Eric Alterman
Encyclopedia
Eric Alterman is an American English teacher, historian
, journalist
, author
, media critic, blogger, and educator. His political weblog named Altercation was hosted by MSNBC.com
from 2002 until 2006, moved to Media Matters for America
until December 2008, and is now hosted by The Nation
.
in History
and Government
from Cornell University
, an M.A.
in International Relations
from Yale University
, and a Ph.D.
in U.S. History
from Stanford University
.
, The Washington Monthly
, The New Republic
, Harper's, Le Monde diplomatique
, and later, Vanity Fair
, The New York Times Magazine
, and The Atlantic Monthly
, among others, while working as a senior fellow for the World Policy Institute
in New York City
and Washington, DC. He published his first book, Sound & Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy, which won the 1992 George Orwell Award, while studying for his doctorate in US history in Stanford in 1992. Shortly after that he became the Washington Correspondent for Mother Jones
, and soon thereafter Rolling Stone
, before returning to The Nation
as a columnist in 1995. Alterman has also been a contributing editor to ELLE
, and a regular columnist for Worth
and the London Sunday Express
.
Alterman was hired by MSNBC
in 1996, both appearing as a commentator on the cable channel and writing a column posted on its website. In 2002 MSNBC engaged him to create the blog daily Altercation, one of the first blogs hosted by a mainstream media
news organization. In September 2006, after a ten-year association, Alterman and MSNBC parted ways. Media Matters for America
hired him as a Senior Fellow and agreed to host Altercation, effective September 18, 2006. Regular contributors to his blog Altercation include sportswriter Charlie Pierce
and historian and military officer Robert Bateman. On December 22, 2008 Alterman announced that Altercation would be moving to The Nation's website in 2009, and would appear on a less regular basis than its previous Monday through Friday schedule.
During this period Alterman also published a number of books, including the national best-sellers What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News (2003, 2004), and The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America (2004). The others include: Who Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy, (1998), and a second edition of Sound & Fury (2000). His It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen (1999, 2001), won the 1999 Stephen Crane Literary Award. In September 2004, Viking Press
published When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and its Consequences –- a version of his doctoral dissertation –– on lies of major consequence told by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt
, John F. Kennedy
, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan
, and George W. Bush
.
Alterman has taught journalism at both New York University
and Columbia University
. Since the fall of 2004, he has been a Professor of English at Brooklyn College
, where he teaches courses in media and media history. In 2007 he was named a CUNY Distinguished Professor of English at Brooklyn College and Professor of Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
, and remains one at the World Policy Institute
in New York.
Alterman's academic expertise is American history. He has said "I have an historical context for understanding what is going on. I can see that a lot of things that are happening have happened already. The New York Times and Newsweek write stories as if there's no history. What are we but our histories?" He also works as a history consultant to HBO Films
.
His seventh book, published in 2008 by Viking
was called Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America. Also in 2008, Alterman published a lengthy essay in the New Yorker
on the decline of American newspapers and the future role of new media news sites. His eighth book, Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama, was published in early 2011. It was an extension of a lengthy article he had published in the Summer of 2010 in The Nation.
He is perhaps best known for his media criticism, which is the subject of two of his books. He writes a political column for The Nation and a weekly column for the Center for American Progress
website. In contrast to conservative
media commentators, Alterman argues that the press is biased against liberals rather than biased in their favor. He was called "the most honest and incisive media critic writing today" in the National Catholic Reporter
, and the author of "the smartest and funniest political journal out there," in The San Francisco Chronicle
. In 2008, Alterman also became a regular columnist to the Jewish magazine Moment
, where he writes regularly about Jewish issues. In 2009, he also became a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. In 2011, he gave up the column on Jewish issues Moment and began a new one in The (Jewish) Forward.
He appears in the award-winning documentary on Lee Atwater
, Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
. In the film, Eric says "Race is poison, but it is poison that works for their side. People vote their fears and not their hopes, and Lee understood that."
He is also an occasional contributor to BloggingHeads.tv
, where he often takes part in video discussions with other media personalities.
Alterman identifies himself as the most right-leaning out of the people at The Nation
, and he says that he frequently gets pressure from both sides about specific issues. His critics have called him a member of the Israel lobby
.
for Nader's actions in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election
, arguing that Nader is to blame for the election of George W. Bush
because of vote splitting. He has called Nader "Bush's Useful Idiot," myopic, and a deluded megalomaniac. In the documentary
An Unreasonable Man
, he is quoted as saying:
for his avarice and for never giving any of his wealth to poor people. Jobs died with more than USD 8 billion in banks' accounts and with shareholdings in a tax free fund with assets of more than USD 70 billion. He has also acused Apple
for its misery with Chinese workers.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, media critic, blogger, and educator. His political weblog named Altercation was hosted by MSNBC.com
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
from 2002 until 2006, moved to Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
until December 2008, and is now hosted by The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
.
Education
He earned a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in History
Cornell University Department of History
|- valign="top" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | College | style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Arts and Sciences |- valign="top" ! style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Department Chair | style="border-top: solid 1px #aaaaaa;" | Barry Strauss...
and Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in International Relations
The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale
The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale, commonly referred to simply as the MacMillan Center, is Yale University's research and educational center for international affairs and cultural studies.-History:...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in U.S. History
History of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
Career
Alterman began his journalism career in 1983, freelancing originally for The NationThe Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
, The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, Harper's, Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
, and later, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, and The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, among others, while working as a senior fellow for the World Policy Institute
World Policy Institute
The World Policy Institute, a non-partisan policy institute which claims to develop policies that require a progressive ideology. WPI focuses on cooperative policies in order to achieve : an inclusive and sustainable global market economy, engaged global civic participation and effective...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Washington, DC. He published his first book, Sound & Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy, which won the 1992 George Orwell Award, while studying for his doctorate in US history in Stanford in 1992. Shortly after that he became the Washington Correspondent for Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
, and soon thereafter Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, before returning to The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
as a columnist in 1995. Alterman has also been a contributing editor to ELLE
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
, and a regular columnist for Worth
Worth (magazine)
Worth is an American wealth management magazine for high net worth individuals. It is published on a bi-monthly basis and circulated to over 110,000 recipients.-History:Worth was founded in 1992 as a wealth management magazine for high net worth individuals...
and the London Sunday Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
.
Alterman was hired by MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in 1996, both appearing as a commentator on the cable channel and writing a column posted on its website. In 2002 MSNBC engaged him to create the blog daily Altercation, one of the first blogs hosted by a mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
news organization. In September 2006, after a ten-year association, Alterman and MSNBC parted ways. Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America
Media Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
hired him as a Senior Fellow and agreed to host Altercation, effective September 18, 2006. Regular contributors to his blog Altercation include sportswriter Charlie Pierce
Charlie Pierce
Charles P. Pierce is a nationally known American sportswriter, author, and game show panelist.He graduated from St...
and historian and military officer Robert Bateman. On December 22, 2008 Alterman announced that Altercation would be moving to The Nation's website in 2009, and would appear on a less regular basis than its previous Monday through Friday schedule.
During this period Alterman also published a number of books, including the national best-sellers What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News (2003, 2004), and The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America (2004). The others include: Who Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy, (1998), and a second edition of Sound & Fury (2000). His It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen (1999, 2001), won the 1999 Stephen Crane Literary Award. In September 2004, Viking Press
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
published When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and its Consequences –- a version of his doctoral dissertation –– on lies of major consequence told by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Alterman has taught journalism at both New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Since the fall of 2004, he has been a Professor of English at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
, where he teaches courses in media and media history. In 2007 he was named a CUNY Distinguished Professor of English at Brooklyn College and Professor of Journalism at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
, and remains one at the World Policy Institute
World Policy Institute
The World Policy Institute, a non-partisan policy institute which claims to develop policies that require a progressive ideology. WPI focuses on cooperative policies in order to achieve : an inclusive and sustainable global market economy, engaged global civic participation and effective...
in New York.
Alterman's academic expertise is American history. He has said "I have an historical context for understanding what is going on. I can see that a lot of things that are happening have happened already. The New York Times and Newsweek write stories as if there's no history. What are we but our histories?" He also works as a history consultant to HBO Films
HBO Films
HBO Films is a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. While much of HBO Films' output is created directly for the television market, such as the film Witness Protection and the mini-series Band of Brothers, Pacific, Generation Kill and Angels in...
.
His seventh book, published in 2008 by Viking
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...
was called Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America. Also in 2008, Alterman published a lengthy essay in the New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
on the decline of American newspapers and the future role of new media news sites. His eighth book, Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama, was published in early 2011. It was an extension of a lengthy article he had published in the Summer of 2010 in The Nation.
He is perhaps best known for his media criticism, which is the subject of two of his books. He writes a political column for The Nation and a weekly column for the Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
website. In contrast to conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
media commentators, Alterman argues that the press is biased against liberals rather than biased in their favor. He was called "the most honest and incisive media critic writing today" in the National Catholic Reporter
National Catholic Reporter
The National Catholic Reporter is the second largest Catholic newspaper in the United States; its circulation reaches ninety-seven countries on six continents. Based in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, NCR was founded by Robert Hoyt in 1964 as an independent newspaper focusing on the Catholic Church...
, and the author of "the smartest and funniest political journal out there," in The San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
. In 2008, Alterman also became a regular columnist to the Jewish magazine Moment
Moment (magazine)
Moment is an American Jewish magazine. It publishes articles related to Jewish culture, lifestyle, politics, and religion. Moment is not affiliated with any Jewish organization or religious movement, and its articles and columnists represent a diverse range of political views.-History:Nobel Peace...
, where he writes regularly about Jewish issues. In 2009, he also became a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. In 2011, he gave up the column on Jewish issues Moment and began a new one in The (Jewish) Forward.
He appears in the award-winning documentary on Lee Atwater
Lee Atwater
Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Childhood and early life:...
, Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story is a 2008 U.S. documentary on the campaign tactics used by Lee Atwater while working on the George H.W. Bush 1988 presidential campaign, and how those tactics have transformed presidential campaigns in the United States....
. In the film, Eric says "Race is poison, but it is poison that works for their side. People vote their fears and not their hopes, and Lee understood that."
He is also an occasional contributor to BloggingHeads.tv
Bloggingheads.tv
Bloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...
, where he often takes part in video discussions with other media personalities.
Alterman identifies himself as the most right-leaning out of the people at The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
, and he says that he frequently gets pressure from both sides about specific issues. His critics have called him a member of the Israel lobby
Israel lobby in the United States
The Israel lobby is a term used to describe the diverse coalition of those who, as individuals and as groups, seek and have sought to influence the foreign policy of the United States in support of Zionism, Israel or the specific policies of its government...
.
Criticism of Ralph Nader
Alterman was and remains a critic of Ralph NaderRalph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
for Nader's actions in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, arguing that Nader is to blame for the election of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
because of vote splitting. He has called Nader "Bush's Useful Idiot," myopic, and a deluded megalomaniac. In the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
An Unreasonable Man
An Unreasonable Man
An Unreasonable Man is a 2006 documentary film that traces the life and career of political activist Ralph Nader, the founder of modern consumer protection in America...
, he is quoted as saying:
The man needs to go away. I think he needs to live in a different country. He’s done enough damage to this one. Let him damage somebody else's now.
Criticism of Steve Jobs
Alterman has also critisized Steve JobsSteve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
for his avarice and for never giving any of his wealth to poor people. Jobs died with more than USD 8 billion in banks' accounts and with shareholdings in a tax free fund with assets of more than USD 70 billion. He has also acused Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
for its misery with Chinese workers.
Major Works
- Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama (2011) ISBN 978-1568586595
- Why We're Liberals: A Handbook for Restoring America’s Most Important Ideals (2008, 2009) ISBN 978-0143115229
- What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the NewsWhat Liberal Media?What Liberal Media?: The Truth About Bias and the News is a book by columnist Eric Alterman that challenges the widespread conservative belief in a liberal media bias...
(2003, 2004) ISBN 978-0465001774 - The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America (2004) ISBN 0143034421
- When Presidents Lie: A History of Official Deception and its Consequences, (2004, 2005) ISBN 978-0670032099
- Sound & Fury: The Making of the Punditocracy (1992, 1993, 2000) ISBN 978-0801486395
- It Ain't No Sin to be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen (1999, 2001)
- Who Speaks for America? Why Democracy Matters in Foreign Policy, (1998) ISBN 978-0801435744
Recent Articles
- http://www.thenation.com/article/37165/kabuki-democracy-why-progressive-presidency-impossible-now "Kabuki Democracy: Why a Progressive Presidency Is Impossible, for Now" (The Nation), July 7, 2010.
- http://papercuts.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/living-with-music-a-playlist-by-eric-alterman/ "Living With Music: A Playlist by Eric Alterman" (New York Times, Paper Cuts blog). October 8, 2008.
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080922/alterman_israel "Israel at 60: The State of the State" The Nation, September 3, 2008.
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080707/alterman "Loving John McCain" The Nation, June 19, 2008. (With George Zornick)
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080414/alterman "Who Are They Calling Elitist?" The Nation, March 27, 2008 (Adapted from Why We're Liberals)
- http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/31/080331fa_fact_alterman?currentPage=all - "Out of Print: The death and life of the American newspaper," The New Yorker, March 31, 2008.
- http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=accounting_for_kristol - "Accounting for Kristol," The American Prospect, February 25, 2008
- http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=my_marty_peretz_problem_and_ours - “My Marty Peretz Problem—and Ours” (On the history of The New Republic) The American Prospect, July/August, 2007
- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/books/review/Alterman.t.html - “Lives of the Democrats,” The New York Times Book Review, April 22, 2007
- http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1103-27.htm - “First Casualty of War,” The Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2005
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050509/alterman - "Bush’s War on the Press," The Nation, May 9, 2005
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041227/alterman - "Big Ideas Need Sharp Elbows," The Nation, December 9, 2004.
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20041025/alterman - "When Presidents Lie," The Nation (adapted from book), October 7, 2004
- http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200409/alterman - "The Hollywood Campaign," Atlantic Monthly, September, 2004
- http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200404/alterman - "Me and My Moguls," Atlantic Monthly, April 2004
Appearances (Video)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sobNKtzphpM Eric Alterman@Google, January, 2011
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyvwREsDVXk Eric Alterman on Kabuki Democracy at the Brennan Center for Legal Justice, April, 2011
- http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2011/02/kabuki.html Eric Alterman and Neera Tanden discuss Kabuki Democracy at the Center for American Progress, February 1, 2011.
- http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/15143 Eric Alterman and Christopher Hitchens on Bloggingheads, October 12, 2008.
- http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/11821 Eric Alterman and Julia Kamin talk about Why We're Liberals on Bloggingheads.
- http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/tv/?videohighlight=3384 Eric Alterman speaking at Strand Bookstore in New York City on May 6, 2008, as part of his 2008 book tour for Why We're Liberals.
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7128788340997075547&hl=en Eric Alterman speaking at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, on March 27, 2008, as part of his 2008 book tour for Why We're Liberals.
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2543446273772286509&q=%22Eric+Alterman%22&ei=6zIqSM6SLYyArgKy1_ScCg&hl=en Eric Alterman speaking at Authors@Google on March 25, 2008, as part of his 2008 book tour for Why We're Liberals
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2646778702976145922&q=%22Eric+Alterman%22&ei=XzgqSLK7MZ_UrQKa2NWbCg&hl=en Eric Alterman speaking at Cody's Books in Berkeley, CA on March 25, 2008, as part of his 2008 book tour for Why We're Liberals
- http://fora.tv/2008/03/26/Eric_Alterman_in_Conversation "Eric Alterman in Conversation," FORA.tv, March 2008
- http://fora.tv/2008/01/30/Factors_of_Ethical_Presidential_Leadership Eric Alterman speaking at Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University, on Factors of Ethical Presidential Leadership, Jan. 30, 2008
- http://publicforum.ucdavis.edu/2007_11_08_ericalterman.html "The Rise and Fall of American Liberalism," UC Davis. Nov 8, 2007
- http://fora.tv/2007/09/25/Conservatives_Have_No_Clothes "The Conservatives Have No Clothes," The Century Foundation. Sept. 25, 2007
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8590759217793856462 "The American News Media: Media Bias, with Eric Alterman and Tucker Carlson," UC Santa Barbara. January 14, 2006
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3282555113663140039&q=alterman&total=126&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=1 Eric Alterman on Charlie Rose, discussing the future of political pundits. March 21, 2005
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=44813207299437314&q=alterman&total=126&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=5 Eric Alterman on Charlie Rose, discussing "The Book on Bush" with Mark Green. March 17, 2004
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3350645816389880337&q=alterman&total=126&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=3 Eric Alterman on Charlie Rose, discussing the Iraq war with Christopher Hitchens. June 6, 2003
- http://www.thedailyshow.com/tagSearchResults.jhtml?term=generic_tag_eric_alterman&itemId=125516 Eric Alterman on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. March 17, 2003
- http://www.r-evolutionz.org/rose/?p=1885 Eric Alterman on Charlie Rose, discussing “Democracy’s Discontent," by Michael Sandel. August 28, 1996
- Multiple conversations/interviews on Bloggingheads.tv
External links
- Eric Alterman.com official website
- Blog posts at The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
- Column archive at The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
- Altercation column archive at Media Matters for AmericaMedia Matters for AmericaMedia Matters for America is a politically progressive media watchdog group which says it is "dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media." Set up as a 501 non-profit organization, MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and...
- Eric Alterman: A Sharp Wit Plus a Sharp Pen Make for a 'Distinguished' Career Fall 2007
- "The American News Media: Media Bias, with Eric Alterman & Tucker Carlson" – a debate between Eric Alterman and Tucker CarlsonTucker CarlsonTucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...
about media biasMedia biasMedia bias refers to the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the...
. Humanitas ser. [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 11460]. UCSB-TV (University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
). January 14, 2006. video.google.com. Uploaded March 13, 2006. Accessed June 5, 2007. - List of video debates/discussions involving Alterman on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...