"The Conscience of American Journalism"

Now days, there is so much pre-interview prepping about what you can/can't say, what the current talking points are, and how to keep the interviewer "on topic;" it's usually a effort in futility to try and get the guests to say anything interesting or, god forbid, honest.

For that reason, I love when interviewers get the tables turned on them. They seem to have so many opinions bottled up, when asked, they come rushing out.

That was the case last Friday when Bill Moyers, an ex-White House press secretary under LBJ and 38 year veteran of PBS, sat down with Bill Maher.

The topics ranged from what to do in Afghanistan to comparisons of JFK's & Obama's oratory abilities. But the bulk of the time was spent on health care reform. After his interview with Wendell Potter a few weeks back, you know Moyers was chomping at the bit.

Smaller. Faster. Smarter.

Anyone familiar with online trends knows the formula for many sites is something along the lines of:

Site becomes popular.
Giant corporation buys popular site.
Giant corp tries to monetize site.
People run away and make new site popular. (See: MySpace, Napster)

With the news that Rupert Murdoch will soon begin charging for online content published by his media conglomerate, one has to wonder, what's the future of online news?

Nic Brisbourne, of PaidContent.org, has some really interesting ideas on where the online news game is heading.

He argues that with so many news outlets available online, once one source starts charging for content the masses will migrate to another site. Headlines are headlines, no matter the site you get them from.

But abundances create scarcities.

According to Brisbourne, the scarcities in online news are "...interesting stories, thought provoking analysis, conversation and community, and trust/verification."

He expands on that by adding:

"Interesting stories go beyond simple reporting of what has occurred, bringing in relevant context and staying with a topic as it unfolds. Thought provoking analysis will dare to shock, and to be wrong. Conversation and community will both make the experience richer for the active participant and improve the quality of the content on the site for more casual reader. Trust and verification will make you go back to one site rather than another as you know the stories there will be more accurate (note breaking news should be published first and verified second, with appropriate caveats)."

The companies who follow this model won't necessarily have to charge for content. Just keep overhead to a minimum and "leverag(e) (their) position in the community to offer services no one else can."

Full article here.

Advertisers don't like crazy.

After a long list of bat-shit-crazy things Glenn Beck has said, the conservative talk show host has apparently pushed advertisers too far.

So, which crazy straw broke the camel's back?

Joking about poisoning Nancy Pelosi? No.

Screaming/shrieking at a radio caller who disagreed with him? No.

Beck actually saying he believed our mixed race president was a racist? Yahtzee!

Ad Age has picked up on the story that many online discussion boards and aggregators, like Reddit, have been talking about for weeks.

ColorofChange.com has been leading the calls for a boycott of GB's prime-time show on Fox News because of his "racist" comment. So far, 36 advertisers have demanded that their ad spots won't appear on Beck's show.

And these aren't no-name companies like the Extenze male enhancement guys but big wigs like Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, S.C. Johnson, Clorox, and Sprint.

Clorox has gone as far as to say not only will they be pulling all future ads from GB but they are also avoiding all "inflammatory" political talk shows, right or left, for the foreseeable future.

This raises an interesting problem for advertisers.

The political talking heads like Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly and Olbermann have made a name for themselves by being incendiary. Which is bad. But they have the highest ratings on cable news. Which is good. So what's an ad buyer to do? Can't be sure but this consumer is hoping they'll choose the high road.

They are talking about me.

When they talk about 47 million uninsured Americans, they're talking about me.

When they talk about people being denied health care because of "preexisting conditions," they're talking about me.

I eat well; exercise 5 times a week; and stay away from the cancer sticks but because I was diagnosed with leukemia at 2.5 years old, I'm not deserving of health care.

But they can't say that.

It's about stopping the death panels or those who want to "kill grandma." There can't be a legitimate debate because then people would see the human side of the argument.


Wendell Potter was the head of corporate communications for CIGNA, one of the nation's largest health insurance companies. He was at the forefront of the corporate spin that was designed derail health care reform efforts over the last decade and a half.

That was until his conscience revealed its ugly head.

Below is one of the best videos I've seen about the health care reform "debate." Potter lets you into the mindset of a health care executive and relives how once he put a human face on the problem he couldn't go back to his ivory tower.

Fascinating stuff.

The Little Revolution That Could.

Check out the face of a proud Ahmadinejad supporter.

There had been seven days of rallies and protests since Ayatollah Khamenei's last public appearance. To say everyone was anxiously awaiting Khamenei's speech today would be a huge understatement.

The ayatollah's speech could have taken one of two paths. Either acknowledge the protestors concerns of a rigged election and try and calm them down or, stand behind Ahmadinejad and amp up the tension with some good ole rhetoric. Khamenei chose the latter.

Instead of wavering in his praise for Ahmadinejad, the "Supreme Leader" condemed the protests (and the West) and denied any voter fraud.. It's feared that tomorrow will see the bloody crackdown that many people have been waiting for this whole time. Or maybe they won't.

Either way, tomorrow will be a day that isn't soon forgotten.



A Poem for the Rooftops of Iran

Big Developments:

-The crowds on Monday were the largest since the '79 Revolution.

-A ban was put out on all protests, but on Wednesday the demonstrations were estimated to be over 500,000 people. In response, 15 protestors were killed by the security forces.

-Mousavi called for Thursday to be a day of mourning to remember the fallen protestors. An estimated 1,000,000 Iranians came out.

-A centrist Iranian newspaper reports 30 Iranian towns with more votes than voters registered. Some as many as 40% more.

-Top religious leader Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri has called on police & soldiers to disobey orders to act against the protestors.

-The US House of Representatives has passed a resolution condemning the Iranian gov't and showing support for the protestors. Vote passed 405-1. Only person who didn't vote yes? Ron Paul. Doesn't seem to make much sense but his reasoning is rock solid.

General Shady Stuff:

-A secret letter between the Iranian Minister of the Interior & the Ayatollah Khamenei, . The letter was written the day after the elections and appears to show the true results of the election, with Mousavi winning and Ahmadinejad coming in third.

-On June 7, an open letter was written by members of Iran's Interior Ministry (which suprervises the elections) and addressed to top Iranian religious & political leaders. The letter detailed a plot that alleged religious leaders were prepared to allow voter fraud to keep Ahmadinejad in office.

-Iranian gov't has been publishing Photoshopped images of a pro-Ahmadinejad rally.

-A Canadian journalist, one of the few foreign journalists still in Tehran, was picked up by police. Roughed up. And lived to write about it.

-Iranian gov't has started tracking Twiiter accounts. All Twitters are urged to change your "Location" on your Twitter account to "Tehran" to confuse the Iranian gov't.

Some context:

You've gotta watch these clips.

I've been a big fan of Reza Aslan for a while now. No matter what the current crisis is in the Middle East, Aslan is always there waiting to help us figure it out. He not only manages to make really complex situations easier to digest but has an way of discussing these issues that highlights the positive aspects and leaves you with a seed of hope.

Rachel Maddow had Aslan as her guest on Wednesday night. His predictions for the significance of the day of mourning were so spot-on, Maddow had him back on Thursday's show. You won't hear commentary this insightful anywhere else.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

And again on Thursday:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

More Info:

Best sources of info around: Guardian UK live-blog and Huffington Post live-blog

Both have teams of people working around the clock to make sure the Iranians are being heard.

Images of Democracy in Action

Despite a ban on protests, hundreds of thousands of Mousavi supporters came out on Monday, June 15, 2009, in support of their defeated presidential candidate. (BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)




Iranian student protesting outside of Iranian embassy in Rome. (Reuters)




Mousvia supporters on Saturday. (AP)







More to come...

You say you want a revolution.

Rapid fire post.

The legitimacy of the Iranian presidential elections have come into question. With an average age of 26, Iran seemed poised to make a swing to the left and vote the polarizing Ahmadinejad out of office.

After extending polling hours three seperate times on June 12 because of an estimated 80% voter turnout, the Iranian gov't declared Ahmadinejad the winner after only one hour into the tedious task of counting the paper ballots. Sounds a little shady to me.

Opposition canadite Mousavi's supporters seem to agree. After hearing about the election "results" they took to the streets.

In order to suppress the backlash, the Iranian gov't has cut off Mousavi supporter groups' websites, all of Facebook, and all text messaging services in the Persian country. In addition to that, they've severely limited the ability to make international calls in an attempt to slow down the international press.

Buuutttttt....they for got about Twitter. Lots of great raw info coming out through the social media site. Damn it's great to live in the 21st century!

Current list of Iranians who are Twittering.


BBC video of protesters running off secret police so BBC can film.

Time.com: Was Ahmadinejad's Win Rigged?

Time.com: Photos from Tehran

Video of Iranian protesters burning an Iranian cop's bike then saving the same cop from being mauled by the rest of the protesters.

Will post updates when I can.

*sing-song* It's my burfday! It's MY burfday! It's MY BURFDAY!!

June 11 is definitely one of my favorite days of the year. I don't know why.

The sun just seems a little sunnier today. The internet is moving just a little quicker. The high fructose corn syrup tastes a little sweeter.

Could be the best day of the year. Could just be me.

To celebrate, I've found one of my favorite Youtube clips to spread a little June 11th joy.

Hope this does the trick.

Just like yesterday.

Artist: The Who
Song: Won't Get Fooled Again

And the world looks just the same
And history ain't changed
'Cause the banners, they all flown in the last war

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
No, no!

I'll move myself and my family aside
If we happen to be left half alive
I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
For I know that the hypnotized never lie

Do ya?

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Cramer admits to "shenanigans" but refuses to handover pot o' gold.

I hate to write two Daily Show posts in a row but this story has been impossible to ignore. At current count, Google news has 1,400+ stories under the "Jon Stewart/Jim Cramer" heading. And it's still going.

Arianna Huffington, herself, made a post today where she wondered aloud about how CNN's John King interview of Dick Cheney would have gone differently if it would have been Jon Stewart asking the questions instead of John King.

Stewart's interview with the Mad Money host has been labeled at scathing attack on a honest and well intentioned man. But these critics missed the point of the interview. Stewart made it very clear that his attacks weren't aimed specifically at Cramer. Cramer just happened to be the one who stepped into the crosshairs.

This whole argument boils down to what role you think the news media should play in our lives.

Watchdog or Jester? Information or Entertainment? Bill Buckley or Billy Bush?

During the interview, Stewart challenged Cramer's network, "CNBC could be an incredibly powerful tool of illumination."

But instead of commending CNBC, Jon repeatedly rebuked the financial network. Even accusing of Cramer and others at CNBC of knowing that the "real" stock market is traded in a "backroom" and that these deals are "fast," "dangerous," "ethically dubious," and ultimately this secretive trading "hurts (the) long term market."

Heavy accusations but Cramer only answered with shrugged shoulders and meek apologies. Which was a recurring theme of the interview.

Too often today, intelligent conversation and insight are being traded for gimmicks and pandering. That's why we get journalists like Jim Cramer and Sean Hannity, and have to look to comedians for our news.

Personally, I hope the mass media wakes up and joins the emerging new-media companies that are bringing real journalism back to the table. Current TV's Vanguard series and The Real News Network are two that spring to mind. I believe, an informed and empowered American public is key to turning our country's fortunes around. If it takes dick and fart jokes to get people interested in politics again, so be it.

Here's the uncut interview. Salty language and everything.


Part 1:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 1

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part 2:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Part 3:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Unedited Interview Pt. 3

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Walk it off.

Like the gift that never starts giving, these bailouts are being touted as the only medicine for out ailing financial systems but we seem to have been misprescribed.

The DOW hasn't recovered. The job market hasn't rebounded.

Same shit. Same storm.

To make matters worse, our financial leaders might not just be incompetent but corrupt as well. You're astonished, I'm sure.

Joe Nocera, a columnist for the NY Times, wrote a great piece on the continuing AIG bailout. Nocera came on 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' last Thursday to discuss his article and A.I.G.'s recent $30 billion prize from the Federal Reserve Raffle.

Nocera and Jon Stewart do a great job of giving the audience a soberingly simple view of the A.I.G. scam (his words, not mine).

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Joe Nocera

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Olympic Thoughts...

-Michael Phelps. 6 Gold Metals. 6 World Records.

-Gymnasts are some bad S.O.B.'s . You know. For guys in tights...

-When I grow up, I wanna be Michael Phelps.

-The Soccer Gods are conspiring against Team USA. Only a loss will send us out. Our two best players are suspended. Get a red card in the 4th minute and lose 2-1.

-China put on a great "firework" show during the opening ceremonies.

-China knows how to find really cute "singers."

-According to the Chinese, their women's gymnasts are "16."

-What's the swimming equivalent of "Eat my dust"? I bet Michael Phelps knows...

-Michael Phelps should take up the pummel horse and help the US men out in 2012.