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~ So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time….

Tag Archives: RT America

Im-Politic: Home Delivery for Chinese Propaganda

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Im-Politic

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"Democracy Dies in Darkness", BBC, China, China Daily, ChinaWatch, fake news, Im-Politic, journalism, Mainstream Media, propaganda, RT America, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post

For all the attention that’s been focused lately on the mainstream media’s objectivity and credibility, there’s no doubt that some major newspapers have for years been foisting unmistakably fake news on their readers, and I just got a reminder when I went out to my front porch this morning to pick up my Washington Post. It comes in the form of the ChinaWatch supplement (see here, e.g.) that arrives stuck inside the print edition periodically.

My main problem with ChinaWatch – which also has deals with other leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal – isn’t that it’s issued by the Chinese government, and therefore is nothing more than Beijing propaganda. Any country valuing free expression should welcome all comers to its media markets and national debates.

Instead, my main problem with ChinaWatch is that there’s no way for anyone lacking considerable knowledge about China and its state-run media to know that ChinaWatch is a Chinese government product.

Near the top of the front page, readers can see that the ChinaWatch supplement is “prepared by China Daily, People’s Republic of China” and “did not involve the news or editorial departments of the Washington Post.” At the very bottom comes the statement, “ChinaWatch materials are distributed by China Daily Distribution Corp., on behalf of China Daily, Beijing, China. Additional information is on file with the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.”

But why should that raise any red flags (no pun intended) with non-specialists? After all, the Post and most other news organizations routinely report that the Chinese economy is full of “private companies.” (See, e.g., here.) Why not simply assume that China Daily Distribution Corp. is simply one of them? It certainly sounds like a typical American-style business. And although the Justice Department reference might look a little odd, how many readers of American newspapers recognize it as a sign that the “company” is required under U.S. law to register as a foreign agent (though not necessarily as a foreign government)?

On page two you’ll find the masthead, with contact information for ChinaWatch‘s offices in China and various foreign locations. But no hint of any Chinese government affiliation appears here, either.

But there’s an easy fix for this problem: Require ChinaWatch to mention prominently on the front page (at least) that it’s a Chinese government publication. And because ChinaWatch is hardly the only foreign government product to appear in American news media outlets, the same should go for the United Kingdom’s BBC, Russia’s RT America, and others. As those two are among the foreign government media organizations that mainly broadcast, their identification could come in the form of text that continually appears in the “crawls” that so many televised news programs run at the bottom of the screen, or, in the case of radio, as periodic announcements (say, every five minutes).

And finally, in the interests of full disclosure, although ChinaWatch specifies that its content has nothing to do with the news and editorial departments of papers like the Washington Post, its appearance has lots to do with the business departments of those newspapers, and their bottom lines. For ChinaWatch is paid advertising. So the Post and the Journal and any others should make clear on a regular basis that they depend in part on the Chinese government for revenue.

After all, as the Post declares ominously in its new, Trump-era advertising slogan, “Democracy dies in darkness.” That’s also the place where reader ignorance and conflicts of interest flourish.

Making News: On with Thom Hartmann Tonight re NAFTA – & Maybe Bannon!

18 Friday Aug 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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Making News, NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, RT America, Stephen K. Bannon, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, Trade, Trump

I’m pleased to announce that my appearance on “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann,” which was cancelled earlier this week due to the flood of political news, has been rescheduled.  And it’s tonight – at 7:15 PM EST.

It’s the same subject – the opening round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – with maybe a little Steve Bannon analysis thrown in!

If you don’t get RT America on your TV, you can watch live at this link.  As usual, for those who can’t tune in, I’ll be posting a link to the video as soon as one’s available.

And keep checking in with RealityChek for news of upcoming media appearances and other developments.

Making News: Talking NAFTA on CNBC This Afternoon – & More!

16 Wednesday Aug 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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China, CNBC, John Batchelor, Making News, NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, Power Lunch, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, The John Batchelor Show, Thom Hartmann, Trade, Trump

I’m pleased to announce a bevy of upcoming scheduled media appearances today.

First, negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) begin today, and at 2 PM EST, I’ll be appearing on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” program to discuss President Trump plans to modify the deal. If you lack access to the network on your TV, you can watch live at CNBC.com.

Second, I’ll be interviewed on the same subject at 7 PM EST on “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann,” on RT America. Here’s the live on-line viewing option.

And finally (so far!), the topic will turn to China trade tonight when I talk about the president’s new moves to counter Beijing’s predatory practices on the nationally syndicated “John Batchelor Show.”  The segment is slated to begin at 10:15 PM EST, and you can listen live on line here.

As always, for those who can’t tune in to these programs in real time, I’ll be posting links to the videos and the podcast as soon as they’re available. And keep checking in with RealityChek for news of upcoming media appearances and other developments.

Making News: Thom Hartmann Interview Video – & More!

06 Thursday Jul 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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globalization, Lifezette.com, Making News, North Korea, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, The Laura Ingraham Show, Thom Hartmann, Trade, trade wars, Trump

I’m pleased to report that the video is now on-line of my interview last night on RT America’s “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann,” which covered the latest twists and turns of President Trump’s trade policies. Click here for a wide-ranging discussion of trade war prospects, China, steel, and national defense. The segment begins at the very beginning and yes, it’s the right link despite the Stephen Hawking picture you see right way!

Unfortunately, I was notified a little while ago that this morning’s scheduled interview on “The Laura Ingraham Show” has been cancelled because of technical difficulties with its production facilities.  I’ll let you know as soon as it’s rescheduled.

But it was great as always to be interviewed for an article on Laura’s Lifezette.com website.  Click here for a piece that features my views on the North Korea crisis.

And keep checking in with RealityChek for announcements of upcoming media appearances and other news.

Making News: Thom Hartmann and Laura Ingraham Interviews Coming Up!

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Uncategorized

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China, Europe, Lifezette.com, Making News, North Korea, nuclear missiles, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, The Laura Ingraham Show, Trump

I’m pleased to report that I’ll be appearing on two major news talk shows over the next 24 hours.

Tonight, I’m back on The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT America, where we’ll be talking about closely linked national security and economic developments that are challenging the Trump administration on fronts ranging from North Korea to China to Europe.  Click on this link to watch live on-line at 7 PM EST tonight.

And tomorrow morning, at 10:15 AM EST, I’m scheduled to return to Laura Ingraham’s nationally syndicated radio show to discuss the North Korea missile crisis.  The interview will pick up from my recent column on the subject for Laura’s Lifezette.com website – which has just gotten a lot newsier since North Korea’s test launch of a missile that can hit American territory with a nuclear warhead.  Listen live at this link.

As usual, I’ll be posting the streaming video and podcast of these appearances if you can’t tune in.  And keep checking back with RealityChek for news of upcoming media appearances and other events.

Making News: Video of Last Night’s Interview with Thom Hartmann on Populism Now On-Line

05 Friday May 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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Emmanuel Macron, French elections, Making News, Marine LePen, Populism, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann, Trump

I’m pleased to announce that the video is now on-line of my interview last night on RT America’s “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann.”  Click on this link to catch a great discussion between Thom and me about the rise of populism in the United States and Europe.  The segment begins at about the 14:40 mark.  Special bonus – you get to see a classic bonehead goof by yours truly!

And keep checking in with RealityChek for news of upcoming media appearances and other developments.

 

Making News: Talking China on Thom Hartmann TV & John Batchelor Radio Shows Tonight!

12 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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China, currency, currency manipulation, John Batchelor, Making News, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, The John Batchelor Show, Trade, Trump

I’m pleased to announce a media two-fer today!  At 7 PM EST, I’ll be returning to The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT America to discuss President Trump’s landmark decision today to decline to label China as a currency cheater. Here’s the link that lets you watch live what’s sure to be a provocative segment on what Mr. Trump’s move means for both America’s economy and its national security.

And at 9:15 PM EST, I’ll be back on John Batchelor’s nationally syndicated radio program talking about the same subject with John and co-host Gordon Chang. You can listen live at this link.

As usual, if you can’t tune in to either, as soon they’re available, I’ll post the links to the streaming video of the Hartmann TV interview and to the podcast of the Batchelor segment.

And keep checking in with RealityChek for news of upcoming media appearances and other developments.

Making News: Video of Thom Hartmann Interview on Brexit

31 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Uncategorized

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Brexit, Making News, RT America, The Big icture with Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann

I’m pleased to report that the video is now on-line of my interview on RT America’s “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann” on the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union.  Click on this link for a great discussion between Thom and me on where “Brexit” leaves both the British and the Continent, and what this potentially momentous break-up might mean for Americans and the world strategically and economically.

And keep checking in with RealityChek for news of media appearances and other developments.

Making News: Back on with Thom Hartmann Tonight – Talking Brexit!

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Making News

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Brexit, European Union, Making News, Populism, RT America, The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann, Thom Hartmann, United Kingdom

I’m pleased to announce that I’m slated to appear tonight on RT America’s “The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann” tonight. The segment, which is scheduled to begin at 7 PM EST, will deal with Brexit – the United Kingdom’s fateful decision to leave the European Union – and what it might mean for politics and populism in the United States and around the world.

Watch on your home cable or satellite system, or live on-line at this link. For those who can’t tune in, I’ll be posting a link to the streaming video as soon as one’s available.

And keep checking in at RealityChek for news of media appearances and other developments.

Housekeeping: Whereabouts, Privacy, Thanks & Thom Hartmann Video!

18 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by Alan Tonelson in Housekeeping

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Housekeeping, RT America, Thom Hartmann, Trump

Since I’ve always been concerned about protecting my privacy since starting RealityChek and becoming active on social media, I’ve been content to let my sites go more or less dark during periods when personal and/or professional obligations prevent me from posting or tweeting or whatever. But I realize that the result of leaving readers and followers more or less in the dark during these periods could fairly be seen as inconsiderate.

So I’m writing today (briefly!) to confirm that I have been in one of those periods since the middle of this past week, and will probably be unable to put up much if any material of genuine substance till the end of this coming week. As some of you who engage with me on Facebook and Twitter know, I have been able to make some brief entries on those sites. But my activity will be pretty much limited to remarks of that nature for several days more. So thanks for your patience, and I’m sure to be back to my normal routine in a little over a week. And I’ll do a better job of informing you about these periods in the future.

I also, however, wanted to take this opportunity once again to thank everyone who has taken the time to comment on RealityChek posts. It’s been great to see how thoughtful the overwhelming majority of your reactions are, whether you agree or disagree, as well as how civil and substantive. And my apologies for any delays in responding or failures to respond on my part. As I’ve explained before, this one-man blogging operation is pretty time-consuming, but I really do value the chance to interact with everyone, and am trying my best to keep up.

In this vein, thanks so much also to everyone who’s decided to follow RealityChek. I’ll keep calling them as I see them, and I hope you will want to spread the word.

Finally, the link to my interview Tuesday night on Thom Hartmann’s RT America program is on-line. Click on this link for an intriguing discussion of the apparent tumult of the early weeks of the Trump administration, and what it could mean for the policy priorities President Trump stood for during his campaign.

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Our So-Called Foreign Policy

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Im-Politic

  • (What's Left of) Our Economy
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  • Golden Oldies
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The Brighter Side

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  • Im-Politic
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  • Our So-Called Foreign Policy
  • The Snide World of Sports
  • Those Stubborn Facts
  • Uncategorized

Those Stubborn Facts

  • (What's Left of) Our Economy
  • Following Up
  • Glad I Didn't Say That!
  • Golden Oldies
  • Guest Posts
  • Housekeeping
  • Housekeeping
  • Im-Politic
  • In the News
  • Making News
  • Our So-Called Foreign Policy
  • The Snide World of Sports
  • Those Stubborn Facts
  • Uncategorized

The Snide World of Sports

  • (What's Left of) Our Economy
  • Following Up
  • Glad I Didn't Say That!
  • Golden Oldies
  • Guest Posts
  • Housekeeping
  • Housekeeping
  • Im-Politic
  • In the News
  • Making News
  • Our So-Called Foreign Policy
  • The Snide World of Sports
  • Those Stubborn Facts
  • Uncategorized

Guest Posts

  • (What's Left of) Our Economy
  • Following Up
  • Glad I Didn't Say That!
  • Golden Oldies
  • Guest Posts
  • Housekeeping
  • Housekeeping
  • Im-Politic
  • In the News
  • Making News
  • Our So-Called Foreign Policy
  • The Snide World of Sports
  • Those Stubborn Facts
  • Uncategorized

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Current Thoughts on Trade

Terence P. Stewart

Protecting U.S. Workers

Marc to Market

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

Alastair Winter

Chief Economist at Daniel Stewart & Co - Trying to make sense of Global Markets, Macroeconomics & Politics

Smaulgld

Real Estate + Economics + Gold + Silver

Reclaim the American Dream

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

Mickey Kaus

Kausfiles

David Stockman's Contra Corner

Washington Decoded

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

Upon Closer inspection

Keep America At Work

Sober Look

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

Credit Writedowns

Finance, Economics and Markets

GubbmintCheese

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

VoxEU.org: Recent Articles

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

Michael Pettis' CHINA FINANCIAL MARKETS

New Economic Populist

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

George Magnus

So Much Nonsense Out There, So Little Time....

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