GRITtv: May 6, 2009

The Media's Deficit, Walter Mosley, and Ken Lewis's Demotion Did the UAW come out on top in the restructuring of Chrysler? The media would lead us to believe they did. Dick Durbin's cram-down bill is defeated with the help of more than 10 democrats. And the Senate, along with the mainstream media, keep single payer advocates on the sidelines. Tonight on GRITtv our media panel looks at the economic coverage of the past week, the labor movement, and the healthcare battle. Nation writer JoAnn Wypijewski, Robert Johnson former chief economist of the Senate Banking Committee, and Mark Brenner Director of Labor Notes take apart the conventional narrative of what's happening to our economy. On that note, Wypijewski's recent piece in Counterpunch, Death at Work in America, sheds some light on just what the media have missed. Walter Mosley's new novel The Long Fall explores the challenges of doing the right thing or at least trying to in a deeply flawed world. He introduces us to Leonid McGill a bad-guy turned-good who's ready to bleed for what he now knows is right; a hero of the first order because he fights on with no promise, or even an inkling, of victory. Thanks to Brave New Films and Brett Gaylor for video in tonight's show.