highly recommend this book by Adam Johnson of @citationspod.bsky.social, which soberly lays out the hard data of the discourse that center-left media has decided is acceptable, in which Palestinians are not allowed humanity
Great in depth analysis w/@premthakker on the framing of resistance (even secular) as “radicalism” while open racism, genocide, and ethnic cleansing by western powers is never framed as “radical” if it’s even mentioned
In Ep 237, "How Selective, Patronizing 'Deradicalization' Discourse Pathologizes Anti-Colonial Struggle," we break down the long history of US media reducing recalcitrant populations' grievances to "terrorism," "hate," & "radicalism" in urgent need of re-education
w/ guest @premthakker.bsky.social.
I am eternally thankful for this @citationspod.bsky.social podcast from years ago that rewired my brain from seeing gambling as a stupidity tax to a targeted attack to drain resources from vulnerable populations who have less and less hope for any kind of "honest" financial stability
Great timing.
great recent @citationspod.bsky.social episode on this. "Shadow fleet" is generally used by US media to refer to ships that are conducting completely legal trade between sovereign nations...that the US doesn't like
“Public-Private Partnerships” always mean privatization of public resources and/or extraction from the public. Up to now the greatest expansion of this has been under Clinton and Biden. Fight this wherever it appears!
Essential listening if you live in a place governed by liberals or republicans
In Ep 236, "Manufactured Austerity and the Media Assisted 'Public-Private Partnership' Rip-Off," we discuss how privatization was rebranded 'Public-Private Partnerships' and unleashed decades of raiding of the public coffers by Wall Street.
with guest Donald Cohen.
US mainstream media does a terrible job at holding the US government and business elite to account, because they don't believe it's part of their job description.
we'd all be better off if more people listened to citations needed
Once again begging everyone to shut this shit off and commit to listening to @citationspod.bsky.social to develop media literacy.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Well, this is probably the podcast to beat all podcasts. Well worth a listen. Trust me.
In this News Brief, “As American Troops Hide in Civilian Hotels, US Media Ignores Pentagon's Use of ‘Human Shields’,” we examine CNN, the Atlantic, Washington Post and NYT’s blatant ‘human shields’ double standard as reports emerge of US troops hiding from Iranian attacks in civilian infrastructure.
Thanks to @citationspod.bsky.social for their ep pointing out the accepted premise in most media that Iran has or could very quickly have “the bomb” at all when it’s actually that they have some semblance of a civilian nuclear power infrastructure that is years away from weaponization
Everything you’ve been told about “Iran’s nuclear weapons program” has been a lie. If you remotely care about truth in media, @citationspod.bsky.social is a must-listen
In this News Brief, we discuss a recent poll showing 70% of Americans are fundamentally wrong about the nature of Iran's "nuclear program"—including 1 in 4 who think Iran currently possesses a nuclear weapon, and detail how decades of sleazy media innuendo and fabrications got us to this point.
And this is another podcast I did on Venezuela earlier this year, aka a life time ago. Just came out today. bsky.app/profile/cita...
Fascinating episode. The broad sweeping power of US imposed sanctions, as if they hold international clout, is incredibly dangerous. No country should be able to unilaterally impose law, much less internationally, but the US operates with relative impunity.
In Ep 235, "'Shadow Fleets,' Sanctions and Western Media's International Law-ification of Arbitrary US Dictates," we explore how unilateral US sanctions against Enemy States are given the halo of international legal legitimacy by print and cable news.
With guest @msjamshidi.bsky.social
.
We're live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiIq...
HI ALL: we will be going live again, tomorrow on YouTube at 530ET/430CTpm to discuss Trump’s Iran attack, the media downplaying the killing of 150+ school girls in Minab, and Democrats’ bumbling hall monitor routine which still hasn’t held a War Powers vote. Link forthcoming.
In this News Brief, "What Does 'Progressive Foreign Policy' Mean in an Age of Genocide?" we break down recent "AOC Discourse," what comes after liberal interventionism, and lay out what it means to turn the page on Bidenism without first holding Biden officials accountable for backing a genocide.
I loved doing this pod with @citationspod.bsky.social and @chenjerai.bsky.social !!
In "As Trump Crushes Academia, the NYT and Atlantic Still Fight 'Woke' Wars from 5 Years Ago," we are joined by Chenjerai Kumanyika & Todd Wolfson of @aaup.org to discuss Trump's gutting of higher education, neoliberalism's college takeover and the possible end of academic independence as we know it
In this New Brief, we detail how the New York Times, Atlantic, and others are using the specter of ICE's extreme violence and kidnappings to create a narrative of successful post-George Floyd police reform that simply does not exist.
In Ep 234, "TikTok, Gen Z's Move to Social Media and Elite Panic Over Unsanctioned News," we examine our political class' TikTok neurosis, how Gaza fueled its sell to US and Israeli military contractors, and the long history of elite panics around unsanctioned information flows.
with Omar Zahzah.
the best media criticism pod in the game
In this News Brief, "ICE, Senate Dems' Counterinsurgency PR, and the Limits of Body Cam Liberalism," we detail the fundamental problems with Senate Democrats' cosmetic reforms, the strategy of letting outrage blow over and the conspicuous absence of any proposal that touches ICE's obscene budget.
As usual, Citations Needed is great and worth a listen. They do a great job examining the text, subtext, and meta-text of contemporary media, capturing how and why media frames issues the way they do. This episode makes very clear why our political imagination has to extend beyond politicians.