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Housing 'Recovery?' Not So Fast

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:25:00 +0000

Julia A. Seymour

Despite media attempts to talk up the economy and journalists' optimism regarding the housing market a couple of years ago, the S&P/Case-Shiller index showed home prices have dropped to "eight read more

Media Let Left Play War Games with Libya

admin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:33:00 +0000

Dan Gainor

They're mostly backing Obama's attack on Libya or at least keeping quiet so they don't aid those evil conservatives intent on criticizing the president. More moderate lefties had once promised a third way. Now we find out that was a typo. It's not a third way, it's a third war.

Media Let Left Play War Games with Libya

admin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Dan Gainor

Where have all the war protesters gone, long time passing?

Media Mum on Barney Frank's Fannie Mae Love Connection

admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:29:00 +0000

Jeff Poor

Are journalists playing favorites with some of the key political figures involved with regulatory oversight of U.S. financial markets?

MSNBC’s Chris Matthews launched several vitriolic attacks on the Republican Party on his Sept. 17, 2008, show, suggesting blame for Wall Street problems should be focused in a partisan way. However, he and other media have failed to thoroughly examine the Democratic side of the blame game.

Time to Bury Fannie & Freddie, Not Praise Them

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:14:39 +0000

Pete Sepp

Julius Caesar’s decision to cross the river Rubicon touched off three years of bloodshed and strife that changed the Roman world. So it is (in less dramatic fashion) with the decisions Congress will make about whether and how to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) that facilitate a majority of home mortgages in the United States. These choices will change the way the federal government interacts with financial markets for years to come.

USA Today: Fewer Economists Expect Recession

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:36:15 +0000

Jeff Poor

Labeling the current economic situation a “recession” has been premature, but common among the media, in recent months. But a new poll shows more and more economists are predicting recession will be averted.

An article by John Waggoner and Barbara Hansen in USA Today July 30 revealed the tide is turning against the notion of a recession, with economists split on whether the U.S. economy is currently in a recession.

'Evening News' Praises $25-Billion GSE Bailout

admin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:32 +0000

Jeff Poor

Some call the housing bailout bill the biggest intervention in the U.S. economy since the New Deal, but “CBS Evening News” doesn’t seem to mind.

19 Times Bigger than Enron, and the Networks Didn't See It Coming

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:25:43 +0000

Julia A. Seymour

Another billion-dollar taxpayer bailout is on the horizon with the trouble at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but you won’t find much criticism of the mortgage giants on the networks despite repeated warnings about the lenders’ high-risk behavior.

Econ 101: Is the Fed a Source of Our Economic Problems?

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:37:04 +0000

Gary Wolfram, Ph.D.

Politicians and pundits are crying about the economy, from oil prices to housing and the U.S. dollar. But they rarely pause to consider how we arrived at our situation, as they call for more government help and often for the Federal Reserve to “do something.”

Two Noble Laureates, Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek, have given us some insights into what effects the Federal Reserve’s actions have had on the economy.

Dodd Defends Sweetheart Countrywide Mortgage Deal

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:23:34 +0000

Jeff Poor

U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) has remained largely unhurt by the controversy over his “sweetheart” deal with mortgage lender Countrywide. But CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla finally bucked the media trend of ignoring the scandal and brought the loan up in an interview with the former Democratic presidential hopeful July 14.

Cramer Pleads for Taxpayer Bailout of Fannie, Freddie

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:23:08 +0000

Jeff Poor

Is government the answer to curbing the economic downturn? CNBC’s Jim Cramer advised government intervention in a big way on the July 11 “Today” show on NBC.

'Early Show' Tells Us How to Live 'the Right Way in the 21st Century'

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:46:16 +0000

Amy Menefee

In case there was any doubt left about how CBS’s Dave Price feels about “going green,” he told viewers June 13 that it’s the “right way” to live.

“It is remarkable – you know, you can insulate your house, you can paint your house, you can do all the things you normally do, and you can do it green,” Price said on “The Early Show.” “And that’s what we’re learning from the people in this great city of Greensburg, Kansas. It’s the ease of living the right way in the 21^st century.”

'Nightly News' Attacks Home Lenders for Not Caving in to Troubled Borrowers

admin — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:12:39 +0000

Jeff Poor

The June 9 NBC “Nightly News” broadcast continued an all-out media assault on home lenders, which are suffering in an industry ailing from subprime mortgages gone bad. Correspondent Lisa Myers criticized one lender, Countrywide (NYSE:CFC), for being slow to help homeowners in trouble and vilified the company for not being quicker to accept concessions.

ABC Highlights 'Glimmers of Light' in Lending Market

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:11:37 +0000

Nathan Burchfiel

It’s not often when members of the media highlight positive aspects of the economy, but that’s just what ABC financial contributor Mellody Hobson did on “Good Morning America” June 3.

“50 percent of U.S. banks have tightened their lending standings over the last year so there’s no question it’s harder” to obtain a loan,” Hobson told anchor Diane Sawyer. “On top of that, most small business owners use their homes as collateral to secure those loans and then fewer banks want to accept the homes as collateral.”

Media Find Another Housing Crisis Villain: The Builder

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:57:43 +0000

Jeff Poor

If it isn’t another heartbreaking victim story about a homeowner who got in over their head with a mortgage they couldn’t afford; the media look for someone to blame for the housing downturn.

This time, it’s homebuilders. ABC’s May 7 “Nightline” featured Maricopa, Ariz., a community near Phoenix where one in 10 homes is for sale.