It's Not a Lie If the President Believes It
Journalists covering Trump undermine their credibility by ignoring the distinction between dishonesty and delusion.
Media Criticism
Trump-Media Wars, Nancy MacLean's Smear, and the People vs. John McEnroe: New Fifth Column
Podcast takes aim at journalistic self-importance, politician awfulness, and Southie accents
Jake Tapper: 'We Are Not the Resistance, We Are Not the Opposition'
CNN anchor warns his fellow journalists that truth, not political positioning, is the best approach in the age of Trump
Report on 'Children' Killed by Guns Hypes Accidents, Which Are Rare and Declining
Most gun-related deaths among minors are homicides, and four-fifths involve teenagers.
EpiPen Not Overpriced, Despite New York Times Complaint
Contrary to what The New York Times claims, the outcry over EpiPen prices has made them lower.
The Fifth Column Branches Out to Sirius XM POTUS!
Channel 124 on Saturday and Sunday. But you can still listen to the latest episode right here!
Donald Trump Did Not Create the Anti-Media Fervor on the Right
Blame Gianforte on Gianforte. Blame the trollish anti-media reaction to it on a phenomenon much older than Trump's political career.
The New York Times' Hostility to Industry Gets Worse
The paper of record has it in for Pebble Mine, and for industry in general.
Reason Nominated for a Record-for-Us 28 Southern California Journalism Awards
Best website, best blog, and TV journalist of the year are among the honors.
Who's Telling the Truth in Washington? Anyone?
For politicians lying is an art form.
Coroner Says Everyone Should Avoid Energy Drinks, Which Kill at Random
As usual, coverage of the latest scare ignores or misrepresents the relative potency of caffeinated beverages.
Comey, Assange, and Libertarian Purity Tests: The New Fifth Column
Reminder: Go see Kmele Foster debate collegiate racism in New York on May 16
'Lie of the Year' Winner Barack Obama Admonishes Congress to 'Speak the Truth' About Obamacare
Uh, better late than never?
Some Conservative Spaces Are Tribal and Toxic. Here's Why the Left Is Partly to Blame.
Vox argues that right-wing distortions paved the way for Trump. But the problem is bigger than that.
CNN Erroneously Claims Illegal Drugs Are a 'Deadlier' Highway Hazard Than Alcohol
The network misreads federal data, conflating positive drug tests with impairment.
Media Bubbles and Trump's 100-Day Scorecard: The New Fifth Column
Or, how many Reason articles can Matt Welch reference in a single podcast?
Protests against Socialism in Venezuela Escalate Again, Not Because of Donald Trump
At least 20 people have died during unrest this month.
Media: Openly Using a Bill Clinton/Harry Reid Law = 'Stealth Assault on U.S. Regulations'
More journalistic hysteria in the face of drop-in-the-bucket deregulation.
National Endowment for the Arts
We Can't Cut the NEH, New York Times Columnist Says, Because Books Are Important
Nicholas Kristof conflates the fate of federal subsidies with the fate of the humanities.
Trump Wants to 'Change Libel Laws' So That Truth Is No Defense
The president thinks incomplete press coverage should be grounds for a lawsuit.
The Cure For Trump-Related News Blues
But wait, where was elite media advice about dealing with news-related anxiety back during the Obama administration?
KittenFeed Hoax Shows the Perils of Expecting Trump to Act Like Trump
A story about a teenager who was bullied by the president for creating a website that mocked him was not true, but it was sadly plausible.
Has the Ignorant Media Gotten Worse?
From storm coverage to the deep state, many in the media display a pro-government bias.
Border Guards Now Snatching and Searching 5,000 Cellphones a Month
Think you have a right to your own property and information at the airport? Not one that law enforcement recognizes.
New York Times Thinks Businesses Are Dogs That Need Pre-emptive Choking From Government
"Leashes come off" corporations, newspaper warns, unwittingly suggesting why Trump's deregulations might have corrective merit.
Chinese State Media Condemn Torture Story as 'Fake News'
Lingo first deployed by U.S. media and politicians now being used by authoritarian regimes abroad
No More Outrage Over Steaks and Couches, Please: Let's Talk Budget, Immigration, Drug Policy
Donald Trump needs to show that he's a serious policy guy. The media need to show they're serious, too.
Trump Vs. Leaks May Be More Important Than Trump Vs. Press
The 'fake news' fight a way to try to downplay embarrassing information coming from within.
Outlandish Trump Hysteria Mirrors Obamaphobia
The thin line between reason and delirium.
Fake News, Misleading News, Click-Bait and the Media's Biases
The media rarely fabricate anything, but they are blind to their biases.
Left Mocks Wife of Venezuelan Political Prisoner; Right Celebrates Venezuelan Media Ban
U.S. foreign policy as another battleground for petty partisan politics.
Fables of the DeFlynnestration: The New Fifth Column
Podcast talks IC drama, media idiocy about uninviting Kellyanne Conway, and Thomas L. Friedman's awfulness
3 Things to Look for in 2017's Shouty Townhall Season
As Jason Chaffetz gets heckled and Justin Amash gets applauded, it's worth thinking about media double standards, political honesty in the age of Trump, and the terrifying intimacy of health care.
Trust the Media? Yes—And No
The biggest problem with media coverage is not with the stories that get reported but the ones that don't.
Have Media-Bias Hunters Lost the Plot of Government Malfeasance? The New Fifth Column
Kevin Williamson guests for a discussion of executive orders, Muslim threats, whataboutism, and whether Reason is "woke."
Listen to Matt Welch and Anthony Fisher Talk Trump, Media, and Baseball on SiriusXM Insight from 12-1 p.m. ET
More notes on the politicization of everything on The Dean Obeidallah Show
The Media's Obama-Sycophancy and Disinterest in Robot Wars: The New Fifth Column
Thaddeus Russell delivers the foreign-policy outrage, correctives on progressives' carceral policies, and an anguished review of Hamilton.
Anti-Trumpers Hyperventilate Over Nothingburger Story About U.S. Ambassadors Leaving After Inauguration Day
New York Times is very anxious about maybe 10 rich families being inconvenienced in a way military brats experience constantly.
Hey Media: Let's Not Turn Russian Hackers into the Next WMDs, Okay?
Please stop ignoring that government officials have agendas.
It's Political Spot-Changing Season!
When the White House switches teams, the reaction by opportunists and short-term thinkers can be unintentionally hilarious
The Little Girls' Leggings That Pot Prohibitionist Cannot Abide
Amazon removes pants falsely accused of promoting marijuana use.
Dissecting 'Fake News'
From Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton, conspiracy theorizing to political lying, Matt Welch answers questions about the media's latest fad
Sherri Papini Sex-Trafficking Evidence Almost as Flimsy as PizzaGate Proof
While the particulars of Pizzagate are especially outlandish, it's not a narrative that sprung up in an alt-right vacuum. Just look at the coverage of Sherri Papini's case.
Hillary Clinton's Call for Congress to Do Something About Fake News 'Epidemic' Is a Reminder of How Bad Her Presidency Would Have Been on Free Speech
'It's a danger that must be addressed and addressed quickly,' she says for the umpteenth time.
Indiana TV Station Claims Kids Are Ordering Cannabis Candy Online
The report also warns that the THC content of marijuana edibles is "anywhere between 70 and 100 percent."
Dear Media: Please Stop Normalizing the Alt-Right
Two hundred white nationalists get more coverage than tens of thousands of pro-life demonstrators.
The Fake Epidemic of Fake News
The outrage over fake news is based on fake news about fake news.
