Business Coverage
Dan Gainor Appears on Fox Biz to Discuss Bad Biz at NYT
February 1st, 2008 9:43 AM
Business & Media Institute Director Dan Gainor appeared on the Fox Business Network January 31 to discuss reasons why The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) revenue numbers decreased recently - saying that its product is the problem. "People have lost confidence in the media according to most studies...Most Americans understand that the...mainstream media are overwhelmingly liberal,…
Cramer Flip-flops: Bond Insurers Won't Cause Dow Crash
January 31st, 2008 6:46 PM
Two weeks and two rate cuts later, CNBC "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer has a revived faith in the U.S. stock market. On January 18, Cramer appeared on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and warned if the government didn't intervene and prevent the failure of two large insurance companies, Ambac and MBIA, the Dow Jones Industrial Average would drop 2,000 points in the upcoming weeks. Cramer…
Couric Compares Economic Correspondent Mason to the 'Grim Reaper
January 31st, 2008 3:42 PM
If "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric makes statements about someone's downbeat economic reporting - you know it's blatantly gloomy. CBS News Business Correspondent Anthony Mason, who rarely finds a positive thing to say about the U.S. economy, gave another negative report during the January 30 "CBS Evening News," after the Federal Reserve decided to cut 50 basis points off its Fed funds…
Gore's Money-losing Current TV to Go Public with $100M IPO
January 30th, 2008 12:24 PM
From yesterday's Financial Times: Current Media, the online media company co-founded by Al Gore, the former US vice-president, on Monday said it planned to file for an initial public offering that could see it raise up to $100m. Of course, it’s never made a profit and the vast majority of its revenue comes from cable companies paying it for the privilege of carrying Current (emphasis mine…
CNNMoney, AP Downplay Good Durable Goods Number
January 29th, 2008 4:27 PM
Where did the story about the "durable" goods report go? Y'know, the one that I found out about in this CNNMoney e-mail this morning.... Even with a search warrant, the word "durable" could not be found once the reader got past the CNNMoney index page earlier today (middle story, middle column in the graphic that follows):
'The Early Show' Blows it on Stock Market Fears
January 28th, 2008 5:51 PM
It was supposed to be a bad day in the American stock markets according to CBS's "The Early Show." Guess what - they were wrong. "Hong Kong's Hang Seng market was down more than 4 percent," Julie Chen said on the January 28 "The Early Show." "Tokyo's Nikkei index off about 4 percent. Wall Street may have a rough morning in advance of President Bush's final State of the Union address tonight.…
Countrywide’s Mozilo Gives Up $37.5 Million; 'American Morning' Stil
January 28th, 2008 5:07 PM
In a class-warfare driven media, where the "haves" are often pitted against "have-nots," you would think an outgoing CEO giving up $37.5 million in pay would be celebrated. Not quite. CNN's "American Morning" didn't think it was quite good enough when Countrywide Financial's Angelo Mozilo forfeited $37.5 million in severance pay because he said he felt it was the "right thing to do." "It's…
Brian Wesbury in the WSJ: 'The Economy Is Fine (Really
January 28th, 2008 4:49 PM
I have referred to Mr. Wesbury's work frequently. That's because he has been, as he is today, a sober voice standing up to Old Media-driven economic hysteria with those stubborn things known as facts. Wesbury first caught my attention when he expressed alarm in late 2005 that 43% of the country thought we were in a recession -- not about to go into one, actually in one. That same poll metric…
Where Are Bernanke’s Critics in the Media after Disclosure of the So
January 25th, 2008 9:01 PM
You've probably heard about the French trader who has managed to stash away $7 billion before going on the lam. What's the big deal with sticking it to some French bank for $7 billion? This $7-billion loss by the French bank Societe Generale (SocGen) (EPA:GLE) might have caused the sharp plunge in some European stock markets on January 21 - which spurred the Federal Reserve to make an…
Ford's Buyouts: PC Wins, Workers Lose, Media Dozes
January 25th, 2008 4:23 PM
For personal and professional reasons, it gives me absolutely no pleasure to say that I saw this coming, and that it came sooner than I thought it would. Here's the news, assembled from wire reports by the Cincinnati Enquirer, in an article that should be entitled "Ford to Workers: Go Away" (bolds are mine throughout) -- Ford Motor Co. will offer buyout and early retirement packages to 54,000 U…
Jon Stewart Mocks Financial Networks: 'Hot Ladies Talk Money with Bald
January 24th, 2008 8:33 PM
It's really frightening to imagine that people who get the bulk of their news from Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" will be making what they probably think are educated decisions at the ballot box come Election Day. Stewart, who is now a self-proclaimed economist, said on his January 23 show, "Our economy is tanking." And now you can add financial media critic to Stewart's…
Is Skepticism Un-American
January 24th, 2008 5:40 PM
In a verbal tussle with Fox Business Network host Liz Claman January 24, Business & Media Institute Managing Editor Amy Menefee explained that conservatives are just looking for some balance from the media."You get upset when the media is skeptical about certain things and you say that that's un-American," Claman said. "Yet when we're not skeptical you're saying now, ‘Why aren't you skeptical…
NYT's Sushi Scare Story Challenged
January 24th, 2008 4:08 PM
Scary sushi? That was the gist of Wednesday's front-page story by health reporter Marian Burros, "High Mercury Levels Are Found In Tuna Sushi Sold in Manhattan." A front-page photo caption warned: "Tuna sushi is a popular item in New York but may be risky."It remains the Times's most e-mailed story as of Thursday afternoon, so it's no doubt an issue near and dear to the heart of Manhattan's…