Like most conservatives I am of course thrilled to see my political nemesis Keith Olbermann gone from his perch at MSNBC. His Angry Ted Baxter routine in which he hurled insults and dishonesty like a monkey hurls his own poop, was never a pretty sight. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t at least somewhat respect Olbermann for flying his partisan flag. With Olbermann gone, the news media is somehow even more dishonest today than it was yesterday.

Olbermann stridently declared, “I’m coming to get you Righties,” and then hurled away. Fair enough. Politicio, Mediaite, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, the rest of the broadcast networks, the New York Times, etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum — they all do the same in the department of poop hurling, but without hoisting their partisan flag. And that is all the difference in the world.

And so, if for no other reason, I do credit Olbermann for not attempting to hide his agenda behind some sanctimonious veil of objectivity. The others, however, the so-called “objective” outlets are contemptible spies, out of uniform, and deserving of nothing more than our own brand of contempt. The whole idea of objective journalism is a lie, a conceit, a ploy for Leftists to declare what truth is and float above the debate. Any day of the week, I will take a thousand Keith Olbermanns over a single Christiane Amanpour –I will embrace Olbermann’s Tokyo Rose over this endless parade of Walter Durantys.

Yes, there are exceptions, we are fortunate enough to benefit from a few truly objective journalists, chief among them Brett Baier, Jake Tapper, and Chris Wallace. But so few exceptions in a media ocean of willful dishonesty, only serves to prove the rule. (more…)

The case of Too Much Media, LLC (Plaintiff) v. Shellee Hale (Defendant), decided by the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division on April 22, 2010, is not a decision that should cause alarm among those who are engaged in, or are patrons of, new media news sources.

Internet enterprises associated with mainstream news outlets run their own news-related websites. Legitimate self-interests led them to challenge the trial court’s understanding of slander per se in this case. Consequently, if you consider the defendant, Shellee Hale, a member of the “new media,” then NBC and the New York Times came to her partial defense.

But… here’s the question: Does Hale become a journalist of the new news media by simply submitting a comment on a website?

Hale’s act of posting a comment on a website did not, in the Appellate Court’s decision, singularly qualify her as a journalist. Consequently, she is not a heroine of the independent (of legacy media affiliation) internet news media, and not one around whom we should necessarily rally to support. (more…)

“Every single Iranian is valuable.  The government is at everyone’s service.  We like everyone.”

-Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, June 2009

I cannot use my real name.  If the freedom of expressive condemnation practiced in this article were associated with my name I would never be permitted to return home.  Dozens of family members would be in danger of interrogation and persecution for my words.  This is an everyday reality for an Iranian-American.  I live in America with my family and enjoy all the freedoms and privileges contained within the American dream.  These are the freedoms that my fellow Iranians are fighting for.  I use these rights to voice my thoughts and to condemn those who will not acknowledge our struggle.

On June 13th, 2009, in the aftermath of Iran’s tenth presidential election, the Iranian people marched through the streets outraged, denouncing the disputed and fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As a result, the regime’s security apparatus fought the people’s will and tried to repress all forms of civil activism. Using different news media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, the Iranian people allowed their protests to be heard around the globe. (more…)

The media have an inadequate understanding of religion. This simple fact is corroborated frequently, as mainstream outlets attempt to illustrate stories, explain religious themes and delve deep into faith-based systems.  Unfortunately, most outlets miss the mark entirely, as journalists do not have proper understanding of the constructs through which they are attempting to report.  As a result, the American public suffers a lack of pointed and well-presented information on a subject that stands at the forefront of important global and domestic issues.

Case in point, Christiane Amanpour’s 2007 CNN mini-series entitled, “God’s Warriors.”  The three-part series delved into the world’s three largest religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  As is typical of the secular media, an enhanced level of relativism led the Iranian-bred Amanpour (born in London to a Persian family) to equate “extremism” within and among adherents to the three religions.  While each belief system has had moral failures, equating the deaths as a result of radical Islamic fascism to those of contemporary Christianity and Judaism is absurd.  Furthermore, as is the case when journalists attempt to cover religion, Amanpour left out essential details that would have provided a more fair-minded picture. (more…)

I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. It felt like a scene from a movie that conveniently ties plot points together when two critical characters in the storyline share a moment of implausible significance – where the intrepid reporter finally runs his target to ground.

So at first I had trouble getting my words out. “I’m Andrew Breitbart,” I exhaled. Instead of hanging up, Bertha Lewis laughed like someone I would probably like in a different setting – but certainly not in this lifetime now that we are permanently and publicly tied to one another as media-based adversaries.

I knew the awkwardness of the moment would turn into trouble when I started asking her pointed questions and, sure enough, we soon we found ourselves in trouble.

“Did you go to the White House last year?” I asked.

Bertha Laughed heartily.  ”No,” she said.

“Really?” I pushed.

“No. One hundred percent not. Not this year. Not last year. Not ever,” she stated firmly, all the while maintaining an awkward and ironic joviality that was likely born of the weirdness of our impromptu exchange. (more…)