Kevin —
This week, we’re looking at entities who want you to forget something important. Bill O’Reilly wants you to forget his years of fearmongering about marriage equality. A fringe website wants you to forget basic journalism ethics. The NRA wants you to forget that it’s standing the way of federal gun law enforcement. All that and more.
John Whitehouse
Twitter: @existentialfish
This American Life Gets It Wrong On Disability And Children
This week, This American Life and NPR’s Planet Money blog pushed a misleading report on disability that has been embraced by the fringe right-wing websites. Criticism from economic experts has mounted. And now the author of a comprehensive disability study takes issue with host Ira Glass’ characterization of the research. If you haven’t been following this story yet, now is the time to catch up: http://mm4a.org/YFjYA9
WHAT BILL O’REILLY FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT
Bill O’Reilly said this week that he did not “feel that strong about” marriage equality. But for years, the self-proclaimed “culture warrior” O’Reilly has railed against marriage equality, even warning that it is the equivalent of people marrying ducks, turtles, and dolphins. Matt Gertz detailsO’Reilly’s position on equality: http://mm4a.org/11LQGTI
ANOTHER DISHONEST FOX CHART
Fox did it again. Trying to undermine the notion of climate change, they compared to maps; the one on the right is temperatures in March 2013. However, Jill Fitzsimmons recognizedthat the map on the left from 2012 notes temperature changes, not comparable average temperatures. If the map on the left measured average temperatures, it would mean that in March 2012 Minneapolis averaged over 100 degrees. http://mm4a.org/ZR0tUu
REMEMBERING ANTHONY LEWIS
Pulitzer Prize winning New York Timesnewsman Anthony Lewis passed away this week. Eric Boehlertremembers how Lewis stood up against conservatives pursuing mindless witch hunts during the Clinton administration. That may not sound brave now, but at the time it was unheard of. And yet, Lewis, who was no lapdog, also was blunt in his criticism of Clinton. Make time to read this one. http://mm4a.org/ZwpR1W
THE 30 WORST ARGUMENTS AGAINST EQUALITY
There’s been a lot of offensive and bizarre arguments from conservatives against marriage equality over the years. Ben Dimiero and Eric Hananokirounded up the 30 worst and put them in one place. This is what their arguments look like. Beware, it’s not pretty: http://mm4a.org/YELu0G
FEATURED VIDEO
Economics professor Richard Wolff blasted Bill O’Reilly for peddling terrible economic arguments. Wolff is right – and we put together ten of O’Reilly’s worst arguments and how they’re wrong. http://mm4a.org/YTCWyV
UNCONSCIONABLE
Everyone agrees: children of presidents are off limits for journalists to protect their security and privacy. But as Zachary Pleatnoted, Breitbart.comdisregarded tradition, ethics, and common decency to report on where the Obama daughters were vacationing.http://mm4a.org/16TH8Gv
THE NRA’S BLATANT HYPOCRISY
Wayne LaPierre onMeet the Presswhined that the federal government does not enforce gun laws enough. Who stops the federal government from enforcing federal gun laws? The NRA, of course. http://mm4a.org/YAesyD
FOX GIVES AIR TO UN-ARMS TREATY CONSPIRACY
A pending U.N. arms treaty that would regulate transnational transfers of arms to keep weapons from war criminals. But Fox News gave credence to the baseless argument that it would lead to massive gun confiscation in America.http://mm4a.org/11ItqlZ
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