Media Matters - Economic Issues

Media Matters - Economic Issues http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/economic_issues This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Economic Issues en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America Wash. Times and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review publish false Heritage Foundation claims about autoworker compensation http://mediamatters.org/items/200812010004 In recent days, The Washington Times and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published op-eds by members of the Heritage Foundation containing the false claim that union autoworkers earn $75 an hour in wages and benefits. In fact, according to General Motors, these claims are based not only on current workers' hourly wages and benefits, such as health care and retirement, but also retirement and health-care benefits that U.S. automakers are providing for current retirees. http://mediamatters.org/items/200812010004 Mon, 1 Dec 2008 11:01:52 EST Conservative media react to talk of Obama-led economic recovery by attacking FDR and New Deal http://mediamatters.org/items/200811260002 In recent weeks, several conservative media figures, echoed by Republican lawmakers, have responded to comparisons in the media of President-elect Barack Obama to FDR, or assertions in the media that a New Deal-level of government intervention will be necessary to resolve the current economic crisis, by asserting that the New Deal was a dismal failure, plunging the 1930s economy into a depression, an assertion that prominent progressive economists flatly reject. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811260002 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:07:47 EST Larson rewrote history to dispute Media Matters item documenting his falsehood on autoworker pay http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250020 Lars Larson responded to a November 22 Media Matters item by misrepresenting what he had said five days before about autoworkers' hourly compensation. Larson claimed on November 24, "[T]hey [Media Matters] were saying that if you count just what is being paid to the worker and to his pension and for his medical care, that it doesn't add up to $73 an hour and they're right, but that's not what I said. I said that the total cost of having that worker on the assembly line is over $73 an hour." In fact, as Media Matters documented, Larson falsely claimed on November 19 that American automakers are "paying $73.73 an hour to those people with salary and benefits." http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250020 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:37:40 EST Citigroup bailout blackout: Network news programs featured no one asserting deal is bad for taxpayers http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250017 On all three network evening news programs, reports on the bailout of Citigroup included interviews with supporters of the deal, but only the CBS Evening News included any criticism of the bailout -- and that criticism came from a source who argued that the bailout was not large enough. None of the reports featured criticism of the bailout on the grounds that it is a poor deal for taxpayers, even though several economists have made that argument. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250017 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:06:28 EST Misinformation about autoworkers' hourly compensation resurfaces on Hardball http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250011 On Hardball, guest host Mike Barnicle did not challenge the false claim by Republican strategist Todd Harris that union autoworkers earn "70, $75 an hour," a claim also recently made on Hardball by a Heritage Foundation fellow and echoed by host Chris Matthews. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811250011 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:54:36 EST MSNBC's Brzezinski falsely asserted "the average Big Three automaker union worker's compensation is $73/hour" http://mediamatters.org/items/200811240004 MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski falsely claimed that "the average Big Three automaker union worker's compensation is $73/hour -- two and a half times the average for the taxpayer being asked to bail them out." In fact, the $73 figure includes not only future retirement benefits for current workers, but also benefits paid to current retirees, according to GM. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811240004 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:58:06 EST Media figures falsely assert or suggest autoworkers make $70/hour without noting figure includes benefits paid to current retirees http://mediamatters.org/items/200811220004 Several media outlets have used data that combines the average cost of current wages and benefits and future benefits to falsely assert or suggest that autoworkers make $70 or more per hour. But, as analysts and some media outlets have noted, the figure includes not only future retirement benefits for current workers, but also benefits paid to current retirees. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811220004 Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:45:12 EST Augusta Chronicle forwarded false claim that taxpayers would get "their entire paycheck" under "Fair Tax" http://mediamatters.org/items/200811190008 An Augusta Chronicle editorial supporting the "Fair Tax," a proposal that "replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes" with a national sales tax, falsely stated that under the "Fair Tax" people will "get their entire paycheck." In fact, Georgia residents would still have to pay the Georgia income tax, which is withheld from their paychecks. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811190008 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:35:19 EST Hannity, Hewitt revive bogus "Obama recession" claim http://mediamatters.org/items/200811170016 On Hannity & Colmes, Sean Hannity and Hugh Hewitt rehashed the discredited claim that President-elect Barack Obama is to blame for recent declines in the stock market. In fact, analysts have cited economic data on dropping retail sales, increasing unemployment, and other significant factors to explain recent stock-market declines. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811170016 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:35:51 EST Gingrich falsely touted GOP governors of Utah and Indiana for "lowest unemployment rates in their respective regions" http://mediamatters.org/items/200811160005 On CBS' Face the Nation, Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich falsely claimed that Indiana and Utah -- both governed by Republicans -- have the "lowest unemployment rates in their respective regions." However, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics records, neither Utah nor Indiana has the lowest unemployment rate in its region, and several states with lower unemployment rates are governed by Democrats. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811160005 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:36:31 EST On FNS, Wallace did not challenge Kyl on false claim that Republican economist Feldstein opposes an economic stimulus package http://mediamatters.org/items/200811160004 On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace did not challenge the false assertion by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that Republican economist "Marty Feldstein says we shouldn't" enact a new economic stimulus plan. But Feldstein wrote in an October 30 op-ed that "[t]he only way to prevent a deepening recession will be a temporary program of increased government spending." http://mediamatters.org/items/200811160004 Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:14:07 EST Hannity, Limbaugh promote myth of an "Obama recession" http://mediamatters.org/items/200811120011 Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh continue to suggest that President-elect Barack Obama is to blame for the decline in the stock market, referring to the state of the stock market as an "Obama recession." In fact, analysts have refuted the proposition that the market decline has anything to do with anticipation of Obama's presidency. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811120011 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:16:46 EST Morris, Hannity, Limbaugh implicate Obama in stock-market decline -- analysts disagree http://mediamatters.org/items/200811070011 Conservative commentators have asserted that President-elect Barack Obama is to blame for the decline of the stock market since the election. But several analysts disagree, citing weak corporate reports and the release of unemployment statistics. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811070011 Fri, 7 Nov 2008 19:09:37 EST It's not just Limbaugh and Hannity http://mediamatters.org/items/200811060005 Beyond the echelon of widely known conservative radio hosts with national audiences lies a vast network of lesser-known syndicated and regional radio hosts who have become key components of an echo chamber for conservative talking points and falsehoods. Like their better-known counterparts, these syndicated and regional radio hosts have played active roles this election season in promoting falsehoods and smears in an all-out effort to foment hate and distrust among their listeners for President-elect Barack Obama. While the hosts vary in the degree of vitriol they spew and in their ratio of rebuttable falsehoods to unbridled smears, Media Matters for America and Colorado Media Matters have identified common themes that many, if not all, have promoted over the past year. http://mediamatters.org/items/200811060005 Thu, 6 Nov 2008 12:37:03 EST Wash. Times distorted Richardson's, Obama's remarks on tax policy http://mediamatters.org/items/200811030005 The Washington Times falsely suggested that Gov. Bill Richardson said Sen. Barack Obama would raise taxes on Americans making more than $120,000, stating that Sen. John McCain "continued to hammer the Democrat over his plan to tax Americans making more than $250,000 -- a number that has crept down, first to $200,000, then to $150,000 and finally to $120,000." In fact, the number hasn't "crept down," and during the interview to which the Times was referring, Richardson said that under Obama's plan for "those in the middle class, anybody under $250,000, there is no tax increase." http://mediamatters.org/items/200811030005 Mon, 3 Nov 2008 12:36:08 EST