[lbo-talk] New York Times: Put Budget Numbers in Context

[Robert Naiman]

A key reason that Members of Congress have been able to get away with
holding our government hostage is that they've been able to trick many
Americans into thinking that federal government spending on domestic
priorities is out of control, while these same Members of Congress have
diverted public attention from the bloated Pentagon budget. Mainstream
media have enabled these Members of Congress by failing to put budget
numbers in context. If the New York Times tells you that we’re spending $15
billion on foreign aid or $400 million on the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (which funds PBS and NPR) without putting those numbers in
context, you might think that's a lot of money. But in the context of the
Pentagon's half a trillion dollar annual budget, these numbers are chump
change.

Prominent progressive economist Dean Baker has launched a campaign to get
the New York Times to fix its reporting on budget issues. Just Foreign
Policy is working to promote Dean's campaign with a petition at MoveOn:

. at nytimes, @Sulliview: Put Budget Numbers in
Context<http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nytimes-sulliview-put?source=c.url&r_by=1135580>
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nytimes-sulliview-put?source=c.url&r_by=1135580

As Dean writes,

"If the New York Times were to change its practice for budget reporting
most of the rest of the media would almost certainly follow. The NYT is
recognized as the preeminent newspaper in the country. Their standards are
taken seriously by everyone."

You can find the rest of Dean's argument at our petition site:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/nytimes-sulliview-put?source=c.url&r_by=1135580

P.S. Dean is on the board of Just Foreign Policy.

-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org