Media Matters Daily Summary

Here are today's news items from Media Matters for America, click on the title or 'read more' to read the entirety of each story. Wash. Post misleads on Medicare cost growth The Washington Post suggested that the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid is driven primarily by the aging of the American population. But the CBO has found that the principal factor behind these rising costs is the "growth in per capita costs rather than from the aging of the population." Read More Cameron whitewashes Barbour's record on Katrina Carl Cameron stated that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour "emerge[d] from the Katrina disaster with a reputation for competence and effectiveness in crisis." However, Barbour reportedly sought and obtained waivers to redirect funds designated for low-income Katrina victims. Read More MSNBC, Fox tease White House meeting on immigration by showing footage of border-crossers In teasing a White House meeting on immigration, MSNBC and Fox News again aired footage of people apparently crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, despite the fact that such footage largely distorts the issue. Read More Media skew health care debate by casting public plan option as left-most proposal The media have portrayed the inclusion of a public option in a health care reform package as the most progressive position in the debate and described Sen. Kent Conrad's proposal for health coverage cooperatives as the "compromise" position. This framing ignores many progressives' advocacy of a single-payer system. Read More Fox News omits Republican scandals in assessment of Sanford prospects In two segments over the course of four hours on June 25, Fox News' James Rosen highlighted only scandals involving Democrats during reports that purported to examine earlier political sex scandals in an effort to assess South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's situation. Read More Morris falsely claimed that "government is telling people, cut back on cesarean sections" Dick Morris falsely claimed that "right now the government is telling people, cut back on cesarean sections, go through natural childbirth. It's a lower cost." In fact, the Obama administration is "telling people" no such thing Read More Media conservatives target the 2010 census, encourage audience not to complete forms Conservative media figures and outlets have encouraged their audiences not to complete the 2010 U.S. census, stated that they would not complete it -- which would constitute a violation of the law -- or stated that the questions included in the survey are "unconstitutional." Read More You can help support our work; become a volunteer media monitor, or donate to Media Matters for America.