» "Churnalism": Journalism & PR - New Media Hell blog commenting on Nick Davies' new book on the media, Flat Earth News. Mainstream and "independent" journalism and "churnalism" (churning out copy on a production line), and the neuro-economics of time. More... » The Headline Game: from BBC1 to Ceefax - The BBC's top-level decisions on which news stories to cover, and which to avoid, affect everything from BBC1 TV to Ceefax. Headlines can give misleading impressions and, as we've documented, the distorting effect can be dramatic. More...

The White House's O.I.L. announcement was no urban myth.

• O.I.L. - The "truth" about the reasons for invading Iraq. The Neo-cons vs. Big Oil. Pentagon vs. State Dept. Oil Industry Privatisation vs. Control of Supply. Break OPEC vs. Enhance OPEC. Are Greg Palast's accounts the most convincing yet? • Coup D'État For Big Oil > • Lobbyist Occupation of Iraq > • OPEC and the Conquest of Iraq > "The action has nothing to do with oil or any of the other conspiracy theories put forward" -- Tony Blair

• The Idler - The QI issue • idler.co.uk

• Idler 41 - Watch out for the forthcoming Idler, which contains an article by Media Hell's Brian Dean, on the corporatisation of time. Amazon synopsis: We are born free but are everywhere in chains... We are boring ourselves to death by re-packaging the same flavorless pap based on a patronizing and second-hand version of what we think other people want. Meanwhile, out there, the world is as complex, beautiful and mysterious as ever. Which is why [BBC's] QI and the Idler have joined forces to celebrate curiosity... Inside you'll get to spend time with Mr Stephen Fry, Mr Philip Pullman and our best living science writer, Mr Steve Jones. They are joined, amongst others, by Mr Alan Davies, Mr AA Gill, Ms Jo Brand, Mr Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall and the founder of Viz magazine, Mr Chris Donald. Your hosts are Mr John Lloyd, founder of QI and the producer of legendary television shows including "Blackadder" and "Spitting Image"...

Two articles on manufactured scares from Rolling Stone

• Truth or Terrorism? - A history of the Bush administration's most dubious terror scares, and the headlines they buried. Truth or Terrorism, by Tim Dickinson > • The Fear Factory - The FBI has more than 100 task forces devoted to fighting terrorism. But is it manufacturing threats? "...the eager co-conspirator drawing him ever further into a terror plot was actually an informant for the FBI". The Fear Factory, by Guy Lawson >

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty in Offices

• NSPCO - National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty in Offices. Slave Labour doesn't occur only in the Third World. It's happening right under your nose - inside that nice English restaurant, hotel, suburban home, or corporate office. http://www.nspco.org.uk

Paedogeddon!!

• Straight out of Brass Eye - A headmistress has censored photos on her school's website to protect pupils from paedophiles, according to the Daily Mail. Amusing to see the Mail label something as "alarmist". Daily Mail story > Brass Eye > Banksy smileys >

• A new WHO survey estimates 151,000 Iraqis died from violence between March 2003 and June 2006. "Our survey estimate is three times higher than the death toll detected through careful screening of media reports by the Iraq Body Count project and about four times lower than a smaller-scale household survey conducted earlier in 2006" (Naeema Al Gasseer, WHO) The new figure is for total deaths by violence (Iraq Body Count's is for violent civilian deaths). The "smaller-scale" survey mentioned is the one published in the Lancet, 2006, which estimated 601,000 excess violent deaths (which includes combatants) for roughly the same period. • WHO editorial > • Published WHO/IFHS paper (PDF) > • WHO Q&A on study (PDF) > • Abstract published by New England Journal of Medicine >

• The Temporary Autonomous Zone Hakim Bey's "ontological anarchism" online. "Walk into Citibank or Chembank computer customer service area during busy period, take a shit on the floor, & leave". Communiques of the A.O.A.; T.A.Z.; The Writings of Hakim Bey

FACK: Families Against Corporate Killers

• Work kills more than war. Work kills 2.2 million people every year, with workers suffering an estimated 430 million occupational injuries and diseases per year (2005 figures). In the UK, FACK claims almost all are preventable. "Thousands of people have been killed by work since this government came to power, if they were killed by terrorism then government ... would be crying out". [www.fack.org.uk]

• One-Third of Americans Believe the Big Lie. A New York Times/CBS survey finds that "33 percent of all Americans, including 40 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats, say Saddam Hussein was personally involved" in the 9/11 attacks. http://www.prwatch.org/node/6427
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/10/washington/10poll.html

• The Realist Archive Project: "a complete republishing [online] of all 146 issues" of Paul Krassner's satirical counterculture magazine. Not an exaggeration to say this is a treasure trove. http://www.ep.tc/realist/

Examples of material:
The Disneyland Memorial Orgy: http://www.ep.tc/realist/74/12.html
An Impolite Interview with Albert Ellis - http://www.ep.tc/realist/16/index.html
An Impolite Interview with Timothy Leary - http://www.ep.tc/realist/69/
The Food & Drug Administration vs Scientology - http://www.ep.tc/realist/41/05.html
Robert Anton Wilson's Negative Thinking column - (eg) http://www.ep.tc/realist/16/06.html

• UK government ready to make countrywide use of lie detectors in a "crackdown" on benefits fraud. The Voice Risk Analysis (VRA) technology works by measuring fluctuations in the voice that indicate stress and "an attempt to deceive". The Observer newspaper (2/9/07) quotes a government spokesperson: "Operators trained in intelligent questioning and behavioural analysis will use the system to identify suspect cases at the start of the claim process...". http://society.guardian.co.uk/crimeandpunishment/story/0,,2160874,00.html

• News preferences of US public - A study by the Pew Research Center analysed 165 surveys of news preferences (of Americans). It reports little change in the last two decades, except in the rising popularity of "Money News". http://pewresearch.org/pubs/574/two-decades-of-american-news-preferences

• Study finds leftwing brain, rightwing brain - Scientists at New York University and UCLA show that political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information. (Los Angeles Times, 10/9/07)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-politics10sep10,0,5982337.story

• Chemical Which Gives Buttery Flavor to microwave popcorn may cause lung disease. Other than that, diacetyl is every bit as healthy as it sounds. More essential news: http://www.ironictimes.com

• Iraq Body Count (IBC) have launched a newly designed website which includes cross-links between incidents (involving violent deaths of civilians) and available details of the individuals killed. Unlike the cluster-sampling surveys conducted in Iraq (eg the two Lancet-published studies, 2004/06, and the Iraq Living Conditions Survey, 2004) IBC don't provide estimates of total deaths - they compile and corroborate reported/documented civilian deaths, of which their database currently holds over 70,000, all killed as a result of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. Iraqbodycount.org/

• Scandinavia a better place to live? - According to a new study (mentioned by the Telegraph, 5/9/07), the top 5 countries for "quality of life" are: Norway, Iceland, Australia, Ireland and Sweden. The USA and UK are 8th and 17th, respectively.

• Nick Ross, the former presenter of BBC1's Crimewatch upset the Daily Mail by claiming that newspapers are guilty of fearmongering over crime. Ross stated on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "the media have long been peddling a big lie about crime". He went on to say: "The most common forms of crime have plunged. Burglary is down 58 percent, car crime down 61 percent, violence by 48 percent". He referred to the media as "hunting in packs and hungry for the narrative regardless of the underlying truth".

» **PLEASE READ** Four Weddings and a Book Deal – Board admin. (concerns board closure) (2 comments)

» Dream Detective Part 2 – Brian D (1 comment)

» The end of capitalism as we know it? – David Storr (2 comments)

» Gabriele Zamparini's World of Hysteria™ – ALP (6 comments)

» Framing of abortion – Brian D (6 comments)

» The Great Tantra Challenge – Jean Tollett (2 comments)

» Ignorance on Iraq death estimates – ALP (16 comments)

» The Puritan Work Ethic – Brian D

» The Society of the Spectacle – LizG

» Iraq mortality studies criticised – ALP (1 comment)

» Headline news! – Mondo

» Birmingham "terror" plot – Brian D

» So-called market "efficiency" – Brian D

» Left-right libertarian coalition – Markie (1 comment)

» Metamorality in action – gwinnie (2 comments)

» In memoriam Rachel Corrie – gwinnie

» Email to Independent – ALP (6 comments)

» Vatican lists 7 new mortal sins – David Storr (3 comments)

» Fuck work – Nick Phillips

» Join the army and get whores! – Mark Warner

» How NOT to moderate discussion boards – ALP (14 comments)

» Considering therapy? – Brigid

» David Mamet: Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal' – iFaked23

» Medialens responds... and my comments – ALP (6 comments)

» Revenge of the Experts – Breakfast of champions

» Critique of Medialens article – Christina W (1 comment)

» Medialens attack Nick Davies – ALP (5 comments)

» California outlaws home schooling – The Disinfo Kid

» On the second photos – Mondo

» Even Amnesty International ... – gwinnie (4 comments)

» Antisocial behaviour myths – Brian D

» Terrorism Body Count – Brian D (3 comments)

» 'Boil a frog' ID card rollout to 2012 – Markie (2 comments)

» Conspiracy or just "systemic" – ALP (3 comments)

» Seumas Milne – ALP (12 comments)

» Reefer madness – Kman

» The Media's New Aesthetic – LF

» Newly Released Abu Ghraib Photos – Ged (1 comment)

» Blogs of death – Julie

» Framing: Why Voters Aren't Motivated – Karl Watzlawick

» True Iraq death count – Bernard's mum (2 comments)

» What happened to the future? – iFaked23 (5 comments)

» Guerrilla ontology – Brian D

» Youth too scared to rebel – Breakfast of champions

» Email to Adbusters – ALP (2 comments)

» Results of US Presidential election leaked – Kman (1 comment)

» Political Cults & the Psychology of Totalism – ALP (1 comment)

» Vaginas Are The New Black – Jean Tollett

» Basic Income: "Real Freedom for All" – Nick Phillips

» Ralph Nader does it again – Nader Promotions (6 comments)

» Headline news! – Mondo

» The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism, by Ha-Joon Chang – dav

» Heroes of the "free market" – Brian D (1 comment)

» Achmed the dead terrorist – Anita

» Cocaine Anarchy Nation – Breakfast of champions

» Artist hotel – Mondo

» Notes on framing – Brian D (2 comments)

» Corporate management, Star Trek style – Brian D

» CRED paper on Lancet/IBC – ALP

» Sleep at work – Brigid

» Nepotism – Russ Bridger (4 comments)

» Black hole event horizon simulated – Kman

» Bertrand Russell: In Praise of Idleness – Brian D (2 comments)

» Ginsberg first recording found – ALP (1 comment)

» Abolish the license! – Trev

» Paul Levinson on new media – Christina W (1 comment)

» The Machine is Us/ing Us – Christina W

» Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase – Mondo

» Cop vs skateboarders – Mondo

» Media "alert" on Flat Earth News – Russ Bridger (6 comments)

» Moulding society – Craig Journeaux (5 comments)

» How to make better decisions – andyB

» Flaws in Lancet 2006 study - new report – ALP (2 comments)

» Photos of Tehran – Ken Farrell

» Is this Dennis a menace? - gwinnie

» Leaked government document: ID & coercion – Pete Durham

» And so it begins... - gwinnie (1 comment)

» New Media Hell blog - Brian D (16 comments)

» Adventures with Marshall McLuhan - Brian D

» Framing: the trap set for progressives - Karl Watzlawick

» "Systemic" Medialens BS – Russ Bridger (4 comments)

» ID cards delayed until 2012 – Pete Durham

» Tim Lambert's muddled account – ALP (2 comments)

» Massive 'Crime Wave' Sweeps the Country – Kman

» Book: The Rise of Corporate Power – iFaked23

» Lancet/IFHS (Reductio Ad Absurdum) – ALP (13 comments)

» Climate change chocolate – Brigid

» Everybody's PIN Number Revealed – Brigid

» Headline News! – Mondo

» More on 151,000 deaths (WHO/IFHS) - Jon (2 comments)

» Newsnight cyber-scare story - Mark Warner

» Dream Detective - Brian D (2 comments)

» As Iraqi (journalists) see it – Steven Andersen

» Strange Wikis - Kman

» Framing: "metamorality" - Brian D (1 comment)

» Distorting Democracy - The Media and Venezuela - dav (3 comments)

» George Lakoff - 1hr video - Karl Watzlawick

» Rhetoric of smear campaigns - ALP (14 comments)

» New WHO survey: 151,000 Iraqi civilian deaths - David Storr (11 comments)

» Terror parking meters - Mondo

» Four Types of Government Operatives - ALP (1 comment)

» Lancet demographic data "fabrication" - sonny (3 comments)

» Unspeak: "clients" - pulse

» Michael Moore's Sicko - Ken Farrell (2 comments)

» The Politics of Body Counts – ALP (15 comments)

» Email to Newsnight editor – Brian D (4 comments)

» El Libertario – Markie (1 comment)

» Smearing Monbiot – Peter (7 comments)

» Site traffic comparisons – Ged (4 comments)

» Framing "war" – Brian D (4 comments)

» A new Orwellian age – Brigid (3 comments)

» Two George Monbiots? – Ken Farrell (6 comments)

» Interview requests by the media – Brian D (3 comments)

» Photos of beautiful Iran – Ken Farrell (2 comments)

» Terence McKenna - Culture is not your friend – iFaked23

» Iraq's civil resistance – ALP

» Open Wiki - Alternative media – Christina W (3 comments)

» Media interviews? – Ged (2 comments)

» The "liberal" media – Ged (4 comments)

» Bush's Greatest Hits: a timeline – The Disinfo Kid

» Inept Medialens get it wrong again – Russ Bridger (6 comments)

» Counterculture Through the Ages – The Disinfo Kid

» Nothing to worry about! – gwinnie

» Supermarkets fined for price fixing – Mark Warner

» Question – Ged (5 comments)

» New report: Tabloid readers' perceptions of crime – Brian D

» Response from BBC (to my email) – Nick Phillips (1 comment)

» Rounding up protesters? – gwinnie (2 comments)

» Contributor articles – Christina W (5 comments)

» The Framing of Immigration – Karl Watzlawick

» Long-hours working on the rise again in UK – Brigid (1 comment)

» Medialens pestering George Monbiot again – Russ Bridger (8 comments)

» Freakonomics, crime & the KKK – Brian D

» Jaynes, Korzybski, Lakoff, metaphor – Donnie Darko

» Framing the climate issue – iFaked23

» History of "corporate-state" – Brian D

» Zero coverage of the Iraq Freedom Congress – ALP (1 comment)

» Media & the easily influenced – Brian D

» Headline News! – Mondo

» Lancet Iraq survey – PMJ (2 comments)

» Profiteers are wrecking our health (framing) – Karl Watzlawick

» Work myths exposed – Brian D

» How it all got started – Winston Smith (2 comments)

» Marc Herold's latest comment on Medialens – Peter (3 comments)

» Medialens on the defensive – Russ Bridger (7 comments)

» Conversation with MediaLenser David Wearing – Peter (16 comments)

» Neuroscience & Moral Politics: Chomsky’s Intellectual Progeny – iFaked23

» Guardian gives SiCKO 5-star review – David Storr (2 comments)

» Professor Marc Herold is unimpressed with Medialens – ALP (19 comments)

» RECORD levels of immigration will see Britain’s population soar to 75million – Craig (2 comments)

» New blog entry – The Headline Game: from BBC1 to Ceefax – Brian D

» Argumetnum ad Hominem – slimer

» Cognitive science and media myths – Ken Farrell

» Squashed philosophers – Jean Tollett (2 comments)

» In defence of skiving – LF (2 comments)

» The Culture War on Facts – iFaked23

» The commodification of the football supporter/ links with hooliganism and terror – Craig Journeaux

» Right has it right? – gwinnie (3 comments)

» Relativism – Brigid (2 comments)

» Email to BBC News Online editor – Nick Phillips

» Latest Medialens lies/distortions – ALP (21 comments)

» Multiple identities – Board admin.

» New poll results from ORB – Peter (2 comments)

» Skull-fucked by David Edwards – Russ Bridger (11 comments)

» George Lakoff's Freedom Frame – iFaked23

» Medialens's dishonest smear campaign – ALP (28 comments)

» Framing "surge" & "escalation" – Karl Watzlawick (9 comments)

» New substantial Chomsky interview – Donnie Darko

» Reply to BBC on crime reporting – Brian D

» Robert Naiman corrects error over Iraqi dead – ALP (3 comments)

» Email to Naomi Klein – Mordecai (4 comments)

» Framing the "free market" – Karl Watzlawick

» Medialens subscriber 148 writes – ALP (1 comment)

» Medialens's "suggested action" – Ken Farrell (5 comments)

» Spoofing identities – Phil

» Gavin Esler on MediaLens "robots" – Ken Farrell (3 comments)

» ORB Iraq poll update – Paul Harris (3 comments)

» More insanity from Gabriele Zamparini – SteveK (2 comments)

» Gabriele Zamparini's destructive hysteria – ALP (8 comments)

» Poll: more than 1,000,000 Iraqis murdered? – Paul Harris

» Using Clipmarks – Phil (1 comment)

Protest graffiti

Weekly Lowbrow: El Mac

Abduzeedo - HDR (high dynamic range) graffiti pics

It Could Be Worse - A Demotivate video from despair.com

"You wanna switch on the sat-nav, dear? This doesn’t look right" (Captions for illustrations)

BLF - Billboard Liberation Front

So, you're not a teamplayer? ID please.

CALL TO ACTION: SCRAP THE ID SCHEME NOW

Write to your MP asking that they demand an end to the development of ID cards. Check how your MP voted on ID cards.

A history of US military interventions, 1890-2008

Unlike above, the Daily Mail's poll, Should BBC reporters wear ties? seems "real", although you never can tell – they may be taking the piss. Yes or No. Call the hotline.