Jump to content

CounterPunch: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Undid revision 818633768 by Snooganssnoogans (talk) selfrv
it's been more than a week since the discussion stopped. no plausible arguments for keeping this extremely poorly sourced text.
Line 23: Line 23:
}}
}}


'''''CounterPunch''''' is a magazine published six times per year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.counterpunch.org/faqs/|title=FAQs|work=CounterPunch.org|accessdate=2017-07-31}}</ref> in the United States that covers politics in a manner its editors describe as "[[muckraking]] with a radical attitude".<ref>{{cite web
'''''CounterPunch''''' is a magazine published six times per year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.counterpunch.org/faqs/|title=FAQs|work=CounterPunch.org|accessdate=2017-07-31}}</ref> in the United States that covers politics in a manner its editors describe as "[[muckraking]] with a radical attitude".<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.counterpunch.org/aboutus.html
| url = http://www.counterpunch.org/aboutus.html
| title = We've got all the right enemies
| title = We've got all the right enemies
Line 30: Line 30:
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425054019/http://www.counterpunch.org/aboutus.html
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425054019/http://www.counterpunch.org/aboutus.html
|archivedate=2011-04-25
|archivedate=2011-04-25
}}</ref> It has been described as [[left-wing politics|left-wing]] by both supporters and detractors.<ref name="nytleftwing">{{cite news |title=Army Acts to Curb Abuses of Injured Recruits |author=Ralph Blumenthal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/us/12training.html?pagewanted=2 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 12, 2006 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Devil You Know">{{cite news|title=The Devil You Know|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-devil-you-know|newspaper=new Republic}}</ref><ref name="reason.com">{{cite news|title=Olbermann, Assange, and the Holocaust Denier When you want to believe, you'll believe anything.|url=http://reason.com/archives/2010/12/07/olbermann-assange-and-the-holo|newspaper=Reason}}</ref>
}}</ref> It has been described as [[left-wing politics|left-wing]].<ref name="nytleftwing">{{cite news |title=Army Acts to Curb Abuses of Injured Recruits |author=Ralph Blumenthal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/us/12training.html?pagewanted=2 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 12, 2006 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Devil You Know">{{cite news|title=The Devil You Know|url=http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-devil-you-know|newspaper=new Republic}}</ref><ref name="reason.com">{{cite news|title=Olbermann, Assange, and the Holocaust Denier When you want to believe, you'll believe anything.|url=http://reason.com/archives/2010/12/07/olbermann-assange-and-the-holo|newspaper=Reason}}</ref>

''CounterPunch'' magazine has published frequent commentaries by [[Alexander Cockburn]], current editor-in-chief [[Jeffrey St. Clair]], editor [[Joshua Frank]], and includes regular contributions by a wide range of others. Topics include critical coverage of both [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] politicians<ref>Richard Keeble, ''Ethics for Journalists'' (2nd edn; New York: Routledge, 2009), p. 170; James Walch and Jim Walch, ''In the Net: An Internet Guide for Activists'' (London and New York: Zed Books, 1999), p. 127.</ref><ref>"largely progressive political commentary—commentary that transcends the "good Democrat, bad Republican" dichotomy by taking aim at any policy, policy-maker, or too-comfortable consciousness that conserves the status quo." - Gorski, Paul (2007), "Beyond the Network News: Progressive Sources for the News You and Your Students Won’t See on Fox or CNN", ''Multicultural Perspectives'', 9(1), 29–31. p30</ref> and extensive reporting of [[Environmentalism|environmental]] and [[trade union]] issues, [[Foreign relations of the United States|American foreign policy]], and the [[Israeli-Arab conflict]].<ref>Richard Paul and Linda Elder, ''The Thinker's Guide for Conscientious Citizens on How to Detect Media Bias and Propaganda'' (3rd edn; Dillon Beach, California: Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2006), p. 29.</ref>


==History==
==History==
The newsletter was established in 1994 by the [[Washington, D.C.]]-based investigative reporter [[Ken Silverstein]].<ref>"Counterpunch is the brainchild of Ken Silverstein, a former AP reporter in Rio de Janeiro." ''[[Lies of Our Times]]'', vols 4-5 (1993), p. 26.</ref> He was soon joined by the journalists Cockburn and St. Clair.<ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, ''Five Days that Shook the World: Seattle and Beyond'' (London and New York: Verso, 2000), p. 151; Alexander Cockburn, Ken Silverstein, ''Washington Babylon'' (London and New York: Verso, 1996), p. 302.</ref> In 1996, Silverstein left the publication and Cockburn and St. Clair became co-editors.<ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, ''End Times: The Death of the Fourth Estate'' (Petrolia, California, and Oakland, California: CounterPunch and AK Press, 2007), pp. 2, 44.</ref> In 2007, Cockburn and St. Clair wrote that in founding ''CounterPunch'' they had "wanted it to be the best muckraking newsletter in the country", and cited as inspiration such pamphleteers as [[Edward Abbey]], [[Peter Maurin]], and [[Ammon Hennacy]], as well as the socialist/populist newspaper ''[[Appeal to Reason (newspaper)|Appeal to Reason]]'' (1895–1922).<ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair (2007), ''End times: the death of the fourth estate'', CounterPunch and AK Press, p383</ref>
The newsletter was established in 1994 by the [[Washington, D.C.]]-based investigative reporter [[Ken Silverstein]].<ref>"Counterpunch is the brainchild of Ken Silverstein, a former AP reporter in Rio de Janeiro." ''[[Lies of Our Times]]'', vols 4-5 (1993), p. 26.</ref> He was soon joined by Andrew Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, who became co-editors in 1996 when Silverstein left.<ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, ''Five Days that Shook the World: Seattle and Beyond'' (London and New York: Verso, 2000), p. 151; Alexander Cockburn, Ken Silverstein, ''Washington Babylon'' (London and New York: Verso, 1996), p. 302.</ref><ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, ''End Times: The Death of the Fourth Estate'' (Petrolia, California, and Oakland, California: CounterPunch and AK Press, 2007), pp. 2, 44.</ref> In 2007, Cockburn and St. Clair wrote that in founding ''CounterPunch'' they had "wanted it to be the best muckraking newsletter in the country", and cited as inspiration such pamphleteers as [[Edward Abbey]], [[Peter Maurin]], and [[Ammon Hennacy]], as well as the socialist/populist newspaper ''[[Appeal to Reason (newspaper)|Appeal to Reason]]'' (1895–1922).<ref>Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair (2007), ''End times: the death of the fourth estate'', CounterPunch and AK Press, p383</ref>


⚫
During the 2016 presidential election, Counterpunch published the writings of Alice Donovan who purported to be a freelance writer but was in fact a pseudonymous employee of the Russian government.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html|title=Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options|last=Entous|first=Adam|date=2017-12-25|work=Washington Post|access-date=2017-12-25|last2=Nakashima|first2=Ellen|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|last3=Jaffe|first3=Greg}}</ref> Donovan was tracked by the FBI for nine months.<ref name=":0" /> According to ''The Washington Post'', "she seemed to be doing the Kremlin’s bidding by stoking discontent toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and touting WikiLeaks, which U.S. officials say was a tool of Russia’s broad influence operation to affect the presidential race."<ref name=":0" /> In late November 2017, ''The Washington Post'' contacted Counterpunch about Donovan; co-editor Jeffrey St. Clair said that Donovan's pitches did not stand out amongst the pitches that Counterpunch received daily.<ref name=":0" /> St. Clair asked Donovan to substantiate her identity by sending a photo of her driving license; Donovan never responded.<ref name=":0" />
''CounterPunch''-sourced news stories have frequently featured in the [[Project Censored]] annual list of top 25 "underreported, mis-reported, or censored" news stories, including three in 1997 ("Dark Alliance: Tuna Free Trade, and Cocaine";<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/24-dark-alliance-tuna-free-trade-and-cocaine/ Dark Alliance: Tuna Free Trade, and Cocaine], story by Ken Silverstein and Alexander Cockburn</ref> "Corporate America Spends Big $$ on Pro-China PR";<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/19-corporate-america-spends-big-on-pro-china-pr/ Corporate America Spends Big $$ on Pro-China PR], story by Ken Silverstein and Alexander Cockburn</ref> and "U.S. Alone in Blocking Export Ban of Toxic Waste to Third World"<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/20-us-alone-in-blocking-export-ban-of-toxic-waste-to-third-world/ U.S. Alone in Blocking Export Ban of Toxic Waste to Third World], story by Ken Silverstein and Alexander Cockburn</ref>). Other entries include 1998 ("The Scheme to Privatize the Hanford Nuke Plant"<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/23-the-scheme-to-privatize-the-hanford-nuke-plant/ The Scheme to Privatize the Hanford Nuke Plant], story by Jeffrey St Clair and Alexander Cockburn</ref> and "American Drug Industry Uses the Poor as Human Guinea Pigs"<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/13-american-drug-industry-uses-the-poor-as-human-guinea-pigs/ American Drug Industry Uses the Poor as Human Guinea Pigs], story by Scott Handelman</ref>), several in 2000<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/13-us-agency-seeks-to-export-weapons-grade-plutonium-to-russian-organization-lied-to-organized-crime/ U.S. Agency Seeks to Export Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Russian Organization Tied to Organized Crime], story by Jeffrey St Clair and Alexander Cockburn</ref><ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/11-americas-largest-nuclear-test-exposed-thousands/ America’s Largest Nuclear Test Exposed Thousands], story by Jeffrey St Clair and Alexander Cockburn</ref> and others in 2001<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-us-armys-psychological-operations-personnel-worked-at-cnn/ U.S. Army’s Psychological Operations Personnel Worked at CNN], story by Alexander Cockburn</ref> 2003<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/3-united-states-policies-in-columbia-support-mass-murder/ United States' Policies in Colombia Support Mass Murder], story by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair</ref> and 2004.<ref>[[Project Censored]], [http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/4-rumsfelds-plan-to-provoke-terrorists/ Rumsfeld’s Plan to Provoke Terrorists], story by Chris Floyd</ref>

Regular ''CounterPunch'' contributor [[Israel Shamir]] was part of the [[WikiLeaks]] organisation and an associate of its director, [[Julian Assange]],<ref>[[Index on Censorship]] "[http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2011/02/wikileaks-belarus-and-israel-shamir/ WikiLeaks, Belarus and Israel Shamir]" 5 February 2011]</ref> and in late 2010 and early 2011 wrote a series of exclusive articles for ''CounterPunch'' drawing on materials from the [[United States diplomatic cables leak]].<ref>e.g. http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir05042011.html</ref> He has also written and co-written articles for ''CounterPunch'' on what he alleges to be a campaign of harassment against Assange.<ref>e.g. http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir02012011.html</ref> One of these articles, "Assange Betrayed",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/shamir09142010.html |title=14 September 2010 |publisher=Counterpunch.org |date=2010-09-14 |accessdate=2014-08-12}}</ref> made allegations against a plaintiff in a Swedish rape case against Assange that were widely circulated in the media.<ref>e.g. David Edwards [http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/06/assange-rape-accuser-cia-ties/ Revealed: Assange ‘rape’ accuser linked to notorious CIA operative] [[The Raw Story]] 6 December 2010</ref><ref>"On his [[Twitter]] feed, [[MSNBC]] host [[Keith Olbermann]] (162,000 followers) links to a rambling blog post arguing that ... a Swedish feminist who accused Assange of rape, is an anti-Castro activist with connections to [[CIA]] front groups. Elsewhere on the Internet, NYU professor [[Mark Crispin Miller]], the popular liberal website [[FireDogLake]], [[Bianca Jagger]], and [[The First Post]] (a British news website "brought to you by [[The Week]]") all circulated the charges without an ounce of skepticism... [The original source was] one comes to an article posted on Alexander Cockburn’s far-left website Counterpunch by the writers Israel Shamir and Paul Bennett". [[Michael C. Moynihan]] "[http://reason.com/archives/2010/12/07/olbermann-assange-and-the-holo Olbermann, Assange, and the Holocaust Denier]" [[reason.com]] December 7, 2010</ref> The allegations in ''CounterPunch'' were the topic of controversy in the mainstream media.<ref>Kate Harding "[http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41990.html Accusations against Assange's accuser]" [[Australian Broadcasting Company]] 9 December 2010; [[David Leigh (journalist)|David Leigh]] and [[Luke Harding]] "[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/31/wikileaks-holocaust-denier-handled-moscow-cables Holocaust denier in charge of handling Moscow cables]" ''[[The Guardian]]'' 31 January 2011</ref>

==Topics and contributors==
''CounterPunch'' publishes articles from contributors critical of [[conventional wisdom]] on certain topics, under its slogan "muckraking with a radical attitude." This stance has been controversial in some areas, including in relation to the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]], where ''CounterPunch'' has published [[anti-Zionism|anti-Zionist]] figures including [[Israel Shamir]], [[Gilad Atzmon]], and [[Norman Finkelstein]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.counterpunch.org/finkelstein02192009.html |title=The Cleanser |date=2009-02-19 |accessdate=2010-10-02 |publisher=CounterPunch}}</ref> as well as [[Uri Avnery]], founder of [[Gush Shalom]] in Israel. Others include [[Jonathan Cook]]<ref>[[Jonathan Cook]] ''CounterPunch'', 28 June 2008, [http://www.counterpunch.org/cook06272008.html Israel's Encaging of Gaza]</ref> and 2016 Green Vice-presidential candidate [[Ajamu Baraka]].<ref name="Baraka1">{{cite web|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/11/19/violence-and-resistance-in-palestine/|last=Baraka|first=Ajamu|title=Violence and Resistance in Palestine|date=November 19, 2014|website=CounterPunch|access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref>

Within the broader area of [[American foreign policy]], contributors include Ajamu Baraka,<ref name="Baraka2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/16/the-yemen-tragedy-and-the-ongoing-crisis-of-the-left-in-the-united-states/|title=The Yemen Tragedy and the Ongoing Crisis of the Left in the United States|date=September 16, 2015|website=CounterPunch|access-date=August 2, 2016}}</ref> [[William Blum]] and [[Patrick Cockburn]]. ''CounterPunch'' also has a strong tradition of criticizing US financial and economic policy, including the [[financial regulation]] deficits which led to the [[2008 financial crisis|2008 crisis]]. In this area contributors include former ''[[Financial Times]]'' and ''[[Forbes]]'' editor [[Eamonn Fingleton]],<ref>Harry Browne, ''CounterPunch'', 19 February 2009, [http://www.counterpunch.org/browne02192009.html How Ireland Went Bust]</ref> [[Paul Craig Roberts]] (Assistant [[Secretary of the Treasury]] in the [[Reagan Administration]]), [[Winslow T. Wheeler]] and [[Michael Hudson (economist)|Michael Hudson]].<ref>[[Michael Hudson (economist)|Michael Hudson]], 19 September 2008, [http://www.counterpunch.org/hudson09192008.html The Dow Jones' Wonderfully Cheesy Addition]</ref> On [[environmental issues]], contributors include Joshua Frank<ref>[http://www.counterpunch.org/frank07262008.html "Big Sky Rebels"], July 26, 2008, Joshua Frank, ''CounterPunch'', retrieved 5 September 2008</ref> and [[Harvey Wasserman]].<ref>[[Harvey Wasserman]], 25 July 2008, [http://www.counterpunch.org/wasserman07252008.html New Nukes Not Ready for Prime Time]</ref> Some more frequent contributors, such as [[Dave Lindorff]] and [[Saul Landau]], cover a wide range of subjects.

⚫
During the 2016 presidential election, CounterPunch published an article on cyberwarfare of medical databases by Alice Donovan. Donovan purported to be a freelance writer, but is alleged by the FBI to be fake and have connections to the Russian government. CounterPunch published five more articles by Donovan following the election, two of which were critical of Donald Trump's policy in Syria.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/kremlin-trolls-burned-across-the-internet-as-washington-debated-options/2017/12/23/e7b9dc92-e403-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html|title=Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options|last=Entous|first=Adam|date=2017-12-25|work=Washington Post|access-date=2017-12-25|last2=Nakashima|first2=Ellen|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286|last3=Jaffe|first3=Greg}}</ref><ref name="Stclair1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/25/go-ask-alice-the-curious-case-of-alice-donovan/|title=Go Ask Alice: the Curious Case of “Alice Donovan”|date=December 25, 2017|website=CounterPunch|access-date=December 25, 2017}}</ref> Donovan was tracked by the FBI for nine months.<ref name=":0" /> St. Clair asked Donovan to substantiate her identity by sending a photo of her driving license; Donovan never responded.<ref name=":0" /> In a CounterPunch piece published the same day as the Washington Post article, St. Clair and his co-editor Joshua Frank revealed that Donovan was not only a troll but also a plagiarist. CounterPunch deleted Donovan's pieces from the site prior to the article published in the Washington Post.<ref name="Stclair1"/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
{{Disputed section|Bad sources, repeat content|date=March 2017}}
{{Disputed section|Bad sources, repeat content|date=March 2017}}
In 2003, ''[[The Observer]]'' described the ''CounterPunch'' website as a "popular political sources in America, with a keen following in Washington".<ref>Christopher Reed (March 2, 2003). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/02/usa.theobserver "Battle of the bottle divides columnists"]. ''[[The Observer]]''.</ref> Other sources have variously described ''CounterPunch'' as a "left-wing",<ref name="nytleftwing"/><ref name="The Devil You Know"/><ref name="reason.com"/> "far-left",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/report-kremlin-troll-wrote-for-far-left-us-sites|title=Report: Kremlin Troll Wrote for Far-Left U.S. Sites|date=2017-12-25|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=2017-12-26}}</ref>, "left-leaning",<ref name=":0" /> "extreme" or "radical"<ref name="The Fringe Fires at Bush on Iraq"/><ref>[http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/12/assange-allegations.html "The Assange allegations"]. December 21, 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225025122/http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/12/assange-allegations.html |date=December 25, 2010 }}.</ref> a "political newsletter",<ref name="nytpolitical">{{cite news |title=Royalty checks aren't in the mail - Business - International Herald Tribune |author=Dan Mitchell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-music.3317335.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 29, 2006 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref> and a "muckraking newsletter".<ref name="nytmuckraking">{{cite news |title=Who Pays For Mistakes In Making Electricity? |author=MELINDA TUHUS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/22/nyregion/who-pays-for-mistakes-in-making-electricity.html?pagewanted=5 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 22, 1998 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref>
In 2003, ''The Guardian'' described the ''CounterPunch'' website as "one of the most popular political sources in America, with a keen following in Washington".<ref>Christopher Reed (March 2, 2003). [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/02/usa.theobserver "Battle of the bottle divides columnists"]. ''[[The Observer]]''.</ref> Other sources have variously described ''CounterPunch'' as a "left-wing",<ref name="nytleftwing"/><ref name="The Devil You Know"/><ref name="reason.com"/> "extreme" or "radical"<ref name="The Fringe Fires at Bush on Iraq"/><ref>[http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/12/assange-allegations.html "The Assange allegations"]. December 21, 2010. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225025122/http://leninology.blogspot.com/2010/12/assange-allegations.html |date=December 25, 2010 }}.</ref> a "political newsletter",<ref name="nytpolitical">{{cite news |title=Royalty checks aren't in the mail - Business - International Herald Tribune |author=Dan Mitchell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/business/worldbusiness/29iht-music.3317335.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 29, 2006 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref> and a "muckraking newsletter".<ref name="nytmuckraking">{{cite news |title=Who Pays For Mistakes In Making Electricity? |author=MELINDA TUHUS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/22/nyregion/who-pays-for-mistakes-in-making-electricity.html?pagewanted=5 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 22, 1998 |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref>


The lobby group [[Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America|Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA)]] that counters criticism of the Israeli government in U.S. media in 2007 described CounterPunch.org as an "extremist anti-Israel web site."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_print=1&x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1280 |title=Norman Finkelstein, Benny Morris and Peace not Apartheid |author= |date=February 7, 2007 |work= |publisher=CAMERA |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref> CounterPunch was also criticized for an interview with Pink Floyd's [[Roger Waters]] in which he made extreme comments on Israel and a "Jewish lobby."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boteach|first1=Shmuley|title=The Anti-Semitic Stench of Pink Floyd|url=http://observer.com/2013/12/the-anti-semitic-stench-of-pink-floyd/|website=Observer.com|accessdate=5 January 2017}}</ref> (Waters in a separate interview with ''[[Haaretz]]'' stated that he hates apartheid and not Israelis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/1.668705 |title=Roger Waters Sets the Record Straight: I Hate Apartheid, Not Israel|author=Gideon Levy |date=August 2, 2015 |work= |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |accessdate=March 23, 2017}}</ref>)
The lobby group [[Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America|Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA)]] that counters criticism of the Israeli government in U.S. media in 2007 described CounterPunch.org as an "extremist anti-Israel web site."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_print=1&x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1280 |title=Norman Finkelstein, Benny Morris and Peace not Apartheid |author= |date=February 7, 2007 |work= |publisher=CAMERA |accessdate=June 14, 2011}}</ref> CounterPunch was also criticized for an interview with Pink Floyd's [[Roger Waters]] in which he made extreme comments on Israel and a "Jewish lobby."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boteach|first1=Shmuley|title=The Anti-Semitic Stench of Pink Floyd|url=http://observer.com/2013/12/the-anti-semitic-stench-of-pink-floyd/|website=Observer.com|accessdate=5 January 2017}}</ref> (Waters in a separate interview with ''[[Haaretz]]'' stated that he hates apartheid and not Israelis.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/1.668705 |title=Roger Waters Sets the Record Straight: I Hate Apartheid, Not Israel|author=Gideon Levy |date=August 2, 2015 |work= |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |accessdate=March 23, 2017}}</ref>)
Line 57: Line 46:


In 2016, [[Adrian Chen]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called CounterPunch a "respected left-leaning" publication following accusations that CounterPunch promoted a pro-Russian agenda.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-propaganda-about-russian-propaganda |title=The Propaganda About Russian Propaganda |author=Adrian Chen |date=December 1, 2016 |work= |publisher=The New Yorker |accessdate=March 23, 2017}}</ref>
In 2016, [[Adrian Chen]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' called CounterPunch a "respected left-leaning" publication following accusations that CounterPunch promoted a pro-Russian agenda.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-propaganda-about-russian-propaganda |title=The Propaganda About Russian Propaganda |author=Adrian Chen |date=December 1, 2016 |work= |publisher=The New Yorker |accessdate=March 23, 2017}}</ref>

==Books==
''CounterPunch Books'', an imprint of [[AK Press]],<ref>CounterPunch.org, [http://www.counterpunch.org/dimesworth.html CounterPunch Books, an Imprint of AK Press]</ref> has published a number of books, typically works by individual ''CounterPunch'' contributors, or collections of essays by ''CounterPunch'' contributors. The most controversial books, reflecting ''CounterPunch''{{'}} stance on [[criticism of the Israeli government]], are ''[[The Politics of Anti-Semitism]]'' (2003), edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, and ''[[The Case Against Israel]]'' (2005) by [[Michael Neumann]], a philosophy professor at [[Trent University]] in response to [[Alan Dershowitz]]'s ''[[The Case for Israel]]''. Of the former book, ''CounterPunch'' said "Is this the most controversial book of 2003? It was denounced by liberals and neocons alike, numerous reviews in mainstream papers were quashed by editors."<ref>''CounterPunch'', [http://www.counterpunch.org/books.html NEW BOOKS FROM COUNTERPUNCH / AK PRESS], accessed 22 May 2011</ref>

A number of ''CounterPunch'' books focus on environmental issues, including St. Clair's ''Born Under a Bad Sky: Notes from the Dark Side of the Earth'' (2008)<ref>AK Press, [http://www.akpress.org/2008/items/bornunderabadsky Born Under a Bad Sky: Notes from the Dark Side of the Earth]</ref> and Andrea Peacock's ''Wasting Libby: The True Story of How the WR Grace Corporation Left a Montana Town to Die'' (2010), on [[W. R. Grace and Company]]'s role in [[Libby, Montana]].<ref>AK Press, [http://www.akpress.org/2010/items/wastinglibby Wasting Libby: The True Story of How the WR Grace Corporation Left a Montana Town to Die]</ref> ''A Dime's Worth of Difference: Beyond the Lesser of Two Evils'' (2004), a collection of essays, illustrates ''CounterPunch''{{'}}s criticism of both the Republican and Democratic parties.<ref>''CounterPunch'', [http://www.counterpunch.org/dimesworth.html A Dime's Worth of Difference:Beyond the Lesser of Two Evils]</ref>

Other books include ''Serpents in the Garden: Liaisons With Culture & Sex'' (2004), ''Imperial Crusades: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yugoslavia'' (2004), and ''End times: the death of the fourth estate'' (2007), all edited by Cockburn and St Clair, and ''How the Economy Was Lost: The War of the Worlds'' (2009) by [[Paul Craig Roberts]].


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 18:15, 4 January 2018

This article is about the newsletter. For other uses, see Counterpunch.
CounterPunch
EditorsJeffrey St. Clair
Joshua Frank
Staff writersFrank Bardacke,
Daniel Burton-Rose,
Andrew Cockburn,
Laura Flanders,
Annys Shinn,
Ken Silverstein,
JoAnn Wypijewski
CategoriesPolitics
FrequencyBi-monthly
First issue1994 (1994)
CountryUnited States
Based inPetrolia, California
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.counterpunch.org
ISSN1086-2323

CounterPunch is a magazine published six times per year[1] in the United States that covers politics in a manner its editors describe as "muckraking with a radical attitude".[2] It has been described as left-wing.[3][4][5]

History

The newsletter was established in 1994 by the Washington, D.C.-based investigative reporter Ken Silverstein.[6] He was soon joined by Andrew Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair, who became co-editors in 1996 when Silverstein left.[7][8] In 2007, Cockburn and St. Clair wrote that in founding CounterPunch they had "wanted it to be the best muckraking newsletter in the country", and cited as inspiration such pamphleteers as Edward Abbey, Peter Maurin, and Ammon Hennacy, as well as the socialist/populist newspaper Appeal to Reason (1895–1922).[9]

During the 2016 presidential election, Counterpunch published the writings of Alice Donovan who purported to be a freelance writer but was in fact a pseudonymous employee of the Russian government.[10] Donovan was tracked by the FBI for nine months.[10] According to The Washington Post, "she seemed to be doing the Kremlin’s bidding by stoking discontent toward Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and touting WikiLeaks, which U.S. officials say was a tool of Russia’s broad influence operation to affect the presidential race."[10] In late November 2017, The Washington Post contacted Counterpunch about Donovan; co-editor Jeffrey St. Clair said that Donovan's pitches did not stand out amongst the pitches that Counterpunch received daily.[10] St. Clair asked Donovan to substantiate her identity by sending a photo of her driving license; Donovan never responded.[10]

Reception

In 2003, The Guardian described the CounterPunch website as "one of the most popular political sources in America, with a keen following in Washington".[11] Other sources have variously described CounterPunch as a "left-wing",[3][4][5] "extreme" or "radical"[12][13] a "political newsletter",[14] and a "muckraking newsletter".[15]

The lobby group Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA) that counters criticism of the Israeli government in U.S. media in 2007 described CounterPunch.org as an "extremist anti-Israel web site."[16] CounterPunch was also criticized for an interview with Pink Floyd's Roger Waters in which he made extreme comments on Israel and a "Jewish lobby."[17] (Waters in a separate interview with Haaretz stated that he hates apartheid and not Israelis.[18])

In 2004, Max Boot described CounterPunch as an "extreme" "conspiracy-mongering website", citing a 2003 article by Dave Lindorff comparing George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler.[12][19] The same article was also referred to by James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal as similarly permitting the dismissal of CounterPunch. Lindorff has defended his article against this characterization.[20]

In 2016, Adrian Chen of The New Yorker called CounterPunch a "respected left-leaning" publication following accusations that CounterPunch promoted a pro-Russian agenda.[21]

References

  1. ^ "FAQs". CounterPunch.org. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  2. ^ "We've got all the right enemies". CounterPunch. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  3. ^ a b Ralph Blumenthal (May 12, 2006). "Army Acts to Curb Abuses of Injured Recruits". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "The Devil You Know". new Republic.
  5. ^ a b "Olbermann, Assange, and the Holocaust Denier When you want to believe, you'll believe anything". Reason.
  6. ^ "Counterpunch is the brainchild of Ken Silverstein, a former AP reporter in Rio de Janeiro." Lies of Our Times, vols 4-5 (1993), p. 26.
  7. ^ Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, Five Days that Shook the World: Seattle and Beyond (London and New York: Verso, 2000), p. 151; Alexander Cockburn, Ken Silverstein, Washington Babylon (London and New York: Verso, 1996), p. 302.
  8. ^ Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair, End Times: The Death of the Fourth Estate (Petrolia, California, and Oakland, California: CounterPunch and AK Press, 2007), pp. 2, 44.
  9. ^ Alexander Cockburn, Jeffrey St. Clair (2007), End times: the death of the fourth estate, CounterPunch and AK Press, p383
  10. ^ a b c d e Entous, Adam; Nakashima, Ellen; Jaffe, Greg (2017-12-25). "Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-12-25.
  11. ^ Christopher Reed (March 2, 2003). "Battle of the bottle divides columnists". The Observer.
  12. ^ a b Boot, Max (March 11, 2004). "The Fringe Fires at Bush on Iraq". LATIMes.
  13. ^ "The Assange allegations". December 21, 2010. Archived December 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ Dan Mitchell (October 29, 2006). "Royalty checks aren't in the mail - Business - International Herald Tribune". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  15. ^ MELINDA TUHUS (March 22, 1998). "Who Pays For Mistakes In Making Electricity?". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  16. ^ "Norman Finkelstein, Benny Morris and Peace not Apartheid". CAMERA. February 7, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
  17. ^ Boteach, Shmuley. "The Anti-Semitic Stench of Pink Floyd". Observer.com. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  18. ^ Gideon Levy (August 2, 2015). "Roger Waters Sets the Record Straight: I Hate Apartheid, Not Israel". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  19. ^ Dave Lindorff (February 1, 2003). "Bush and Hitler and the Strategy of Fear". CounterPunch.
  20. ^ Dave Lindorff (July 17, 2003). "Is Bush Another Hitler?: Bush and Hitler...Compare and Contrast A Response to the WSJ's James Taranto". CounterPunch.
  21. ^ Adrian Chen (December 1, 2016). "The Propaganda About Russian Propaganda". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=CounterPunch&oldid=818634045"