Free Republic

I haven't seen the [AP Stylebook's] new religion chapter, but I have seen how the press generally reports on Catholicism -- and it seems like there are already some agreed-upon guidelines. For instance: Catholics in the news. If an actor, a football player, a CEO, or any other reasonably decent, successful or attractive person is a practicing Catholic, that is never relevant, and any reference to receiving the sacraments or belief in God must be edited out for clarity and brevity. However, if the story is about a transvestite stripper, a comedian who draws heavily on the comedic value of...

MRC president Brent Bozell appeared on “The Kelly File” with substitute host Martha MacCallum to discuss new e-mails about Benghazi and Fox News coverage of Benghazi. The e-mails are between State Department PR operative Victoria Nuland and friendly Associated Press reporter Matt Lee, discussing the alleged “BS” on Fox during “The O’Reilly Factor” on September 13, 2012, two days after the consulate attacks. Bozell thought the Obama publicist and the AP reporter sounded way too much like each other. (Video, transcript below)

According to its website, the Associated Press is one of the “…most trusted sources of independent news gathering.” AP journalists operate “…in more than 280 locations worldwide, including every statehouse in the U.S.” AP employees have won 51 Pulitzer prizes. The AP proudly announces that its journalists “…have gone to great lengths, overcome obstacles and, too often, sacrificed to ensure that the news has been reported quickly, accurately and honestly.” Most importantly, the AP claims that the organization “…fights for freedom of the press and the public’s right to know.” (my italics) On March 26th, the Washington Post published an...

<p>“I was horrified,” said John Stemberger, chairman of the board of Trail Life USA, a new, rapidly-growing scouting organization that doesn’t allow openly gay members.</p> <p>Stemberger was referring to an Associated Press photograph that accompanied an in-depth story about Trail Life. The image showed a group of young boys gathered in a circle with their hands raised at an unusual angle. The AP’s original caption on the photo said they were reciting the organization’s “creed” during a meeting in North Richland Hills, Texas.</p>

One week ago today, we covered in detail serious allegations from the Democratic Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey against Chris Christie's administration. Dawn Zimmer claimed that two high-ranking Christie officials -- including the Lieutenant Governor -- told her that aid for her city's recovery from the storm was contingent on her approval of a building development deal favored by the governor. I discussed several curious elements of this accusation at the time, noting the Mayor's unqualified praise of Christie several months after this alleged shakedown attempt took place, and citing a local reporter to whom Zimmer had floated a different...

after he 'stole' their photographer's image for his latest paintingGeorge Zimmerman's recent foray into the art world hasn't exactly earned him much critical praise. But it's definitely garnered him some attention - so much so that it could potentially get him sued by one of the largest news-wire services on earth. For his latest painting, the man acquitted of murder in the shooting death of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin has painted a portrait of Florida State Attorney General Angela Corey, who is the woman who decided to charge Zimmerman with murder in Martin's death. The problem for Zimmerman, however,...

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Associated Press has demanded that George Zimmerman halt the sale of one of his paintings because the news agency says it directly copies an AP photo.

The AP claims they didn't run with the story because they couldn't get he White House or State Department to confirm the secret talks were occurring: The AP was tipped to the first U.S.-Iranian meeting in March shortly after it occurred, but the White House and State Department disputed elements of the account and the AP could not confirm the meeting. The AP learned of further indications of secret diplomacy in the fall and pressed the White House and other officials further. As the Geneva talks between the P5+1 and Iran appeared to be reaching their conclusion, senior administration officials...

CNN's Christiane Amanpour has a staunchly liberal track record, so perhaps it's surprising that she was so candid about the Obama administration overseas like she was in Morocco on Thursday.

Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) has introduced an Articles of Impeachment resolution against Attorney General Eric Holder for his role in Operation Fast and Furious and other scandals of President Barack Obama’s administration. Seven congressman have signed onto the resolution thus far in addition to Olson. They are Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Blake Farenthold (R-TX), Phil Roe (R-TN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ted Yoho (R-FL), and Randy Weber (R-TX). The Articles of Impeachment has four different sections. The first calls for Holder’s official removal because of his failure to comply with congressional subpoenas relating to Operation Fast and Furious....

The Obama administration may give Americans extra time to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, postponing when penalties for failing to buy coverage will go into effect, MarketWatch has learned. The health care law requires most people to have health insurance by Jan. 1, 2014, but allows for “short coverage gaps” of up to three months before imposing the penalty, which is $95 or 1% of an individual’s income (whichever is greater) next year. That means someone must be covered by March 31, an official with the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed, which is...

Bob Lewis, the Associated Press political reporter who last week published an erroneous report about Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, has been temporarily suspended, POLITICO has learned.Lewis, a highly respected veteran on the Richmond political scene, will no longer cover the race between McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli, and may be suspended through the election. His last story on the race was published Oct. 14.Lewis did not respond to a request for comment regarding the suspension. The Associated Press declined to comment on personnel matters.On Oct. 9, Lewis published an exclusive report for the AP alleging that McAuliffe had lied to...

An Associated Press reporter became a symbol Wednesday of journalists' impatience with the Obama administration's course in making a case for military strikes in Syria, asking the State Department's chief spokeswoman whether the White House had undergone a 'group spine removal procedure.' Longtime AP foreign affairs correspondent Matt Lee was invited to ask the first question in a State Department briefing, and asked spokeswoman Jen Psaki why Secretary of State John Kerry called President Obama 'courageous' for seeking congressional approval before taking military action. 'I don’t understand what is courageous,' Lee said, 'about asking permission for something that you say...

After being sentenced to 35 years at Leavenworth for betraying his country, Pvt. Bradley Manning said he wants to live as a woman. This reality show drama would normally be an asterisk in an embarrassing case for the American military. The absurd request, however, will get mainstream recognition now that the Associated Press (AP) announced that all media who follow its vaulted guide should refer to the Wikileaks source as “her” and Bradley as “Chelsea.” The political correctness in journalism has hit an all-time low.

Associated Press reporter Matt Lee poked a little fun at Secretary Kerry's apparent infinite "focus" on major current events of the day during the State Department press briefing on Tuesday. Lee pointed out that, according to the State Department, Secretary Kerry is apparently "fully focused" on the tense situation in Egypt, the hostile Syrian regime, and Israel-Palestine peace talks. "How about the Arctic?" "Whales?" "Botswana?" State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf assured Lee that Secretary Kerry had broad interests "and is able to focus on a number of things at the same time." "He is an extraordinary man," Lee remarked. "You...

n a rare diplomatic snub, President Obama is canceling plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next month. The decision reflects both U.S. anger over Russia's harboring of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden and growing frustration within the Obama administration over what it sees as Moscow's stubbornness on other key issues, including missile defense and human rights. Obama will still attend the Group of 20 economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, but a top White House official said the president had no plans to hold one-on-one talks with Putin while there. Instead of visiting Putin in...

The Associated Press (AP) is refusing to comment on why it requested that the Montana Department of Justice (MDOJ) give it a list of the names and personal information of every concealed weapons permit (CWP) holder in the state... Montana’s Republican Attorney General Tim Fox had denied requests by the AP and a Boston media outfit called MuckRock News for all information pertaining to the state’s CWP holders. Fox cited concerns that the width and breadth of the requests violated CWP holders’ “reasonable expectation of privacy” guaranteed by the Montana Constitution... AP reporter Matt Gouras formally requested the information on...

HELENA - The Associated Press isn't giving reasons for requesting the personal information of all conceal carry permit holders in Montana. On March 18, 2013, the AP requested a comprehensive list of information from the office of Montana Attorney General Tim Fox (R). "Everything from their date of birth to their driver's license to their address, every piece of information without limitation," Fox explained in an interview with MTN News. The request came just five days after the Montana Legislature passed a bill which makes all this information confidential. The bill was signed by Governor Steve Bullock (D) ten days...

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that he is nominating former first daughter Caroline Kennedy as U.S. ambassador to Japan, offering the most famous living member of a prominent American family a new role of service to country. Kennedy, an attorney and bestselling book editor, is being rewarded for helping put Obama in the White House where her father served until his assassination 50 years ago. If confirmed, she would be the first woman in a post where many other prominent Americans have served to strengthen a vital Asian tie. … Kennedy, 55, doesn’t have any obvious ties to Japan, a...

NEW YORK, Jan. 14. (AP) - Announcement was made today that the board of directors of the Associated Press at a recent meeting held "that government can not engage in newscasting without creating the fear of propaganda which necessarily would reflect upon the objectivity of the news services from which such newscasts are prepared." The text: "The Associated Press stands committed to the principle of freedom of access to the news and to the free flow of news throughtout the world. It holds that news thus disseminated by nongovernmental news agencies is essential to the highest development of mankind and...