Stories by Norman Solomon

Norman Solomon is founding director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and co-founder of RootsAction.org. He co-chairs the national Healthcare Not Warfare campaign organized by Progressive Democrats of America. His books include War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death.

37 Reporters Killed, and Counting

Posted on: Mar 27, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Despite serious, even deadly hazards in many parts of the world, a lot of journalists keep setting aside fear to do their jobs with integrity.

The "Liberal Media" Myth that Will Not Die

Posted on: Mar 20, 2002, Source: AlterNet

You've probably heard a lot of spooky tales about "the liberal media." Of course, this scary apparition is a specter much more often cited than sighted.

Television Becoming Spoof-Proof

Posted on: Mar 18, 2002, Source: AlterNet

The day is fast approaching when satire of American TV will be impossible, since it is already so inadvertently self-satirical and oblivious to its own creepiness.

Six Months After 9/11, Groupthink Prevails

Posted on: Mar 6, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Promised a perpetual "war against terror," we face a parallel media war without end -- a propaganda siege that must be resisted.

Pentagon's Silver Lining Bigger Than the Cloud

Posted on: Feb 27, 2002, Source: AlterNet

The Office of Strategic Influence burned quickly. But for Donald Rumsfeld and his colleagues along the Potomac, the inky cloud of bad publicity has a big silver lining.

A Pulitzer for Tom Friedman, the 'Give War a Chance' Guy

Posted on: Feb 21, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Thomas Friedman has just won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary, adding yet another accolade to a journalistic career that is based on advocating brutal war against Arab nations.

When Nothing but a Full-Page Ad Will Do

Posted on: Feb 13, 2002, Source: AlterNet

When a large company gets clobbered in the press -- like Enron or Arthur Andersen -- the damage-control response often includes phony full-page newspaper ads.

American Journalism -- A Class Act

Posted on: Feb 10, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Like most people, American journalists are apt to look at the very rich with awe. Names like Bill Gates, George Soros and Warren Buffett have the ring of modern-day royalty -- high above the rest of us, and maybe even vaguely immortal.

SOLOMON: GWB and the Incredible Shrinking FDR

Posted on: Feb 4, 2002, Source: AlterNet

A new media tic -- likening George W. Bush to Franklin D. Roosevelt -- is already so widespread that it's apt to become a conditioned reflex of American journalism.

SOLOMON: Ashcroft's Media Scam

Posted on: Jan 23, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Even by Washington's standards, the ability of John Ashcroft to reinvent himself has been a wonder to behold.

A Communique From The Ghost Of Mark Twain

Posted on: Jan 16, 2002, Source: AlterNet

I see that I'm damn near legendary now; and since I died long ago, that's safe for all concerned.

Determined Struggle Brings a Radio Network Back to Life

Posted on: Jan 9, 2002, Source: AlterNet

Two words -- "censorship" and "democracy" -- summarize much of what has been at stake in the national battle over Pacifica. Now, some very good news: Democracy is winning.

The Discreet Charm of the Straight Spin

Posted on: Jan 2, 2002, Source: AlterNet

When highly regarded news outlets are serving up wild hyperbole in the guise of sober analysis, you gotta figure that some screws in the nation's media machinery are seriously loose.

In the Media Mix, What Happens to Music?

Posted on: Dec 30, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Music can be a catalyst for transcending the daily media assualt, or just another sly advertising ploy.

Bad News When Madmen Lead The Blind

Posted on: Dec 25, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Since Sept. 11, many journalists have commented that the United States is unaccustomed to the role of victim. Left unsaid is how accustomed we are to being victimizers, while congratulating ourselves as a nation of worldly do-gooders.

The P.U.-Litzer Prizes For 2001

Posted on: Dec 12, 2001, Source: AlterNet

The P.U.-litzer Prizes were established a decade ago to give recognition to the stinkiest media performances of the year. This year, the competition was especially fierce.

Noam Chomsky, Wartime Media Hero

Posted on: Dec 9, 2001, Source: AlterNet

From all indications, the gatekeepers for big media in the United States don't want to hear what Noam Chomsky has to say -- and they'd prefer that we not hear him either.

Newsflash! U.S. Is Not Center of the World!!

Posted on: Nov 29, 2001, Source: AlterNet

A news dispatch from the Media Twilight Zone...

A Sweet Message for Americans -- "We Are Family"

Posted on: Nov 26, 2001, Source: AlterNet

If the United States is one big family, then it's a remarkably cruel one, with extremes of privilege and deprivation.

Fear and Numbing in the TV Zone

Posted on: Nov 20, 2001, Source: AlterNet

What television offers today, perhaps more than ever, is anesthesia in the face of apprehension: mind-numbing commercials flanked by checked-out entertainment.

Bloomberg's Victory and the Triumph of Business News

Posted on: Nov 7, 2001, Source: AlterNet

The explosion of business news propelled Michael Bloomberg's march into the elite ranks of billionaires -- and into the New York mayor's office.

The World Series in a Time of Crisis

Posted on: Oct 31, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Hopefully, the essence of baseball will survive all the manipulation from corporate sponsors and symbol-hungry politicians -- especially in times of national crisis.

War Needs Good Public Relations

Posted on: Oct 25, 2001, Source: AlterNet

For some people, war is terror, disaster and death. For the Pentagon, it's a PR problem. So they've hired a PR firm to spin the war in Afghanistan.

The Televised Greatness of George W. Bush

Posted on: Oct 17, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Today's television environment is, more than ever, warmly hospitable to simple -- and simplistic -- declarative statements. That's good news for President Bush.

Starvation and Dollar Bills for Afghan Kids

Posted on: Oct 11, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Bush's plea for American children to aid Afghan kids with dollar bills will go down as one of the most cynical maneuvers of media manipulation in the early 21st century.

TV News -- A Militarized Zone

Posted on: Oct 7, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Far away, missiles are flying and bombs are exploding -- but self-congratulation has been profuse on television, which is now a free-fire zone for war propaganda.

Media Spin Revolves Around the Word "Terrorist"

Posted on: Oct 3, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Unless we buy into the absurd pretense that governments don't engage in "terrorism," the circumscribed use of the term by U.S. media makes no sense.

Killing Civilians -- Behind the Reassuring Words

Posted on: Sep 24, 2001, Source: AlterNet

History proves that no amount of vehement denials can change the reality that huge numbers of civilians are now in the Pentagon's cross hairs.

When Journalists Report for Duty

Posted on: Sep 19, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Now that we're marching towards war, the news profession is morphing into PR flackery for Uncle Sam, as reporters salute the commander-in-chief and await their orders.

A Unanimous Triumph for Masters of War

Posted on: Sep 13, 2001, Source: AlterNet

On Friday, the Senate voted 98-0 for a war resolution. Written as a blank check, it is only payable with vast quantities of human corpses.

SOLOMON: Terrorism, Television and the Rage for Vengeance

Posted on: Sep 12, 2001, Source: AlterNet

In our struggle to understand the recent tragedy, the media has let us down with its selctive silence around important information. What we don't know can hurt us.

Denial and the Ravaging of Cyberspace

Posted on: Sep 3, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Just a handful of large corporations control the vast majority of Internet traffic, putting the Web's democratic aspirations in jeopardy.

Thirty Years Later, Memories of Attica Cry Out

Posted on: Aug 27, 2001, Source: AlterNet

"The Ghosts of Attica" -- premiering nationwide Sept. 9 on Court TV -- is an historically accurate look at the bloody prison uprising and an indictment of what has passed for journalism in reporting on prison-related events.

How To Be a Contented Media Consumer

Posted on: Aug 20, 2001, Source: AlterNet

News, entertainment, advertising, propaganda: it's all the same. Read on and follow these tips to a better, more fulfilling media experience.

Clinton Memoirs Reflecting on the Media Wars

Posted on: Aug 13, 2001, Source: AlterNet

News of Bill Clinton's lucrative book deal has created quite a buzz. There's no telling what juicy tidbits will be revealed in the former president's memoirs.

A Green Party Campaign for President in 2004?

Posted on: Aug 5, 2001, Source: AlterNet

The Green Party has gained strength by fighting against the consequences of anti-democratic corporate power but party members disagree on plans for the next election.

Dancing on the Grave of Carlo Giuliani

Posted on: Jul 30, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Quite a few media commentators seemed to accept -- or even applaud -- the killing of Genoa protester Carlo Giuliani as rough justice.

Slanting Katharine Graham's History

Posted on: Jul 23, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Katharine Graham's death prompted a flood of media accolades in mid-July. But history should not be distorted by easy adulation of the powerful.

Condit Scandal Goes Over the Top

Posted on: Jul 16, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Gary Condit's infamy is the media scandal of the season. Eager to rev up their ratings, the networks are in salacious overdrive.

Media All-Stars Taking the Field

Posted on: Jul 9, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Its All-Star Season again. Solomon compiles a roster for his team of Media heavy-hitters for the year 2001.

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