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.

In Ep 233, "How US Media Naturalizes Capital Strikes and Helps the Rich Undermine Democracy," we examine how billionaires and corporations threatening capital strikes and capital flight to discipline populist politicians and movements is treated as normal, obvious, and healthy by US media.

In this News Brief, "As Dem Leadership Waffles—Labor, Organizers, Immigrants Fight Back in Minneapolis," we break down Dem leadership's fatuous "body cam" and "training" response to ICE brutality, and how organizers in the Twin Cities are not settling for cosmetic reform. w/ guest Janette Corcelius

In this News Brief, we discuss corporate media uncritically framing a potential military attack on Iran by Trump as being motivated by concern for human rights—a premise that, while laughable on its face, has quickly morphed into elite media consensus.

In this News Brief, "How Corporate Media Laid the Groundwork for a Rightwing Incitement Campaign in Minnesota," we detail how CBS, WSJ, NYT promoted an overblown narrative on the "Somali Minnesota fraud" story, teeing up a full blown rightwing incitement campaign. w/ @matthewccook5.bsky.social

Looking forward to the probably inevitable news brief on the Venezuela stuff, but in the meantime, @citationspod.bsky.social recently did a great episode on the way US meddling gets talked about in the mainstream media and it's worth a listen. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Listening to the most recent @citationspod.bsky.social & there’s a lot of talk about Venezuela. Discussion starts around 38:30 but everything leading up to it is important, too.

In this News Brief, "CNN Partners with Gambling App That Lets You Wager on Starvation in Gaza," we break down CNN's partnership with Kalshi, the moral hazards of news gambling markets and the broader media-assisted financialization of every aspect of our lives.

In this News Brief, "BBC's Gaza Double Standard and Western Liberalism's Crisis of Legitimacy," we interview journalist Daniel Trilling and discuss his investigation into the BBC's systemic anti-Palestinian bias.

Excellent episode on how the Democrats are faux opposing the genocide in Gaza while still actively supporting the genocide in Gaza despite more than 78% of registered Democrats against supporting the zionist colony. Even now the Democratic Party is a pro genocide party - do not trust _any_ of them

In Ep 231, "How To Oppose Genocide Without Opposing Genocide (Part 2): AIPAC Dems' Fake Israel Criticisms," we detail the buyers' market for superficial Gaza critiques that permit ambitious Democrats to look pro-Palestine without the downside of actually being so. With guest @tksshawa.bsky.social.

In Ep 230, "How To Oppose Genocide Without Opposing Genocide (Part 1): Biden World's Reputation Laundering PR Tour," we detail attempts by ex-Biden officials to distance themselves from the horrors of Gaza and lay out the emerging Dem-aligned media industry of vibing past Dems' support for genocide.

We're live! www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY7ZyQZWOz0

Today at 5:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm CT! Link to come.

This is increasingly just becoming a @citationspod.bsky.social shill acct.

Citations listeners! Join us this Wed Nov 5 at 5:30pmET/4:30pmCT for a YouTube live show on the media’s reaction to the NYC mayoral election. Will it be a Mamdani meltdown? Will there be executions in Central Park? Will the MSNBC/Pod Saves set successfully Obama-fy him? Find out!

The old @citationspod.bsky.social episode I keep referring to on this topic wasn't cynical enough: soundcloud.com/citationsnee...

In this Live Show Beg-a-Thon, "MAHA, TikTok and the Rise of Health-Branded Fascism," recorded on 10/13, we are joined by Justin Feldman to discuss the rise of MAHA, the broader Granola-to-Fascist Pipeline and how corporate-written food policies and our for-profit medical system fuel hucksterism.

apropos of nothing..

In this News Brief, we detail how the AP, Atlantic, Washington Post and New York Times are accepting Trump's framing that his attacks on Venezuela and Colombia are about "going after drug cartels" when it's clear they are—based on Trump's own words—about controlling Venezuela's oil.

In this News Brief, "Media Helps Sell ICE Raids with Zero Dark Thirty Ride-Along Schlock," we discuss NYT, NBC, Fox, CBS and ABC's "embedded reports" of ICE raids that prime the public for ICE’s abductions and harassment of immigrants. With guest @matthewccook5.bsky.social

fwiw, an amazing listen:

We're live! www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbcB...

Tonight at 9:30 pm ET! Join us on our YouTube channel. Link forthcoming!

In this News Brief, "The Billionaire-Backed Groups Working to Push Dems Right in 2026 & 2028," we detail the major factions seeking to rewrite the history of the 2024 election as "woke" Gone Too Far, downplay Gaza, and prevent economic populism at all costs.

Monday at 9:30 pm ET / 8:30 pm CT on our YouTube channel! Don't miss it!

Making a rare appearance on this app to announce that I'll be live with Adam and Nima talking about MAHA politics on Monday evening. Hope to see you there.

In this News Brief, "IDF-Funding Mega-Billionaire Buys CBS News, Installs Bari Weiss to Enforce Ideological Discipline," we discuss the Ellisons' purchase of Paramount and the TikTok algorithm, their potential purchase of CNN, and how this will invariably incite more violence against Palestinians.

Please join us one week from today for a Beg-A-Thon live show @ 9:30ET/8:30CT! We will be joined by Justin Feldman to discuss the rise of MAHA, the broader Granola-to-Fascist Pipeline and how corporate-written food policies and our shitty for-profit medical system fuel hucksterism.

In Ep 229, "Sociopathic 'You Got To Hand it To 'Em' Punditry and the Rise of Politics as Sport" we detail the rise of detached "who's winning/who's losing" political analysis that reduces high stakes life and death issues to fodder for ESPN-type navel-gazing. With guest @jackmirkinson.bsky.social

for those unaware, Mike Rowe is a notorious anti-union shithead. listen to the extremely good @citationspod.bsky.social about him: citationsneeded.libsyn.com/episode-64-m...

This will pair well with three Angela Collier video about billionaires pretending to be physicists