed before regarding election campaigns; see:
If journalists tend to look for winners and losers, or overemphasize polling numbers, I think we have to call them out and also look for and follow good journalism when we see it. Let's support people who really know how to analyze and write, and don't fall into the less than helpful trap of horse-race reporting.
Amy Walter Tamara Keith and Judy Woodruff likened Biden‘s gaffe calling a reporter a stupid sob when he thought he was off mic ,for which he apologized, to Reagan’s flippant and irresponsible and dangerous remark about bombing Russia when he thought he was off mic. That was irresponsible.
Certainly unstatesmanlike and disappointing, in a way. But it shows how he really feels and I appreciate knowing that. Most of the time he is just being civil, in spite of the stupid questions or reporters who are known to bait him. Is it really such a big deal?
A copy of my note to PBS RE: 1/25/22 News Hour segment with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith: I hope this helps a little:
It distresses me that this feature seems so negative in its nature, week after week. I am not sure of its purpose. How informative or accurate are the polls themselves?
In contrast, I think President Biden has done quite a good job in his first year under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike the former president, he is a coalition builder and sincerely wants to build a more unified America. He brings a bit of dignity back to the office. Mr. Biden and our nation are being tried by the world's superpowers all the while. Despite all this, the economy has survived a pandemic and a terribly skewed wealth differential.
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
There is a distinct bias to this program, and I doubt it serves the purpose of informing us viewers.
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
I had read the Washington Post article earlier and given all the positive news that came from the White House today cements my thinking that Biden could not do any good in their paid off eyes. They aren't the only news outlet that has turned their back on Biden.
I watched the daily presser from the White House the other day to witness a well deserved spanking from Jen Psaki to Kaitlyn Collins. Collins chose to use the Trump route of bullshit questions and was schooled to the point of dropping her head without recourse. Least we forget, Collins is from CNN, not FOX Entertainment. But then, it's pretty much the same nowadays. I have to question how someone who used to be an entertainment reporter gets a press pass, but then how did a reality show host get to be President?
I am very much fine tuning my sources for news. I don't need the chatter, none of us do.
I come here to Heather for facts without drama and the daily White House briefings to hear what news comes out before it it spun.
Be safe. Be well. Take care if you are on the east coast. This snowstorm is going to be a doozy.
The White Press briefings look increasingly like Press Secretary Psaki is babysitting kindergartners. Her professionalism and patience fielding inane, click bait question after question are a sight to see. I admire her greatly. We no longer have credible journalists in the USA. We have performance reporters.
I basically lost respect for much of the WH Press Corps when they threw a big party for Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the end of her tenure after she spent her whole time lying to them, ignoring them, or berating them. Actually, that was just the topper as the majority failed miserably at asking follow-up questions. They valued access over performing their job as the Fourth Estate bolstering democracy. Too many unfortunately, wittingly or not, joined the forces undermining democracy. This shift is alarming. My three local TV news stations in SW Florida (two owned by same company) provide national news heavily slanted to the radical right. I do worry about so many people receiving disinformation and misinformation. Thank god for HCR and historians, but we are all fighting something so big. As Heather seems to say, our hope is that ultimately “the people” writ large will not let democracy slip away. Despite the odds, we must work harder than ever to try to save democracy in 2022.
Unfortunately not so much anymore. There was a good discussion/analysis in the comments in another one of Dr. Richardson's blogs. Some folks made some good observations about the not so great direction NPR is headed. I just can't remember which blog it was. Anyone?
That discussion continues further down today’s comments. What a challenge to find trustworthy sources and to continue to support the public sources. I’m not ready to end my support but they need to hear from us.
The news has certainly slid. I no longer listen to NPR news except as a sort of alert- then I find programs or other sources to deepen my understanding. But please remember that NPR carries many other programs that are well-worth supporting. If folks are reluctant to support NPR financially, don't stop listening! They help support some of the finest programs on the air. Explore those- some places will have on playlist, but a lot of these programs are also available via podcast AND NEED DIRECT support to keep going. Pick one or more that speaks to you and send in a few dollars to help them keep going. (One of my faves is Reveal.)
I think it depends on which program you listen to. I've thought that NPR at times (again depending on what you're listening to) seems to bending over backwards to show the world they are unbiased. This can mean occasionally sounding more sympathetic to issues on the right. I don't mind that per se as I think I am--and the rest of us on here are--intelligent enough high-order primates to discern slant/bias in stories and reporting. Fine. In the increasingly partisan atmosphere in this country, people at either left or right extremes tend to gravitate toward their reporting of choice, not to be challenged, but to have their beliefs validated. It might be good to aim for the former--being challenged--rather than the latter--mere validation. That's just my personal view...a big "IMO". I seek out a wide variety of sources in my daily news and views "wallow", preferring as centrist/neutral as I can find, with some right leaning and some left leaning. As one goes into more extreme right or left sources and programs, things get, IMO, more shrill and that turns me off. NPR, to me, is mainly centrist with occasional forays into right or left views, but I listen to it for many other things rather than just news. I don't watch TV news hardly at all--NBC Nightly News while I'm having dinner, but I've been doing that most of my life. So much of TV news seems to barely scratch the surface. I tend to use print journalism as my mainstay of getting information because it can probe even deeper into things that a 2 minute sound byte can't cover. Too many people seem to rely on like one TV news station (CNN or Fox, for example) for their news, which I think can be a bit narrow, and don't bother to dig around in the rest of what's out there. Again, this is all just my take on things. I think one could certainly do worse than relying only on NPR, but I tend to seek out a variety of coverage of current events and issues. I cannot totally trust only one source, but that's just me...
No, Bruce, not just you. Many of us, and many people we might not think are doing that kind of exploration. I see people come on here, thinking it was like a support group. Well, it is, but the conversation here often explores things from a number of perspectives I might not have come across otherwise. What I really appreciate here is people listening to one another and growing, learning how to use history to understand how we got where we are, how to get involved without feeling overwhelmed, how to consider perspectives different from their assumptions. It is impressive. And I keep learning. I talked to a man the other day who had taken a break from Fox because someone on YouTube said some thing that made him question his own acceptance of Fox. It all started to sound repetitive to him. He questioned the wisdom of Jan 6th, and started listening to some NPR, and since he has tv, probably some programs on there. He was feeling his way, and got around to asking my thoughts. I stayed away from criticism, and talked about how very few things have only one side, that most have many, and that no one media can be expected to know all the nuances. We talked for quite a while, and I got a sense of a person who was beginning to recognize that his well-being wasn't being served well by the rightists. He was pretty disillusioned by the Trump movement, and I think seeking a way out. I'll see him again (we live in the same area), and looking forward to talking with him.
Well, let us hope and pray he's not the only one and that the scales may be falling from some others' eyes as well. And the way you handled it is the way to do it...not by making the other person feel bad for what they may have thought at one time. You just plant a few ideas and then let their thought processes do the rest. There ARE some on that side who do think critically--plenty of loud-mouths who don't, but those are the hopeless causes. The kind of dialogue you engaged in is what gives me hope.
"but I tend to seek out a variety of coverage of current events and issues. I cannot totally trust only one source, but that's just me..."
Higher educations helps us to discover a convincing/logical understanding about a concept/issue.
We are taught to fully research data from many informational resources both pro and con.
Then we employ CRITICAL THINKING to gain confidence about our understanding of that concept.
We are rewarded by a grade commensurate to the research effort expended.
Americans today are spoon fed "information" that is the most conveniently accessible while rushing around buying things, doing errands, waiting in doctors offices, having lunch, etc.
Very little time/effort is expended in obtaining vetted information both pro and con to be analyzed and formalized into a reasonable understanding which can then be used in a discussion/debate employing critical thinking...like yelling in disagreement at our TV's during "News Hour" Eh!?
This reminds me that I want to give Ari Melber some positive feedback for his show last night confronting the bias in the media. About time someone addressed it head on!!
"I have to question how someone who used to be an entertainment reporter gets a press pass, but then how did a reality show host get to be President?" - in a nut shell - well said Linda!
I agree with your assessment of Collins. She's only about herself and is not a reporter, in my opinion. I ceased watching CNN largely because of people like her. And as for the Washington Post, my reaction to their negative analysis of just about everything Biden does is NOT to amplify anything that has its usual agenda to present an always half empty glass when that glass is, in fact, near to brimming over.
Where are we without children? (This from a pagan lesbian who swore off childbearing due to climate catastrophe and over-population.)
May Joe Manchin meet his fate. And soon.
Registering voters, working for democracy, advocating for excellence in education and health care...Resist, my friends, this tide of complacency and co-optation. This nation resounds for democracy, for choice, for green growth. If not now, when?
Just remember that if Manchin "meets his fate" the guy who will be appointed in his place will make him look like the most flaming liberal you ever saw anywhere.
True true, TC. And in 2022, elections will demonstrate the people's choice. I am holding my breath that Ds will turn out in record numbers. If not, we are lost for years.
kim, From several of your postings, I’m confident you don’t intend merely to hold your breath. I imagine you’ll be out there with the rest of us mobilizing both the base and sporadic, hesitant voters who lean Democratic.
Over-population though, is largely due to longevity, also where it used to depend on lower infant mortality. So where will we be with an ever smaller share of children? Michael Bales' post above suggests the question is becoming even more alarming.
Olof, it is probably time to "invest" in nursing homes where families drop off their people who are too old to "live", but, still have a heartbeat and eat and fall and require a lot of time ( and do all the rest of that nasty stuff that goes with a heartbeat).
Seems you are writing about the old age care we have here in Sweden. As long as you can stay home with some assistance from the commune you can have that, and it can be increased with increasing need. At some point it is however too much, and you can apply for a 'special housing', that is moving to a care home. The idea is that moving from home is difficult and confusing, so most people like to stay home as long as possible. Backside, of course, is that moving at the last stage is even more difficult and confusing; average survival in special housing is 6 months, and there is often shortage of places. But it is not "drop off", visits are normally encouraged.
This system was what played out in the beginning of the pandemic, when so many elderly people died: concentrations of very frail people, kept alive for years partly by very successful vaccination programs against the regular flu. In some places, like Stockholm, where 40% of the people working in special housing were only working hours and jumping in at different places, and as not fully employed they had no pay if they stayed home with symptoms; ideal for spreading the virus.
Covid-19 was a blessing, compared to the Spanish Flu, in that it did not hit our children and grandchildren. I (76) fully agreed with my sister (85): "please, don't do too much to the whole society in order to save us elderly a few months or years. Sensible regulation and vaccination is fine."
On an unrelated topic, Olof, I just learned that Robert and Carol Bly hosted Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer in their home (in my small home town of Madison in Western Minnesota). This was undoubtedly the first--and only--time that a winner of a Nobel Prize has visited Madison. I should add here that a Minnesota college--Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter--hosts a Nobel Conference every autumn. But you probably know that. I am acquainted with many alumni of that college. In fact, I have two cousins who attended that fine school. Furthermore, the teacher who inspired me to become a German teacher graduated from Gustavus just before joining the army as an interpreter during World War II.
I didn't even know there was a Gustavus Adolphus College, but well, I think we have more unrelated topics; that's why I suggested we continue on Messenger or e-mail.
Comic relief anyone? I do not know who wrote this, sorry!
Sarah was in the fertilized egg business. She had several hundred young pullets (young hens) and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. She kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so she bought some tiny bells and attached them to her roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so she could tell from a distance which rooster was performing. Now she could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
Sarah's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but one morning she noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When she went to investigate, she saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
To Sarah's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, and walk on to the next one.
Sarah was so proud of old Butch, she entered him in a show, and he became an overnight sensation among the judges. The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Peace Prize," they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention?
Vote carefully in the next election. You can't always hear the bells.
(If you don't send this on, you're a chicken...... no yolk)
LOL, but, as a vegetarian, I frown upon the prostitution and enslavement of animals. However, I can see an "Alternate" political punchline (as disturbing as it may be):
The Matt Gaetz moral:- Don't count your hens until they are laid.
A fine story ... other than erroneously including the Pulitzer prize which is for journalism and the arts. But perhaps it was Sarah who won it for writing about Butch.
I want to mention something that I thought was notable, in regard to all those texts pleading with Trump to try to stop the insurrection. The only Faux News host whose texts were missing, and the only one not to try to get Trump to stop the insurrection, was Tucker Carlson. When you consider that, and how hard Carlson has been working to normalize Russian propaganda and dictators, it suggests there’s a lot more going on between them than meets the eye.
I have to wonder about Jeff Bezos owning The Washington Post. Having one of the billionaires who has gained so much in the Damndemic owning a publication people — no matter how discerning — look to. Thanks, HRC, for keeping it real and starting the truth about growth and so much more. Personally? I am sick unto death of the filibuster, Joe Manchin, negativity-side reporting, The Big Lie, the Damndemic, Kyrsten Sinema, Tucker Carlson, DJT, tummy aches over the threat of Democracy hanging by a thinning thread, the carryover of Ronald Reagan’s devastatingly anti-democratic, disgusting and destructive policies, a few tech giants benefiting from public schools, roads, healthcare and more that all Americans pay for for their employees, making them filthier richer, Mitch McConnell’s double-dealing and Russia loving duplicity, the fact that Biden’s approval rating is a projection of how depressed exhausted and grieving Americans are instead of a reflection of the stellar job Biden is busting his rear to do to turn this U.S. party bus around. Seriously. We are paying for the sins of the Reagan administration in so, so many ways. History will prove his time and tone and tearing down of government was the beginning of the end of so much progress, ultimately paving the way for another bad actor Republithug to become a puppet of the Russians and the oligarchy by playing the “government is the problem” trump card that empowered the Orange Menace to trash protective systems from the inside out. I am breathing. Gonna meditate. Advocate for so many good policy shifts. Keep working to prevent and heal trauma; build resiliency in my job and personal life. See as much of this beautiful nation as I can before my time is up. Keep reading HRC here and in her books, and keep enjoying the posts of you incredibly wise and justice seeking patriots. Thanks for being here. Despite Damndemic isolation, your presence here helps defy my sometimes sense of loneliness. Peace, and thank you all. Oh. And let’s all thank the wonderfully idealistic and selfless Justice Breyer for his optimism and timely retirement.
You have doubts about WaPo because it is owned by Bezos. And have unreserved praise for HCR who often cites WaPo as a reliable source. Hmmm...
Fair enough to critique individual articles and dismiss consistently lying columnists such as Tucker Carlson wannabe Marc Thiessen. But ... baby and bathwater?
Yeah, it's doing that to me again. Odd, other times it works, then all of a sudden it stops. Didn't realize I was so attached to that little icon. To me it means more than "I agree" or "I like what you said", because a lot of the time what it means most is that I connected with somebody in some way.
It's maddening. Instead of using my tablet with touch screen, I am now using my laptop with a mouse. No response to several clicks, but then when I started to type this, all the hearts popped up!
Because, generally speaking, people are far less concerned with economic growth figures than they are with their own lives, they’re far more likely to feel the brunt of surging inflation, rising gas prices, pandemic fatigue, the dissolution of the child tax credit, not to mention the failure to deliver universal child care and Pre-K, investments in housing, in elder care, and in climate. And, regardless of who’s to blame, voters will blame Democrats, who control both Houses and the White House. As for the media, its programming is likely to reflect public sentiment. Change the dynamic of the public’s narrative and the stories that get reported likely will shift accordingly.
My proposed remedy has not changed from my previous postings: I repeat that, nationwide, the country needs an Educator-in-Chief to educate the general public about what they’re losing every time President Biden’s agenda is stalled.
S. Mikelle, For the millions whose wages don’t come close to keeping up with inflation, I expect most are living paycheck to paycheck. In many cases, I imagine the family income is only sustained by more people working longer hours. And still they’re likely weighted down by mortgage debt, credit card debt, and more.
We are the ones who have to change the dynamic of the public's perception. Too many of us tuck what we way inside our little silos. We should be writing short, clear letters to editors, advertizers, talking to our neighbors, getting involved in all the small ways that we have available to us. Instead, too many of us seem to be waiting for some sort of messiah to fix it all for us.
Annie, To clarify, my intent was not to convey that we sit, and watch and wait. Like you, I believe in a democracy it’s us that have to become engaged. I, further, would note that our collective energy, our caring, and our work puts us in charge of our own destinies. Still, I will continue to press for a centralized Educator-in-Chief who insures that the Administration’s mission is broadly heard and understood.
I believe the title for that position is Press Secretary. As for "centralized educator in chief", I suspect that the response to anything like that will be "propaganda" and it would blow up big time.
Annie, So not to lose sight of my original intent, scratch the word “centralized.” Additionally, bear in mind that an educator or explainer-in chief, who speaks directly to the people, is hardly a press Secretary. Returning to my original phrasing, because of two Democratic obstructionists, I believe the people, particularly in Arizona and West Virginia, need to hear precisely what they’re losing every time the BBB agenda or minimal voter protection legislation is stalled.
Barbara, I agree with your underlying intent, but yes, the concept of centralizing the source of info scares the be-jesus out of me. I believe the threads about calling on certain parts of the media to do their job has made a lot of good suggestions. Also the threads about learning how to do effective outreach. The "Explainers" are us, standing up and speaking out, instead of pointing fingers. Listen to Elizabeth Warren, Robert Reich-- there are many others who are doing this in a public way. I could name more, but I STILL haven't had my cup of coffee. Have to fix that.
Annie, The mere fact that you could name several “explainers” and, yet, many people, at best, only partially know what’s in either legislative package indicates the need for something more. Hence, stated a bit differently, I will continue to press for a “designated Explainer-in-Chief.”
On a personal note, I would observe that your questioning has compelled me both to test and clarify my thinking. So, thank you.
Yes. Education of the public. If it's not spelled out clearly for us, many of us don't know. And it needs to broadly available as you say, and I add required and pushed. There needs to be a check on what's permitted on cable -- verifiable lies must be forbidden.
Stuart, Fortunately, at this time, in this place, the leaders presently in power at the federal level are committed to setting the country on a path aimed at insulating it from a fatal weakening of its civic institutions.
“…they’re far more likely to feel the brunt of surging inflation, rising gas prices, pandemic fatigue, the dissolution of the child tax credit,…”
Precisely. These day in , day out pocketbook issues will be what turns the Congress over to the Republicans at midterms. The Supreme Court is lost. Next up the Congress.
I’m thinking that what we are seeing now is the last hurrah for the Democratic Party as an effective political force at the national level.
"A quote falsely attributed to George Orwell saying that people who elect corrupt politicians are not victims but accomplices is circulating online. The Orwell Society and The Orwell Foundation confirmed to Reuters that this quote does not belong to the English writer."
H.A. Rose, Though there are days I feel the same as you, I know I have to get back in the fight and do all I can to support getting at least some of BBB passed. Ditto voter protection legislation.
I'm with you, Barbara. I'm worried, but I am also tired of listening to people whine iinstead of doing what ever small thing they can to make a difference. Tired of people making scapegoats out of publications because they are offended by one article. We can do better than this, can't we?
Annie, I take heart from the presence of the determined and astute people on this thread plus the host of others with whom I communicate regularly to trust that our commitment will propel us to a moral awakening, a sense of what it is to be a citizen among citizens.
In the early 1980's "supply-side economics" was a central theory for economic analysis and "sold" as a tool to help fight inflation. Having just finished an MBA program, trying to get a foothold in the investment management business, and grinding my way through the annual Chartered Financial Analyst exams, I remember regurgitating (to pass the exams) the salient points of the Laffer Curve and supply-side economics which had yet to play out in practice. 25 years later, one of my kids (in an MBA program) voraciously (and correctly) challenged those misguided theories/policies.
I could not agree more with the observations of today's letter and the sentences below. And, I too have felt the disappointment/frustration that the media seems more disingenuous with superficial and somewhat misleading reporting of the actual successes garnered by the Biden Administration.
"Biden’s plan, Yellen explained, has focused on 'labor supply, human capital, public infrastructure, R&D, and investments in a sustainable environment.' Rather than focusing on putting money into the hands of the 'demand side' of the economy—consumers—it focuses on developing a strong labor force in a strong democracy to create growth through hard work and innovation."
"On January 21, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained to the World Economic Forum that the Biden administration rejected Republican supply-side economics, ushered in during the Reagan administration. That system relied on tax cuts and aggressive deregulation to spark private capital—the supply side—to drive the economy. Supply-side economics has not increased growth, Yellen said, while it has failed to address climate change and has shifted money upward as it moved the burden of taxes from capital and put it on workers."
I don't read in the field of economics, so this is from a layperson's perspective. It seems that Yellen has articulated a paradigm shift from the simplistic binary of "supply-side economics" versus "demand-side economics" to this more nuanced and qualitative operational definition of "supply." (Please correct me if I'm off base.)
The policy derived from this distinction is working, and public perception of its success will take awhile. We can all do our parts in following up on Heather's work to broadcast this good news far and wide, including complaints to media who continue pursuit of revenue based on sensationalizing negativity.
I BELIEVED that Reagan BS about cutting taxes, welfare and "voodoo" (supply side) economics.
But, it turns out that old man Bush I was right. Supply side economics WAS just VOODOO.
Because, instead of tax receipts increasing like the lies said they would, they decreased and Reagan became the FIRST president since WW II to run a (giagantic $2 Trillion (1987) dollar deficit.
NOBODY seems able to read a graph and see this in the 10 seconds or so a google search takes to return the graph and realize Republican policy lies were lies and that "policy", well, that failed too.
I think most of us here feel a warm ray of hope reading MikeS's comments, and I agree with you, MLMinET. There are so many friends in this forum who also give me hope, with their astute observations, their links to more learning, and most of all their activism. You all keep me plugging away doing my small part
I recommend reading Dean Baker of Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) for explanations of economic news which I can often get the gist of, though I never took Econ 101. He offers his book free to download, about how the economy is rigged. (Paul Krugman just gave Dean Baker credit for being one of the first to see the 2000s housing bubble forming. I suspect the pharmaceutical industry prevents Baker from getting many interviews because he offers a solution to high prescription drug prices.)
Mike - I was dragged in as well!! The Vietnam protest years were behind us, we were young, starting careers, families and I was fully entrenched at the local level fighting for school funding - only so much available "shelf space" in the brain to process much that was going on at the national level. 20 years ago I became involved (and remain so) with mentoring some "Lost Boys of Sudan" and my entire vantage point changed with very different real life experiences. As we so often say . . . youth is so wasted on the young!
Yes, theirs is an incredible story and I consider getting to know and become part of their lives a wonderful life journey I never expected when I first delivered a meal to an apartment with 5 gangly, really tall young men! Flash forward 20 years and between two families I have been closest to, I have 10 kids who I am grandma to! There are a lot of ups and downs as life is prone to be, but sharing it all has been an incredible honor and joy. We half our problems and double our happiness!
I guess HCR doesn't read the comments - pity - as there are some gems. However, as a conservation biologist, I find the continual harping on GROWTH, as terminally depressing. It's the current obsession with GROWTH (at all costs) that is causing our environmental problems - and it is so embedded in our psyches, that we can't imagine a steady state economy. Of course, when you are arrayed against the Repugs - you feel that you have to play their game, but in the long run - it is destructive, seriously destructive. Sadly, as I have said before, we are now almost all derived from an urban culture, almost completely disconnected from the real world, that is the biological world, - on which we are totally dependent (but don't appear to be aware of this). Can we change? Will the current impasse allow us??
"Sadly, as I have said before, we are now almost all derived from an urban culture, almost completely disconnected from the real world, that is the biological world"
Hugh, take heart my friend. I am planting 2200 native trees on 15 acres of my mixed ecosystem "farm". I already have 25 acres of native forest about 80 years old.
Just this past weekend I saw a mink at my pond. He/She was fishing the pond by flipping into the water and heading under the ice, then, flipping back out of the water to look around on the ice for any predator then, quick as a flash, back in the water. A very healthy mink on 2F day in upstate NY.
Not everyone is unconscious of nature and glued to their phone all day. I snow shoed all over my place having just hired and worked to remove 25 years of honeysuckle (invasive) bramble on those 15 acres. It was a cold, windless, beautiful, day with about 14 inches of snow on the ground. Alone. I heard the few birds, saw no turkey tracks, saw deer tracks, but the mink stays with me all week.
My husband's grandfather (who had gone to forestry school) bought 250 acres of land in the Catskills in the 1960's (some has since changed ownership but 2/3 remains in the family). It is surrounded by thousands of acres of NY State land and literally in the middle of no where! There used to be numerous dairy farms in the area . . . all were gone by the late 1990's. My husband and his cousins grew up with an appreciation for the land (they planted hundreds of trees in the day) which we passed along to our kids. We often "walked the property" and it was so restorative to our souls! But unlike his father and uncles, his generation never lived or retired there (with the exception of one who is now elderly and not in good health) so the upkeep and maintenance doesn't happen. One member of the fourth generation visits occasionally on weekends, but is not engaged in the care of the property.
Your mention of clearing an invasive bramble triggered a decades old memory of how much work it took all of us to clear an overgrown path to get to a pond where the kids had a small row boat!
Such an important perspective. Thank you. Grounding ourselves in the real, biological world will help steady our mental state (who doesn’t need that now?), and is one more path towards “girding our loins”.
Jeri, the environment and wildlife conservation are among the many things inextricably intertwined with how we manage our political future. As a former professional environmental analyst/planner/manager, I am now a volunteer citizen doing what I can to help. That means, right now, doing political stuff. Politics simply mean the process by which we make decisions as a community of humans. And right now it is the most important thing for me to do for the other communities I am part of.
Eugene Robinson wrote yesterday that Democrats were "moping" and in a "dour mood". I ripped off a reply he did not offer evidence of that in his column:
What evidence do you have that Democrats are "moping" and in a "sour mood"?
Maybe they're just exhausted. We have one party that is committed to governing. The Democrats are not just treading water; they are crafting transformational legislation. Dissension, discord and disappointment are to be expected. Democrats have a big tent but have managed to remain united.
Not only are the Democrats the only entity committed to governing, they are being assaulted on all fronts by the Right, the Left, foreign interference and the media, who have been vicious and vile in their criticism of President Biden and Vice President Harris. They have done a magnificent job in the face of tremendous obstacles and the forces who are actively working to undermine them. I've never been prouder to be a Democrat and I support President Biden and Vice President Harris 100%.
By the way, I live in Ohio, aka " The Heartland" (trademark) and I have yet to see a WaPo or NYT reporter visiting the urban haunts we Democrats frequent to to ask us about how we feel.
Well done, Kathleen. Thank you. I think all of us should read this, and maybe do some thinking about how we think about things. I like the way you set the record straight without hurling gratuitous insults. It's a good lesson to those of us who think scathing righteousness is effective, when mostly it is offputting. Your letter is anything but scathing, yet very effective in making your point and expressing your views.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback. I'm so tired of being negative in comments I make on various sites so I decided to express what I did appreciate and value. I will keep your words in mind about the power of positive framing!
Unfortunately he is probably referring to Democratic-leaning supporters....evidenced perhaps by the low level of Biden's popularity numbers which can't be explained by partisan GOP opposition. The Democratic supporters who will be voting in November are not getting the message of "Good News".
Thanks Fern, still, it's not a huge leap for the media to remind people that the Democrats created the child tax credit system that kept so many families afloat last year and it was the Republicans who killed it. The real story our media continues not to cover is Republican inaction/opposition/obfuscation to life changing policies the Democrats have brought forward.
Hi Fern, my position on these issues have not changed. I am simply tired of the large media outlets simplistic/fatalistic coverage of them. The child tax credit actually helped poor/marginal people. It was a Republican united "no" vote that killed it, not the Democrat's "infighting" or "ineptitude". Why is it being presented that way?
Glass Half Empty, heck Glass All the Way Empty, that's what sells.
There is one media outlet that does it best, but you know what?
They all do it.
Sometimes there is True Negative - a story with no upside (media coverage). But there is a whole lot of never ending, teenage cool, False Negative - it’s all bad, always bad (media coverage).
It’s time to grow up. At the very least, do a Side by Side, a Point / Counter Point. Help people think. Sell clarity. That would be Fair. That would be Balance.
That's such a killer quote "“I’ve never really felt it was society’s responsibility to take care of other people’s children" .it shows what the current "Republican" really stands for.
As for putting the blame on the Democrats for the demise of the payments - I despair. In what sense do these "Republican" legislators represent their constituents?
Hey. At this rate an editorial along the lines of Swift’s “ A ModestProposal”( eat unwanted children. Solves so many problems) could be appearing any day.
By constituents do you mean donors?? Thanks to disgraceful and fatal citizens united ruling constituents is not really the right word for who is being represented
they represent all those who they consider worthy of representing in their constituency....all those that actually voted for them.....and devil take the others.
For decades we've been plagued by right wing fallacious rhetoric and sophistry. It has largely achieved its goals. Both the rhetoric and its success continue to take their toll.
Recently we hear Republicans, to deflect attention from the findings of the January 6 committee, saying 'the 2020 election was the real insurrection.' But to fully savor right wing rhetorical perversity, consider their appropriation and weaponization of the term 'pro life'.
I have seen its first use ascribed to A. S. Neill in his 1960 book Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Childrearing - where he denounces socially accepted cruelty, from striking children, to ostracizing out of wedlock birth, to criminalizing homosexuality, to capital punishment. the 1970s psychologist Erich Fromm used the term biophilia to identify a love of life and all that is alive. And in the 1980's biologist Edward O. Wilson used biophilia in hypothesizing an innate human tendency to focus on the animate rather than inanimate. So far so good. This all makes sense. And certainly fits with the progressive social and environmental agenda.
It even makes sense that early anti abortionists - who advocated for the full range of government policies and programs essential for pregnant women, mothers, children, and families to thrive - would call themselves pro life.
The rhetorical disconnect comes with the Reagan years. The years in which GOP operative Lee Atwater infamously spoke of 'how to be a racist without sounding like a racist.' While Paul Manafort and Roger Stone were weaponizing religion as a wedge issue to divide the working class. (Anti abortion as a wedge issue didn't quite work at first, because if Catholics were for it the Evangelicals were reflexively agin it, but they came around.) With Reagan, and through Gingrich's discipline and bondage approach to straightjacketing GOP lockstep language, we get the first contemporary drip, drip, drip, of the right wing 'firehose of lies.'
The method goes back to the defeated South resurrecting historic traitors as heritage heroes - literally elevating them in every town square. (Much as Grover Norquist wanted to erect statues of Reagan to celebrate his flushing government down the drain.) The application has been polished from the effete equivocations of William F. Buckley and his wannabes through the distortions by his Murdoch media acolytes, ending in the violent incitements of Buckley's internet heirs. All in service of arousing the Republican populist masses to service the Republican plutocrat paymasters.
The Republican rich want all the benefits of government without paying for any of them. They don't want regulations, they don't want to pay taxes, and they certainly don't want government paying for essential and emergency services. They also want cheap labor. And a workforce at each others throats rather than joining hands. What better than racism and religion to achieve their goals. What better way to make unbridled greed and oppression go down easy than a sugar coating of lies and more lies packaged as god given truths, sweetness, and light.
In the Senate debate about voting rights and about the filibuster, Republicans used their time to announce that overturning Roe was just the beginning and that chemical abortion is on the chopping block. A GOP senator used universal love for puppies, kittens, and the late great Betty White to prove there could be agreement in the Senate. And then put up a blow up of a fetus in utero and waxed poetic about protecting 'her' future. So easy to go to the mats for the unborn when you don't intend to lift a finger to provide anything children need to survive let alone thrive - from access to healthcare, housing, and education to economic and environmental justice. Up by your bootstraps from birth. Pro life my foot!
And by the way, Betty White and Golden Girls Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty were outspokenly in support of women's rights including reproductive healthcare - going so far as to make pro choice television ads.
Brava Lin! You have done it again! I do hope you plan to publish these pieces. Summerhill and The Art of Loving were my high school and college inspirations! From a teacher's suggested reading list...
A copy of my note to PBS RE: 1/25/22 News Hour segment with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith: I hope this helps a little:
It distresses me that this feature seems so negative in its nature, week after week. I am not sure of its purpose. How informative or accurate are the polls themselves?
In contrast, I think President Biden has done quite a good job in his first year under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike the former president, he is a coalition builder and sincerely wants to build a more unified America. He brings a bit of dignity back to the office. Mr. Biden and our nation are being tried by the world's superpowers all the while. Despite all this, the economy has survived a pandemic and a terribly skewed wealth differential.
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
There is a distinct bias to this program, and I doubt it serves the purpose of informing us viewers.
Hope, the reason for all the negativity - yes, even on NPR - is that dirt and negativity sells. Period. Also, NPR is, in the minds of most Americans, a liberal mouthpiece and I think they're trying to fit into the mix. No one seems to want to hear Mr. Roger's message: It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood... sadly. Just think of all the pushback of a "National Public" news station: communism, the right has said for decades. I for one am grateful to NPR and have supported them wherever I've lived. But if they keep on the track of placating the republicans, they can forget my support.
Same here, following the evil herd is not what a free press is supposed to do. I’m sick of it.
Not the evil herd, the screaming minority.
Don't you wish Democrat's would turn up their volume and visibility a bit more?
Absolutely, positively. Ready to march.
Without a doubt!!!!
We're working on it. Um, are you involved in your local Dem party? If not, we're waiting.
Yes I am, thanks to Heather. I am using my voice, was complacent and asleep at the wheel for previous 50 years.
Lynn, good point.
both
Keep in mind that PBS and NPR are not the same thing. I haven't watched PBS News Hour in years. They live in a different universe than I do. I do listen to NPR, and find a wide range of perspectives and commentary, which I can engage with.
Both PBS and NPR are perceived to be "Left-wing" socialist puppets by the Right. Anything with "public" gets tossed into the "communist plot" kettle.
You know what? I don't give a fig how the "Right" (whatever that is, really) perceives either NPR or PBS. What I care about is being clear about how people looking for accurate and thoughtful news, observations, and commentary perceive where they get their information. I'm tired of conversations that get jerked into being about the "Right" instead of looking for ways to get stuff done to fix where we're at right now. So I'll continue being a sustaining member of both NPR and PBS (whose programs come from various sources- there is a wide choice), and I will continue to write letters to programs and producers.
I will also continue to support public radio and television. I may reduce my considerable annual donations with communication for the reason. The local sources are at the heart of providing the programming, not the creators, but they need to know they are supporting groups who vote against their very existence, by shows that skew their reporting. I think Frontline and many special programs support our “need to know.” I’ll definitely watch with a more critical eye. I don’t want to live in Orwell’s 1984 and hear only one voice.
The thing is, there are some very good perspectives and ideas coming from both conservative and liberal ideologies. Our challenge is to weave a coherent pathway forward that incorporates the best of these not-so-diametrically-opposed modes of thought.
Me too.
Why does the media NEVER push back on the ridiculous idea that anything to the left of Mitch McConnell is "leftist?"
The word "NEVER" is a big word with big connotations. The more pertinent question might be "How come you seem to not ever listen or read to the media who are doing just that?"
Which media would those be?
And being “public” they fund raise and are always in jeopardy of losing funds. Public funds.
The real jeopardy is Republican administrations pulling federal funding and licensing. Although Democrats have let their funding slide also.
"The bulk of NPR's funding comes from corporate sponsors and fees it receives from affiliate radio stations. Congress approves the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's annual budget two years in advance." Here's a link with pie graph to the breakdown of who pays.
https://www.google.com/search?q=public+funding+of+NPR
Sounds like you might have to get involved so that doesn't happen.
PBS is a regular source for me - not the only one, not even the primary one. But I do support them (we have two PBS stations where I live). Not being a radio person, NPR doesn't enter my world.
Isn't it ironic that the right wing anti-communist crowd now wines and dines and invests with China and Russia!
It was interesting to hear an interview with former Fox reporter Gretchen Carlson on CNN where she really lays into Fox News for what it has become. In her words, "now obsessed with non-factual conspiracy theories". She lamented that it seems so many Republicans in Congress are marching to the tunes of someone like Tucker Carlson, and now cozying up to Russia and Putin. They're afraid of displeasing him. Hello?? And she also thought it alarming that Fox personalities directly had the ear of the President* on January 6th. As a journalist she sees the grave danger in such a set-up. It's no wonder she, and some others, have found the atmosphere there so troubling and had to leave.
Took her too damn long…
Maybe. But, I do think Fox has gotten worse in the past 5-6 years since they became T***p's personal mouthpiece. Even since Biden's term started they have become steadily more and more strident and off-the-walls Loony Toons. I can't imagine what the atmosphere around there must be like right now. Lies, paranoia, back-biting, vastly inflated egos, etc....what fun!
Sounds like what I would imagine Hell to be. It would also have to be cold and void of good hot tea. I bet it is both.
Makes me wonder who is using whom?
Wonder what Ronnie would think. Ha
Yes! It’s disappointing to see a trusted news source NPR, turn and change. And the change is slow enough that viewers may not notice. Especially if that’s their only source.
There’s a local bumper sticker in Colorado Springs that says “RIP KRCC”
Our local NPR station.
They were like Walter for me, where is our free press?
follow the money...
Inform NPR about you observations and displeasures, it might help a once very respected voice, Eh!?
They've been placating Republicans for at least a decade. Their idea of "balance" on a story is to have a right-bent polemicist lining up against a responsible journalist. How else to explain the continued presence of the execrable Barbara Bradley Hagerty and her constant attempts to make Evangelicals appear to be the "mainstream" of American religious thought?
I consider that it is important to be aware of the perspectives of people who look at things differently than I do. How can I carry on a meaningful conversation otherwise. In Hagerty's world, that is likely a reality. But keep in mind that you are doing exactly the same thing, by requiring that your world contains only people who see things as you do. Hagerty might be right that Evangelicals are now the mainstream of American (Christian) thought. That's important to know. Of course, there is a context missing: the number of people who do not consider themselves religious, or who adhere to a growing body of folks who are exploring other spiritual paths. Evangelical thought is diminishing in that context. They are just willing to make loud fools of themselves insisting that they and only they matter.
I don't mind a different view. I just want it presented honestly. She's done stuff like presenting "Catholic in the street" interviews about John Kerry without revealing her interviewees were Republican activists.
Hope. Such a good letter! Where did you send? ( the actual email address) The relentless undermining is so disturbing. Infuriating actually. I too watch newshour every night. How great it would be if Judy just commented one time on this phenomenon rather than just endorsing everything that comes out of their mouths as brilliant spot on assessments.
Hope was given such a wonderful name.
Yes!
Hi Joan, I just went to PBS online and there is a comments section. I think you should say what you've said above!
Excellent suggestion!
Hope, in addition to sending this to PBS and the producers, send a copy to the underwriters of the program - national and local and let them know you won’t be using their services/products. As a former PBS news producer and fundraiser, I know that hitting them in the pocketbook works far better than attempting to influence news direction/analysis. Excellent letter; great work! Thank you. Going to do this myself today. Sick to death of the media BS.
How do we find out who the underwriters are?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Thank you!!
Thank you!
At the beginning of the PBS Newshour there is a message from the primary underwriter (sponsor) followed by a long list of other underwriters.
Thank you.
They are published on the screen prior to each program.
This is public knowledge. Write your local station and ask. It may even be posted on their website.
Thanks for this suggestion. Me too!
I’ve read many of your comments and agree that President Biden really has done a solid job but that the news media isn’t fairly representing it as honestly and clearly as they might. We can and should bemoan this since what gets said enough times starts to become the story people internalize. This is why an historian like Dr Richardson is so important as she has the training and talent to provide a more accurate and appropriate interpretation of current events comprising the history being made as it is happening. Nonetheless, we live in the world as it is and our news media is big business. I think Dr Richardson would be quick to point out that the media has always been very interested in successfully selling its “product”. Lincoln, Roosevelt, Grant, Truman, ….really, all our presidents…would likely commiserate with Biden. Joe knows that the story gets written after things happen and he is very focused on trying to make things happen but he must continue to also try to do a better job of helping the American people understand the impact of what’s already been done, so that they’ll more enthusiastically embrace his vision for what comes next. That’s a hard one for all of us…right? Well, say a prayer for our good president that he keeps with it as I know he hopes he will and that our country during the Biden Administration will keep making solid progress that will encourage more Americans to support his leadership.
Outstanding letter!
They are in the self promoting business, they are never introduced without the same long repetitive description of who they are affiliated with, which is themselves. The NH also cuts people off when they have something to say because they are going to run out of time and yet they have plenty of time for their breathless happy talk with it’s sing song lilting. They have fallen a long way from their beginnings as the MLNH. Judy seems clueless, maybe she was smart at one time, but not anymore, I don’t know if it’s the TD that’s calling the show that’s distracting her in her ear piece, or if she just doesn’t listen to what her guests are saying and has her own agenda, either way the show seems to have lost it’s way and it’s a parody of what it once was, hard news reporting it’s not anymore, and they want us to fund them?
What is MLNH and TD? I want to be informed!
McNeil Leher News Hour was how it started, TD is the Technical Director, that's the person that calls the show technically, whenever the shot changes pan, zoom, cut to another taped piece, cut to another camera on the set, there are probably 3 or 4 on the set, all of whom are being given instructions in real time about what the TD wants them to be doing next. The show is taped in the afternoon probably 3 - 5, they mention the market close which happens at 5, but that could be a little piece that they cut into the rest of the show.
Thanks so much, Dick; I remember McNeil Leher News Hour, but it’s been forever since I thought of that program name, two terrific newsmen, Sandy
McNeil-Lehrer News Hour? TD, don't know. Haven't watched television much since graduating from college 50 years ago.
GREAT News Show!
PBS has plenty of company in what used to be the reliable press. The level of intelligence, clarity, and just plain information is a disgrace - no a disaster.
I've noticed this about Amy Walter too and don't understand her.
However, there was an excellent column by Colbert King in the Washington Post
entitled, "There can be no ‘both sides’ on voting rights"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/21/there-can-be-no-both-sides-voting-rights/
To summarize in case you can't view it, he said, "Trying to tell readers and viewers whether Biden is winning or losing on a given issue, or what he and his opponents are saying about one another — the practice of horse-race-style journalism — takes away from what’s really at stake for the public. But that’s what we have come to be subjected to."
After reading this piece, I started looking for more about horse-race journalism/reporting. It's been discussed before regarding election campaigns; see:
https://journalistsresource.org/politics-and-government/horse-race-reporting-election/
If journalists tend to look for winners and losers, or overemphasize polling numbers, I think we have to call them out and also look for and follow good journalism when we see it. Let's support people who really know how to analyze and write, and don't fall into the less than helpful trap of horse-race reporting.
Get it, Hope. That letter turned it up!
Amy Walter Tamara Keith and Judy Woodruff likened Biden‘s gaffe calling a reporter a stupid sob when he thought he was off mic ,for which he apologized, to Reagan’s flippant and irresponsible and dangerous remark about bombing Russia when he thought he was off mic. That was irresponsible.
Certainly unstatesmanlike and disappointing, in a way. But it shows how he really feels and I appreciate knowing that. Most of the time he is just being civil, in spite of the stupid questions or reporters who are known to bait him. Is it really such a big deal?
Hope, may I use your letter in some way -- parts of, paraphrase, it's entirety?
Of course! We need all the help we can get...
Thanks for this excellent letter. I assume it's ok to "steal" for our own letters?
Agree 100%. They are infuriating me!
Please share with us her reply to you if at all possible. Thank you.
Hope, on my screen, your letter stops in mid sentence ….which….? What’s next?
Hope Lindsay10 hr ago
A copy of my note to PBS RE: 1/25/22 News Hour segment with Amy Walter and Tamara Keith: I hope this helps a little:
It distresses me that this feature seems so negative in its nature, week after week. I am not sure of its purpose. How informative or accurate are the polls themselves?
In contrast, I think President Biden has done quite a good job in his first year under extraordinary circumstances. Unlike the former president, he is a coalition builder and sincerely wants to build a more unified America. He brings a bit of dignity back to the office. Mr. Biden and our nation are being tried by the world's superpowers all the while. Despite all this, the economy has survived a pandemic and a terribly skewed wealth differential.
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
There is a distinct bias to this program, and I doubt it serves the purpose of informing us viewers.
Excellent Angie!!!
How is it that Ms Walter, in particular, sees so little of this in her feedback? How does she not see the entrenched sabotage by the Republican party which has vowed to negate any action the president takes, especially by use of the filibuster and false equivalencies? Or some states' voter obstruction movements and deliberate maligning of the President? Why are all these issues not illuminated, instead of making the President "appear non-Presidential" as was hinted by Ms. Walter tonight?
Thank you Heather.
I had read the Washington Post article earlier and given all the positive news that came from the White House today cements my thinking that Biden could not do any good in their paid off eyes. They aren't the only news outlet that has turned their back on Biden.
I watched the daily presser from the White House the other day to witness a well deserved spanking from Jen Psaki to Kaitlyn Collins. Collins chose to use the Trump route of bullshit questions and was schooled to the point of dropping her head without recourse. Least we forget, Collins is from CNN, not FOX Entertainment. But then, it's pretty much the same nowadays. I have to question how someone who used to be an entertainment reporter gets a press pass, but then how did a reality show host get to be President?
I am very much fine tuning my sources for news. I don't need the chatter, none of us do.
I come here to Heather for facts without drama and the daily White House briefings to hear what news comes out before it it spun.
Be safe. Be well. Take care if you are on the east coast. This snowstorm is going to be a doozy.
The White Press briefings look increasingly like Press Secretary Psaki is babysitting kindergartners. Her professionalism and patience fielding inane, click bait question after question are a sight to see. I admire her greatly. We no longer have credible journalists in the USA. We have performance reporters.
I basically lost respect for much of the WH Press Corps when they threw a big party for Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the end of her tenure after she spent her whole time lying to them, ignoring them, or berating them. Actually, that was just the topper as the majority failed miserably at asking follow-up questions. They valued access over performing their job as the Fourth Estate bolstering democracy. Too many unfortunately, wittingly or not, joined the forces undermining democracy. This shift is alarming. My three local TV news stations in SW Florida (two owned by same company) provide national news heavily slanted to the radical right. I do worry about so many people receiving disinformation and misinformation. Thank god for HCR and historians, but we are all fighting something so big. As Heather seems to say, our hope is that ultimately “the people” writ large will not let democracy slip away. Despite the odds, we must work harder than ever to try to save democracy in 2022.
And it can destroy us. The most frightening thing since chump
And chump helped create that gap
NPR is a welcome island of high-quality journalists, though.
Unfortunately not so much anymore. There was a good discussion/analysis in the comments in another one of Dr. Richardson's blogs. Some folks made some good observations about the not so great direction NPR is headed. I just can't remember which blog it was. Anyone?
That discussion continues further down today’s comments. What a challenge to find trustworthy sources and to continue to support the public sources. I’m not ready to end my support but they need to hear from us.
Sadly , I agree with you Barbara
I don't remember, but I think I commented. I cannot tune in to NPR for their constant efforts to find some sort of "balance" when none exists.
The news has certainly slid. I no longer listen to NPR news except as a sort of alert- then I find programs or other sources to deepen my understanding. But please remember that NPR carries many other programs that are well-worth supporting. If folks are reluctant to support NPR financially, don't stop listening! They help support some of the finest programs on the air. Explore those- some places will have on playlist, but a lot of these programs are also available via podcast AND NEED DIRECT support to keep going. Pick one or more that speaks to you and send in a few dollars to help them keep going. (One of my faves is Reveal.)
I think it depends on which program you listen to. I've thought that NPR at times (again depending on what you're listening to) seems to bending over backwards to show the world they are unbiased. This can mean occasionally sounding more sympathetic to issues on the right. I don't mind that per se as I think I am--and the rest of us on here are--intelligent enough high-order primates to discern slant/bias in stories and reporting. Fine. In the increasingly partisan atmosphere in this country, people at either left or right extremes tend to gravitate toward their reporting of choice, not to be challenged, but to have their beliefs validated. It might be good to aim for the former--being challenged--rather than the latter--mere validation. That's just my personal view...a big "IMO". I seek out a wide variety of sources in my daily news and views "wallow", preferring as centrist/neutral as I can find, with some right leaning and some left leaning. As one goes into more extreme right or left sources and programs, things get, IMO, more shrill and that turns me off. NPR, to me, is mainly centrist with occasional forays into right or left views, but I listen to it for many other things rather than just news. I don't watch TV news hardly at all--NBC Nightly News while I'm having dinner, but I've been doing that most of my life. So much of TV news seems to barely scratch the surface. I tend to use print journalism as my mainstay of getting information because it can probe even deeper into things that a 2 minute sound byte can't cover. Too many people seem to rely on like one TV news station (CNN or Fox, for example) for their news, which I think can be a bit narrow, and don't bother to dig around in the rest of what's out there. Again, this is all just my take on things. I think one could certainly do worse than relying only on NPR, but I tend to seek out a variety of coverage of current events and issues. I cannot totally trust only one source, but that's just me...
No, Bruce, not just you. Many of us, and many people we might not think are doing that kind of exploration. I see people come on here, thinking it was like a support group. Well, it is, but the conversation here often explores things from a number of perspectives I might not have come across otherwise. What I really appreciate here is people listening to one another and growing, learning how to use history to understand how we got where we are, how to get involved without feeling overwhelmed, how to consider perspectives different from their assumptions. It is impressive. And I keep learning. I talked to a man the other day who had taken a break from Fox because someone on YouTube said some thing that made him question his own acceptance of Fox. It all started to sound repetitive to him. He questioned the wisdom of Jan 6th, and started listening to some NPR, and since he has tv, probably some programs on there. He was feeling his way, and got around to asking my thoughts. I stayed away from criticism, and talked about how very few things have only one side, that most have many, and that no one media can be expected to know all the nuances. We talked for quite a while, and I got a sense of a person who was beginning to recognize that his well-being wasn't being served well by the rightists. He was pretty disillusioned by the Trump movement, and I think seeking a way out. I'll see him again (we live in the same area), and looking forward to talking with him.
Well, let us hope and pray he's not the only one and that the scales may be falling from some others' eyes as well. And the way you handled it is the way to do it...not by making the other person feel bad for what they may have thought at one time. You just plant a few ideas and then let their thought processes do the rest. There ARE some on that side who do think critically--plenty of loud-mouths who don't, but those are the hopeless causes. The kind of dialogue you engaged in is what gives me hope.
"but I tend to seek out a variety of coverage of current events and issues. I cannot totally trust only one source, but that's just me..."
Higher educations helps us to discover a convincing/logical understanding about a concept/issue.
We are taught to fully research data from many informational resources both pro and con.
Then we employ CRITICAL THINKING to gain confidence about our understanding of that concept.
We are rewarded by a grade commensurate to the research effort expended.
Americans today are spoon fed "information" that is the most conveniently accessible while rushing around buying things, doing errands, waiting in doctors offices, having lunch, etc.
Very little time/effort is expended in obtaining vetted information both pro and con to be analyzed and formalized into a reasonable understanding which can then be used in a discussion/debate employing critical thinking...like yelling in disagreement at our TV's during "News Hour" Eh!?
Only if you prefer your Republicans Nice and Polite...
Yes, Psaki performs admirably in a very challenging role.
...and politicians.
Not all politicians
This reminds me that I want to give Ari Melber some positive feedback for his show last night confronting the bias in the media. About time someone addressed it head on!!
Needs to be the headlines in all major news services.
"I have to question how someone who used to be an entertainment reporter gets a press pass, but then how did a reality show host get to be President?" - in a nut shell - well said Linda!
I agree with your assessment of Collins. She's only about herself and is not a reporter, in my opinion. I ceased watching CNN largely because of people like her. And as for the Washington Post, my reaction to their negative analysis of just about everything Biden does is NOT to amplify anything that has its usual agenda to present an always half empty glass when that glass is, in fact, near to brimming over.
Well Fox hasn’t changed it’s tune…but CNN sure has…No honor among thieves!
I’m trying to find a youtube link for the presser. What day was this
Dave, I have the C-span app on my phone. It's likely on there.
Where are we without children? (This from a pagan lesbian who swore off childbearing due to climate catastrophe and over-population.)
May Joe Manchin meet his fate. And soon.
Registering voters, working for democracy, advocating for excellence in education and health care...Resist, my friends, this tide of complacency and co-optation. This nation resounds for democracy, for choice, for green growth. If not now, when?
Gratitude, dear HCR, for your forthright courage.
Just remember that if Manchin "meets his fate" the guy who will be appointed in his place will make him look like the most flaming liberal you ever saw anywhere.
True true, TC. And in 2022, elections will demonstrate the people's choice. I am holding my breath that Ds will turn out in record numbers. If not, we are lost for years.
kim, From several of your postings, I’m confident you don’t intend merely to hold your breath. I imagine you’ll be out there with the rest of us mobilizing both the base and sporadic, hesitant voters who lean Democratic.
Blue tsunami please, c'mon silent majority.
May two other senate candidates make him irrelevant in 2022.
You misspelled twelve. Aim high!
Ally, you’re the best! May we all adopt your attitude as our own!
“Best Wit Award!”
Yes!
We’re ready for a “flaming liberal” and soon.
And one that is not a negative
Over-population though, is largely due to longevity, also where it used to depend on lower infant mortality. So where will we be with an ever smaller share of children? Michael Bales' post above suggests the question is becoming even more alarming.
Olof, it is probably time to "invest" in nursing homes where families drop off their people who are too old to "live", but, still have a heartbeat and eat and fall and require a lot of time ( and do all the rest of that nasty stuff that goes with a heartbeat).
Seems you are writing about the old age care we have here in Sweden. As long as you can stay home with some assistance from the commune you can have that, and it can be increased with increasing need. At some point it is however too much, and you can apply for a 'special housing', that is moving to a care home. The idea is that moving from home is difficult and confusing, so most people like to stay home as long as possible. Backside, of course, is that moving at the last stage is even more difficult and confusing; average survival in special housing is 6 months, and there is often shortage of places. But it is not "drop off", visits are normally encouraged.
This system was what played out in the beginning of the pandemic, when so many elderly people died: concentrations of very frail people, kept alive for years partly by very successful vaccination programs against the regular flu. In some places, like Stockholm, where 40% of the people working in special housing were only working hours and jumping in at different places, and as not fully employed they had no pay if they stayed home with symptoms; ideal for spreading the virus.
Covid-19 was a blessing, compared to the Spanish Flu, in that it did not hit our children and grandchildren. I (76) fully agreed with my sister (85): "please, don't do too much to the whole society in order to save us elderly a few months or years. Sensible regulation and vaccination is fine."
But not Dan Patrick’s bull Schitt.
Now, who's Dan Patrick?
LtGov. Of Texas and a real worm
I came with my husband to make sure that an old, wonderful man gets the care he needs. We all are candidates for such…
Hey! You’re talkin’ about lots of us here, buddy. We’re in the queue.
On an unrelated topic, Olof, I just learned that Robert and Carol Bly hosted Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer in their home (in my small home town of Madison in Western Minnesota). This was undoubtedly the first--and only--time that a winner of a Nobel Prize has visited Madison. I should add here that a Minnesota college--Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter--hosts a Nobel Conference every autumn. But you probably know that. I am acquainted with many alumni of that college. In fact, I have two cousins who attended that fine school. Furthermore, the teacher who inspired me to become a German teacher graduated from Gustavus just before joining the army as an interpreter during World War II.
I didn't even know there was a Gustavus Adolphus College, but well, I think we have more unrelated topics; that's why I suggested we continue on Messenger or e-mail.
Good idea.
Comic relief anyone? I do not know who wrote this, sorry!
Sarah was in the fertilized egg business. She had several hundred young pullets (young hens) and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. She kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.
This took a lot of time, so she bought some tiny bells and attached them to her roosters. Each bell had a different tone, so she could tell from a distance which rooster was performing. Now she could sit on the porch and fill out an efficiency report by just listening to the bells.
Sarah's favorite rooster, old Butch, was a very fine specimen, but one morning she noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! When she went to investigate, she saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
To Sarah's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a pullet, do his job, and walk on to the next one.
Sarah was so proud of old Butch, she entered him in a show, and he became an overnight sensation among the judges. The result was the judges not only awarded old Butch the "No Bell Peace Prize," they also awarded him the "Pulletsurprise" as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and screwing them when they weren't paying attention?
Vote carefully in the next election. You can't always hear the bells.
(If you don't send this on, you're a chicken...... no yolk)
LOL, but, as a vegetarian, I frown upon the prostitution and enslavement of animals. However, I can see an "Alternate" political punchline (as disturbing as it may be):
The Matt Gaetz moral:- Don't count your hens until they are laid.
A fine story ... other than erroneously including the Pulitzer prize which is for journalism and the arts. But perhaps it was Sarah who won it for writing about Butch.
Hee here. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🙂😃😜Thanks. I needed this
I want to mention something that I thought was notable, in regard to all those texts pleading with Trump to try to stop the insurrection. The only Faux News host whose texts were missing, and the only one not to try to get Trump to stop the insurrection, was Tucker Carlson. When you consider that, and how hard Carlson has been working to normalize Russian propaganda and dictators, it suggests there’s a lot more going on between them than meets the eye.
Yes. Makes us wonder about the source of his “real” paycheck.
Tucker was celebrating, I have no doubt
I have to wonder about Jeff Bezos owning The Washington Post. Having one of the billionaires who has gained so much in the Damndemic owning a publication people — no matter how discerning — look to. Thanks, HRC, for keeping it real and starting the truth about growth and so much more. Personally? I am sick unto death of the filibuster, Joe Manchin, negativity-side reporting, The Big Lie, the Damndemic, Kyrsten Sinema, Tucker Carlson, DJT, tummy aches over the threat of Democracy hanging by a thinning thread, the carryover of Ronald Reagan’s devastatingly anti-democratic, disgusting and destructive policies, a few tech giants benefiting from public schools, roads, healthcare and more that all Americans pay for for their employees, making them filthier richer, Mitch McConnell’s double-dealing and Russia loving duplicity, the fact that Biden’s approval rating is a projection of how depressed exhausted and grieving Americans are instead of a reflection of the stellar job Biden is busting his rear to do to turn this U.S. party bus around. Seriously. We are paying for the sins of the Reagan administration in so, so many ways. History will prove his time and tone and tearing down of government was the beginning of the end of so much progress, ultimately paving the way for another bad actor Republithug to become a puppet of the Russians and the oligarchy by playing the “government is the problem” trump card that empowered the Orange Menace to trash protective systems from the inside out. I am breathing. Gonna meditate. Advocate for so many good policy shifts. Keep working to prevent and heal trauma; build resiliency in my job and personal life. See as much of this beautiful nation as I can before my time is up. Keep reading HRC here and in her books, and keep enjoying the posts of you incredibly wise and justice seeking patriots. Thanks for being here. Despite Damndemic isolation, your presence here helps defy my sometimes sense of loneliness. Peace, and thank you all. Oh. And let’s all thank the wonderfully idealistic and selfless Justice Breyer for his optimism and timely retirement.
You have doubts about WaPo because it is owned by Bezos. And have unreserved praise for HCR who often cites WaPo as a reliable source. Hmmm...
Fair enough to critique individual articles and dismiss consistently lying columnists such as Tucker Carlson wannabe Marc Thiessen. But ... baby and bathwater?
For shame, Washington Post, double shame, Joe Manchin, and triple shame, GOP for refusing to see and to admit to the truth!
P.S. Where has the "like" button disappeared to? My heartfelt thanks for your uplifting letter, Heather!
Once you open the comments, the like button for HCR is at the top of her letter.
For a while, the little heart under each comment was not responding. It seems ok now.
Having that heart-not-working moment. Thought it was just me and my tablet.
Yeah, it's doing that to me again. Odd, other times it works, then all of a sudden it stops. Didn't realize I was so attached to that little icon. To me it means more than "I agree" or "I like what you said", because a lot of the time what it means most is that I connected with somebody in some way.
It worked! Connected!!
And, ironically, now I can't "heart" you!
It's maddening. Instead of using my tablet with touch screen, I am now using my laptop with a mouse. No response to several clicks, but then when I started to type this, all the hearts popped up!
Intermittent here too - does not show until I refresh the page and scroll back down - then it is there ... scamware wasting precious time ...?
Thanks for that insight. I was giving my poor hand held a real pounding.
That's where it is usually, but I'm afraid that it wasn't there this time.
Yeah, it's been kind of hit or miss this morning for some reason.
I applaud Yellen for bringing the nation's attention to the lie of supply-side economics.
Yellen so clearly articulated the Biden agenda. Wish some Democrats would listen to her
Because, generally speaking, people are far less concerned with economic growth figures than they are with their own lives, they’re far more likely to feel the brunt of surging inflation, rising gas prices, pandemic fatigue, the dissolution of the child tax credit, not to mention the failure to deliver universal child care and Pre-K, investments in housing, in elder care, and in climate. And, regardless of who’s to blame, voters will blame Democrats, who control both Houses and the White House. As for the media, its programming is likely to reflect public sentiment. Change the dynamic of the public’s narrative and the stories that get reported likely will shift accordingly.
My proposed remedy has not changed from my previous postings: I repeat that, nationwide, the country needs an Educator-in-Chief to educate the general public about what they’re losing every time President Biden’s agenda is stalled.
You mean people choose to ignore the benefits of raising wages and increased jobs?
It’s not like we actually “feel” inflation more. We’re just told what to feel.
S. Mikelle, For the millions whose wages don’t come close to keeping up with inflation, I expect most are living paycheck to paycheck. In many cases, I imagine the family income is only sustained by more people working longer hours. And still they’re likely weighted down by mortgage debt, credit card debt, and more.
We are the ones who have to change the dynamic of the public's perception. Too many of us tuck what we way inside our little silos. We should be writing short, clear letters to editors, advertizers, talking to our neighbors, getting involved in all the small ways that we have available to us. Instead, too many of us seem to be waiting for some sort of messiah to fix it all for us.
Annie, To clarify, my intent was not to convey that we sit, and watch and wait. Like you, I believe in a democracy it’s us that have to become engaged. I, further, would note that our collective energy, our caring, and our work puts us in charge of our own destinies. Still, I will continue to press for a centralized Educator-in-Chief who insures that the Administration’s mission is broadly heard and understood.
I believe the title for that position is Press Secretary. As for "centralized educator in chief", I suspect that the response to anything like that will be "propaganda" and it would blow up big time.
Annie, So not to lose sight of my original intent, scratch the word “centralized.” Additionally, bear in mind that an educator or explainer-in chief, who speaks directly to the people, is hardly a press Secretary. Returning to my original phrasing, because of two Democratic obstructionists, I believe the people, particularly in Arizona and West Virginia, need to hear precisely what they’re losing every time the BBB agenda or minimal voter protection legislation is stalled.
Barbara, I agree with your underlying intent, but yes, the concept of centralizing the source of info scares the be-jesus out of me. I believe the threads about calling on certain parts of the media to do their job has made a lot of good suggestions. Also the threads about learning how to do effective outreach. The "Explainers" are us, standing up and speaking out, instead of pointing fingers. Listen to Elizabeth Warren, Robert Reich-- there are many others who are doing this in a public way. I could name more, but I STILL haven't had my cup of coffee. Have to fix that.
Annie, The mere fact that you could name several “explainers” and, yet, many people, at best, only partially know what’s in either legislative package indicates the need for something more. Hence, stated a bit differently, I will continue to press for a “designated Explainer-in-Chief.”
On a personal note, I would observe that your questioning has compelled me both to test and clarify my thinking. So, thank you.
Yes. Education of the public. If it's not spelled out clearly for us, many of us don't know. And it needs to broadly available as you say, and I add required and pushed. There needs to be a check on what's permitted on cable -- verifiable lies must be forbidden.
In other regimes and other times, this unfortunately can ring hollow.....Goebbels for instance!
Stuart, Fortunately, at this time, in this place, the leaders presently in power at the federal level are committed to setting the country on a path aimed at insulating it from a fatal weakening of its civic institutions.
Glad to hear it Barbara...the trick, though, is to match words and deeds and make it happen...pity!
Agreed.
“…they’re far more likely to feel the brunt of surging inflation, rising gas prices, pandemic fatigue, the dissolution of the child tax credit,…”
Precisely. These day in , day out pocketbook issues will be what turns the Congress over to the Republicans at midterms. The Supreme Court is lost. Next up the Congress.
I’m thinking that what we are seeing now is the last hurrah for the Democratic Party as an effective political force at the national level.
And the republicans are evil in plain sight. Orwell was right, those who elect corrupt politicians are not victims, but accomplices
Not to diminish from the thought but...
"A quote falsely attributed to George Orwell saying that people who elect corrupt politicians are not victims but accomplices is circulating online. The Orwell Society and The Orwell Foundation confirmed to Reuters that this quote does not belong to the English writer."
Many sources, including https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-orwell-quote-corrupt/fact-check-fabricated-george-orwell-quote-about-people-who-elect-corrupt-politicians-idUSKCN2AT2W5
Hence, why we’re in the precarious position wherein our democracy cannot afford for the Democratic Party to lose control of either House this fall.
H.A. Rose, Though there are days I feel the same as you, I know I have to get back in the fight and do all I can to support getting at least some of BBB passed. Ditto voter protection legislation.
I'm with you, Barbara. I'm worried, but I am also tired of listening to people whine iinstead of doing what ever small thing they can to make a difference. Tired of people making scapegoats out of publications because they are offended by one article. We can do better than this, can't we?
Annie, I take heart from the presence of the determined and astute people on this thread plus the host of others with whom I communicate regularly to trust that our commitment will propel us to a moral awakening, a sense of what it is to be a citizen among citizens.
In the early 1980's "supply-side economics" was a central theory for economic analysis and "sold" as a tool to help fight inflation. Having just finished an MBA program, trying to get a foothold in the investment management business, and grinding my way through the annual Chartered Financial Analyst exams, I remember regurgitating (to pass the exams) the salient points of the Laffer Curve and supply-side economics which had yet to play out in practice. 25 years later, one of my kids (in an MBA program) voraciously (and correctly) challenged those misguided theories/policies.
I could not agree more with the observations of today's letter and the sentences below. And, I too have felt the disappointment/frustration that the media seems more disingenuous with superficial and somewhat misleading reporting of the actual successes garnered by the Biden Administration.
"Biden’s plan, Yellen explained, has focused on 'labor supply, human capital, public infrastructure, R&D, and investments in a sustainable environment.' Rather than focusing on putting money into the hands of the 'demand side' of the economy—consumers—it focuses on developing a strong labor force in a strong democracy to create growth through hard work and innovation."
"On January 21, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained to the World Economic Forum that the Biden administration rejected Republican supply-side economics, ushered in during the Reagan administration. That system relied on tax cuts and aggressive deregulation to spark private capital—the supply side—to drive the economy. Supply-side economics has not increased growth, Yellen said, while it has failed to address climate change and has shifted money upward as it moved the burden of taxes from capital and put it on workers."
I don't read in the field of economics, so this is from a layperson's perspective. It seems that Yellen has articulated a paradigm shift from the simplistic binary of "supply-side economics" versus "demand-side economics" to this more nuanced and qualitative operational definition of "supply." (Please correct me if I'm off base.)
The policy derived from this distinction is working, and public perception of its success will take awhile. We can all do our parts in following up on Heather's work to broadcast this good news far and wide, including complaints to media who continue pursuit of revenue based on sensationalizing negativity.
So what to do?
1. Read Eric Boehlert's newsletter and/or follow him on Twitter for calling out the media:
https://twitter.com/EricBoehlert/status/1486710588054982659?s=20
(Boehlert follows HCR)
2. Make your opinion known to the people who need to hear it. Contact the offices of offending media.
Chime in with more ideas--names, numbers, email addresses!
Thanks, Ellie! Just subscribed: https://pressrun.media/
I like Boehlert’s “headlines “.May have to use some in my letters :)
“Pandemic of the Unvaccinated”
Thanks for the shout out; and to Kathy (below) for the URL.
Oh! Again, Thank You Ellie!
Yes.
Janet, well, at least you did not do what I did.
I BELIEVED that Reagan BS about cutting taxes, welfare and "voodoo" (supply side) economics.
But, it turns out that old man Bush I was right. Supply side economics WAS just VOODOO.
Because, instead of tax receipts increasing like the lies said they would, they decreased and Reagan became the FIRST president since WW II to run a (giagantic $2 Trillion (1987) dollar deficit.
NOBODY seems able to read a graph and see this in the 10 seconds or so a google search takes to return the graph and realize Republican policy lies were lies and that "policy", well, that failed too.
Sure wish you had a national platform to tell your conversion story, MikeS.
I think most of us here feel a warm ray of hope reading MikeS's comments, and I agree with you, MLMinET. There are so many friends in this forum who also give me hope, with their astute observations, their links to more learning, and most of all their activism. You all keep me plugging away doing my small part
I recommend reading Dean Baker of Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) for explanations of economic news which I can often get the gist of, though I never took Econ 101. He offers his book free to download, about how the economy is rigged. (Paul Krugman just gave Dean Baker credit for being one of the first to see the 2000s housing bubble forming. I suspect the pharmaceutical industry prevents Baker from getting many interviews because he offers a solution to high prescription drug prices.)
Carol, thanks for the reference.
Mike - I was dragged in as well!! The Vietnam protest years were behind us, we were young, starting careers, families and I was fully entrenched at the local level fighting for school funding - only so much available "shelf space" in the brain to process much that was going on at the national level. 20 years ago I became involved (and remain so) with mentoring some "Lost Boys of Sudan" and my entire vantage point changed with very different real life experiences. As we so often say . . . youth is so wasted on the young!
Wow, I was so interested in the Lost Boys of Sudan, followed stories of some in the Houston area. They were amazing.
Yes, theirs is an incredible story and I consider getting to know and become part of their lives a wonderful life journey I never expected when I first delivered a meal to an apartment with 5 gangly, really tall young men! Flash forward 20 years and between two families I have been closest to, I have 10 kids who I am grandma to! There are a lot of ups and downs as life is prone to be, but sharing it all has been an incredible honor and joy. We half our problems and double our happiness!
Thank you so much for this info. I just thought they were exceptional human beings.
That 10 seconds is stunning, even David Stockman agrees.
I doubt the World Economic Forum has ever heard a better analysis.
One would almost think the WaPost, NYT, even PBS are hoping to elect Trump or De Santis in 2024 and a Republican Congress in 2022.
Although NYT was mostly clear in its antipathy towards TFG, TFG was a massive benefit for NYT circulation.
God help us as the “free press” is being bought
But they are not "in-house Dem rags" and are entitled to a view that is "independent" of party policy.
Maybe Dems need an “in-house rag.” Surely a bull horn or a Frank Luntz to spread a little truth. Hahahaha, just kidding on that Frank thing
I'm volunteering to write for our local Dem rag.
Excellent!
It worked for Teddy Roosevelt as he had Mclure's with Ida Tarbell and co-muckrakers but Biden doesn't have the same energy or character. Again, pity!
Truly a pity, didn’t like a lot about Teddy, but loved some things. A bulldozer of a man when it mattered.
He enabled trust-busting and started the d of comm to control business exaggerations, abuse of power and fraud.
We might sdd…”And so dear reader the Dems insured, once again, their own defeat”
With the best of intentions but...........the path to "hell" is easily found.
I guess HCR doesn't read the comments - pity - as there are some gems. However, as a conservation biologist, I find the continual harping on GROWTH, as terminally depressing. It's the current obsession with GROWTH (at all costs) that is causing our environmental problems - and it is so embedded in our psyches, that we can't imagine a steady state economy. Of course, when you are arrayed against the Repugs - you feel that you have to play their game, but in the long run - it is destructive, seriously destructive. Sadly, as I have said before, we are now almost all derived from an urban culture, almost completely disconnected from the real world, that is the biological world, - on which we are totally dependent (but don't appear to be aware of this). Can we change? Will the current impasse allow us??
"Sadly, as I have said before, we are now almost all derived from an urban culture, almost completely disconnected from the real world, that is the biological world"
Hugh, take heart my friend. I am planting 2200 native trees on 15 acres of my mixed ecosystem "farm". I already have 25 acres of native forest about 80 years old.
Just this past weekend I saw a mink at my pond. He/She was fishing the pond by flipping into the water and heading under the ice, then, flipping back out of the water to look around on the ice for any predator then, quick as a flash, back in the water. A very healthy mink on 2F day in upstate NY.
Not everyone is unconscious of nature and glued to their phone all day. I snow shoed all over my place having just hired and worked to remove 25 years of honeysuckle (invasive) bramble on those 15 acres. It was a cold, windless, beautiful, day with about 14 inches of snow on the ground. Alone. I heard the few birds, saw no turkey tracks, saw deer tracks, but the mink stays with me all week.
Best day of the winter so far.
My husband's grandfather (who had gone to forestry school) bought 250 acres of land in the Catskills in the 1960's (some has since changed ownership but 2/3 remains in the family). It is surrounded by thousands of acres of NY State land and literally in the middle of no where! There used to be numerous dairy farms in the area . . . all were gone by the late 1990's. My husband and his cousins grew up with an appreciation for the land (they planted hundreds of trees in the day) which we passed along to our kids. We often "walked the property" and it was so restorative to our souls! But unlike his father and uncles, his generation never lived or retired there (with the exception of one who is now elderly and not in good health) so the upkeep and maintenance doesn't happen. One member of the fourth generation visits occasionally on weekends, but is not engaged in the care of the property.
Your mention of clearing an invasive bramble triggered a decades old memory of how much work it took all of us to clear an overgrown path to get to a pond where the kids had a small row boat!
Sounds like you're living my dream :)
Just Wow
Such an important perspective. Thank you. Grounding ourselves in the real, biological world will help steady our mental state (who doesn’t need that now?), and is one more path towards “girding our loins”.
"Hard work and innovation" were the words that jumped out at me.
Likely it will get worse, sad to say. I miss the days when the environment and wildlife conservation were my main concerns…
Jeri, the environment and wildlife conservation are among the many things inextricably intertwined with how we manage our political future. As a former professional environmental analyst/planner/manager, I am now a volunteer citizen doing what I can to help. That means, right now, doing political stuff. Politics simply mean the process by which we make decisions as a community of humans. And right now it is the most important thing for me to do for the other communities I am part of.
Why I stay engaged, despite it being overwhelming at times
I have not seen Heather respond to Substack comments (which I'm a little surprised about) but I have seen her comment on the Letter postings on FB.
I seen her respond once or twice.
With friends like the Washington Post, who needs enemies?
Eugene Robinson wrote yesterday that Democrats were "moping" and in a "dour mood". I ripped off a reply he did not offer evidence of that in his column:
What evidence do you have that Democrats are "moping" and in a "sour mood"?
Maybe they're just exhausted. We have one party that is committed to governing. The Democrats are not just treading water; they are crafting transformational legislation. Dissension, discord and disappointment are to be expected. Democrats have a big tent but have managed to remain united.
Not only are the Democrats the only entity committed to governing, they are being assaulted on all fronts by the Right, the Left, foreign interference and the media, who have been vicious and vile in their criticism of President Biden and Vice President Harris. They have done a magnificent job in the face of tremendous obstacles and the forces who are actively working to undermine them. I've never been prouder to be a Democrat and I support President Biden and Vice President Harris 100%.
By the way, I live in Ohio, aka " The Heartland" (trademark) and I have yet to see a WaPo or NYT reporter visiting the urban haunts we Democrats frequent to to ask us about how we feel.
Send this to both WaPo and NYT.
Well done, Kathleen. Thank you. I think all of us should read this, and maybe do some thinking about how we think about things. I like the way you set the record straight without hurling gratuitous insults. It's a good lesson to those of us who think scathing righteousness is effective, when mostly it is offputting. Your letter is anything but scathing, yet very effective in making your point and expressing your views.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback. I'm so tired of being negative in comments I make on various sites so I decided to express what I did appreciate and value. I will keep your words in mind about the power of positive framing!
Unfortunately he is probably referring to Democratic-leaning supporters....evidenced perhaps by the low level of Biden's popularity numbers which can't be explained by partisan GOP opposition. The Democratic supporters who will be voting in November are not getting the message of "Good News".
Perhaps, because they are not experiencing it.
Thanks Fern, still, it's not a huge leap for the media to remind people that the Democrats created the child tax credit system that kept so many families afloat last year and it was the Republicans who killed it. The real story our media continues not to cover is Republican inaction/opposition/obfuscation to life changing policies the Democrats have brought forward.
So much is failing Steve. We have to improve each inch we can. I want to know about you. You changed positions. Please share.
Hi Fern, my position on these issues have not changed. I am simply tired of the large media outlets simplistic/fatalistic coverage of them. The child tax credit actually helped poor/marginal people. It was a Republican united "no" vote that killed it, not the Democrat's "infighting" or "ineptitude". Why is it being presented that way?
Yes, Kathleen. That’s what I call a scathing reply!
Thank you! I love to scathe!
Yea, Kathleen, boy could I give them an earful
I hope you do!
Glass Half Empty, heck Glass All the Way Empty, that's what sells.
There is one media outlet that does it best, but you know what?
They all do it.
Sometimes there is True Negative - a story with no upside (media coverage). But there is a whole lot of never ending, teenage cool, False Negative - it’s all bad, always bad (media coverage).
It’s time to grow up. At the very least, do a Side by Side, a Point / Counter Point. Help people think. Sell clarity. That would be Fair. That would be Balance.
When I lived in LA, I loved listening to Left, Right, and Center on NPR. We truly need more of that.
So what's with Pacifica. KPFK?? (long time ago for me)
KCRW in LA. If Pacifica is San Diego, nothing like KCPR.
That's such a killer quote "“I’ve never really felt it was society’s responsibility to take care of other people’s children" .it shows what the current "Republican" really stands for.
As for putting the blame on the Democrats for the demise of the payments - I despair. In what sense do these "Republican" legislators represent their constituents?
Since they oppose the child tax credit you’d think they wouldn’t be working so hard to kill Roe v Wade?
How better to keep women "barefoot and pregnant" while scrubbing the kitchen floor or hauling water frm the well. All good pioneer stuff No?
Hey. At this rate an editorial along the lines of Swift’s “ A ModestProposal”( eat unwanted children. Solves so many problems) could be appearing any day.
By constituents do you mean donors?? Thanks to disgraceful and fatal citizens united ruling constituents is not really the right word for who is being represented
they represent all those who they consider worthy of representing in their constituency....all those that actually voted for them.....and devil take the others.
I suspect said Senator is also anti-abortion.
For decades we've been plagued by right wing fallacious rhetoric and sophistry. It has largely achieved its goals. Both the rhetoric and its success continue to take their toll.
Recently we hear Republicans, to deflect attention from the findings of the January 6 committee, saying 'the 2020 election was the real insurrection.' But to fully savor right wing rhetorical perversity, consider their appropriation and weaponization of the term 'pro life'.
I have seen its first use ascribed to A. S. Neill in his 1960 book Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Childrearing - where he denounces socially accepted cruelty, from striking children, to ostracizing out of wedlock birth, to criminalizing homosexuality, to capital punishment. the 1970s psychologist Erich Fromm used the term biophilia to identify a love of life and all that is alive. And in the 1980's biologist Edward O. Wilson used biophilia in hypothesizing an innate human tendency to focus on the animate rather than inanimate. So far so good. This all makes sense. And certainly fits with the progressive social and environmental agenda.
It even makes sense that early anti abortionists - who advocated for the full range of government policies and programs essential for pregnant women, mothers, children, and families to thrive - would call themselves pro life.
The rhetorical disconnect comes with the Reagan years. The years in which GOP operative Lee Atwater infamously spoke of 'how to be a racist without sounding like a racist.' While Paul Manafort and Roger Stone were weaponizing religion as a wedge issue to divide the working class. (Anti abortion as a wedge issue didn't quite work at first, because if Catholics were for it the Evangelicals were reflexively agin it, but they came around.) With Reagan, and through Gingrich's discipline and bondage approach to straightjacketing GOP lockstep language, we get the first contemporary drip, drip, drip, of the right wing 'firehose of lies.'
The method goes back to the defeated South resurrecting historic traitors as heritage heroes - literally elevating them in every town square. (Much as Grover Norquist wanted to erect statues of Reagan to celebrate his flushing government down the drain.) The application has been polished from the effete equivocations of William F. Buckley and his wannabes through the distortions by his Murdoch media acolytes, ending in the violent incitements of Buckley's internet heirs. All in service of arousing the Republican populist masses to service the Republican plutocrat paymasters.
The Republican rich want all the benefits of government without paying for any of them. They don't want regulations, they don't want to pay taxes, and they certainly don't want government paying for essential and emergency services. They also want cheap labor. And a workforce at each others throats rather than joining hands. What better than racism and religion to achieve their goals. What better way to make unbridled greed and oppression go down easy than a sugar coating of lies and more lies packaged as god given truths, sweetness, and light.
In the Senate debate about voting rights and about the filibuster, Republicans used their time to announce that overturning Roe was just the beginning and that chemical abortion is on the chopping block. A GOP senator used universal love for puppies, kittens, and the late great Betty White to prove there could be agreement in the Senate. And then put up a blow up of a fetus in utero and waxed poetic about protecting 'her' future. So easy to go to the mats for the unborn when you don't intend to lift a finger to provide anything children need to survive let alone thrive - from access to healthcare, housing, and education to economic and environmental justice. Up by your bootstraps from birth. Pro life my foot!
And by the way, Betty White and Golden Girls Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty were outspokenly in support of women's rights including reproductive healthcare - going so far as to make pro choice television ads.
Brava Lin! You have done it again! I do hope you plan to publish these pieces. Summerhill and The Art of Loving were my high school and college inspirations! From a teacher's suggested reading list...