The Kochs Media Plans for America

May 29 at 8:23 AM

Kevin — Some other things I’ve read this week: Karl Taro Greenfield on cultural literacy in the social media era, Ann Friedman on hashtags and journalism, Rob Wile on the likely growth of solar energy in America, and Jonathan Chait on Chamber of Commerce fearmongering. This recording of Studs Terkel interviewing Maya Angelou from 1970 is fantastic. John Whitehouse  Twitter: @existentialfish Kochs And The Media The Koch brothers have the most powerful empire in the conservative movement. Media Matters‘ Joe Struppspoke to Koch biographer Daniel Schulman about their key media allies and how they intimidate reporters into getting the coverage they want:http://mm4a.org/1oxzTyr THE CRY OF THE STRAW MAN When he announced that the war in Afghanistan would be drawing to a close, President Obama criticized pundits who believe “military intervention is the only way to avoid looking weak.” Fox pundit Stephen Hayes declared that no one believed this – and then immediately undercut himself: http://mm4a.org/1kohRfy Related: Fact check: Here are some of the military leaders who recommended drawdown in Afghanistan:http://mm4a.org/TUow7m THE FACTS ABOUT GUN LAWS In the wake of yet another mass shooting, media figures are again discussing gun laws in America — but they are getting some basic factswrong. One common mistake they are making is treating small gun laws as equal to major gun laws. http://mm4a.org/TUroAY FEATURED VIDEO In one of the worst segments we have ever seen, Glenn Beck’s The Blaze featuredskits mocking sexual assault and rape:http://mm4a.org/TS4JoU STUNNER It’s not surprising that Sean Hannity’s pro-drilling propaganda was wrong. It is surprising just who debunked him this time:http://mm4a.org/1jqkOXE IMAGE OF THE WEEK Get The Facts On The Hobby Lobby Case