Worthy of the Land of Lincoln
Barack Obama has emerged out of Chicago’s boisterous mix of black and progressive politics as a candidate who just… more
Barack Obama has emerged out of Chicago’s boisterous mix of black and progressive politics as a candidate who just… more
Four decades ago, Dwight Macdonald rued the impending triumph of “Midcult,” an “agreeable ooze” of denatured high culture produced… more
Author’s note: I’m working on a novel, If God Were Alive Today, about a fictitious man, Gil Berman, 36… more
It’s bad weather in the communications industry, and not just for progressive media makers. These days, most media people,… more
Despite an early victory, the court battle between the Federal Communications Commission and media reform advocates, the staff of… more
In a sanguinary reprise of their age-old antagonism, jock and nerd skirmished last month on the parched plains of… more
With its talking turd and adolescent T&A it’s easy to dismiss Comedy Central as a joke. But then 11… more
When Ronald Reagan accepted the Republican presidential nomination in 1980, he called for “a new consensus with all those… more
It came as something of a surprise to hear conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh confess an addiction to painkillers,… more
Remember the field trips you took in elementary school—maybe to the fire department, a farm, a radio station or… more
It has taken 10 years of talk about “new media” for a critical mass to understand that every computer… more
Sut Jhally believes the left faces two basic tasks: “The first is to understand and analyze the world better… more
Upton Sinclair self-published a book called The Brass Check in 1919, 13 years after The Jungle. The brass check… more
The major news outlets are like walls with cracks. The confining structures of big media loom large every day—yet… more
Right-wing foundations understand how to create dedicated ideologues. They target budding freshmen conservatives from their move-in day and support… more
The startling cinematic success of American Splendor—an indie film uniquely merging the real-story-behind-the-film-story with the comic drawings that stand… more
Many progressive Americans sense that we are at a watershed moment in our relationship to the mainstream media. Progressive… more
Perhaps it’s surprising that most Democratic candidates are now speaking out on media ownership and deregulation of the public… more
If the triumph of the New Right could be blamed on one person, that villain might be Austrian economist… more
Ten years ago John Stauber decided to take on the media arm of corporate America: the public relations industry.… more
We each inhabit our own individualized media landscape: We choose what we read, what we see and what we… more
The fight to contain the monopolistic impulses of the corporate media has galvanized media activists. Their efforts have borne… more
Human interference has long threatened wildlife throughout the world, including dietary habits imperiling endangered species in West Africa. But… more
It sounds like something from the pages of The Onion: “Son of Prominent Father Recommends Family Favoritism.” Unfortunately, Adam… more
“Under the way theyíre kind of writing it right now out of the Senate Finance Committee, some people could… more
Numerous tightly rolled cannabis cigarettes were in evidence at a June 12 luncheon at the Heartland Institute, a libertarian… more
Lobbyists have finally arrived. Washington—or at least the Roll Call-reading classes that traffic in inside-the-Beltway inside baseball—is abuzz over… more
A September report by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that more than 1.3 million additional Americans fell into poverty… more
One thing about the 10 Democratic presidential challengers: They don’t put their feet in their mouths quite like the… more
The collapse of World Trade Organization talks in Cancun has greatly delayed the negotiations of any new expanded trade… more
The typical complaint goes something like this: Why open a huge, gleaming multiplex if three of those screens are… more
Despite the Mexican government’s well-publicized crackdown in May on the smuggling business here and elsewhere along the border, this… more
In debating the high-profile felony sexual-assault case against Kobe Bryant over the past months, media commentators have been largely… more
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It’s a corollary to the Horatio Alger myth: Americans not only believe rags-to-riches ascendance is possible, they believe they… more