Colorado Media Matters

noise machine

7News questioned whether taking private funds for Ritter trade trip was "selling access," omitting that Owens did the same thing

In a March 10 KMGH 7News report, Tony Kovaleski asked whether Gov. Bill Ritter's use of private funds to help pay for a recent trade mission to Asia was "saving money, or selling access to Colorado's highest office?" His report did not mention that Ritter's Republican predecessor, Bill Owens, similarly used private funds to defray the costs of such trips. The segment quoted the director of Colorado Common Cause as criticizing Ritter's use of private contributions for the travel, but omitted that the organization also had criticized Owens in the past for engaging in the same practice. Read more

Interviewing Minuteman Project's founder, KOA news anchors did not identify his organization's links to white supremacists

Co-anchors Steffan Tubbs and April Zesbaugh of Colorado's Morning News on KOA interviewed Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist about violence among Mexican drug cartels along the U.S. border without mentioning that his organization is best known for its volunteer patrols along the border that reportedly have drawn support from white supremacist groups. Gilchrist advocated "deploying Army Airborne brigades" into Mexico, asserting without challenge from Tubbs and Zesbaugh that "[w]e don't need the permission of Mexico" to do so. Read more

labor

Post editorial distorted bill regarding unemployment benefits for union members in a lockout

An editorial in The Denver Post made the false claim that proposed state legislation regarding unemployment benefits for union members locked out of their workplace would "extend[] benefits to workers who initiate the confrontation." As a Post news article of the same day reported, the employees in fact would be eligible for unemployment benefits only "[i]f the state decides management has barred its doors to squeeze concessions from workers." Read more

Post editorial distorted proposed measure to repeal Arveschoug-Bird