Janet Maslin has been reviewing movies and books for The New York Times for several decades, and up until now she has faithfully towed the newspaper's line on abortion.
Then she slipped. In a book review about a Chinese abortionist, she noted that once the "fetus" was born, "she has no right to take its life anymore."
Each of the network morning shows devoted some time on Wednesday to looking back at the biggest news stories of year and, while they certainly could not have included every story in the allotted time, they all failed to spend even a few seconds on topics such as Jonathan Gruber, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, President Obama’s unpopularity, and the Hobby Lobby case to name a few.
In addition, the “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC each mentioned the midterm elections and how Republicans were able to win control of the Senate (in addition to the House), they devoted a scant 21 seconds to the topic over the course of their roundups, which totaled 42 minutes and 50 seconds.
On Wednesday, David Gergen ranked a supposed foreign policy accomplishment of President Obama higher than the killing of Osama bin Laden during CNN's special coverage of the Democrat's "historic..decision to restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba." Gergen contended that "ultimately, he's going to be judged very favorably by history...on climate change. It probably is the most significant thing he's done – the breakthrough he had with China – and if he can get the world to a better agreement, that's going to go down as a major legacy."
Wrapping up a report on Friday's NBC Today about CIA Director John Brennan reacting to the Senate Democrats' "torture report" during a Thursday press conference, chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell highlighted: "The unveiling of the brutal tactics gave American adversaries a chance to accuse the U.S. of hypocrisy – on International Human Rights Day, no less."
CBS This Morning was the sole Big Three morning newscast on Thursday to report that the police in Hong Kong cleared out the main camp of pro-democracy protestors in the former British colony. Anchor Charlie Rose gave a 20-second news brief on the government's crackdown on the demonstrators. BBC News reported that "more than activists have been arrested...after police cleared the main pro-democracy protest camp."
NBC's Today on Tuesday was the sole Big Three morning or evening newscast to cover the latest development in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. News anchor Natalies Morales devoted 21 seconds to the city government enforcing a court order to clear out part of the demonstrators' encampment. The protesters have spent nearly two months at the site
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The New York Times reported a scandal when a collection of Nazi memorabilia caused a senior Human Rights Watch analyst to be suspended in 2009. But collecting Red China Mao Zedong memorabilia is apparently much more charming.
On Friday, Times culture reporter William “Biff” Grimes promoted “Quotations of Chairman Mao: 50th Anniversary Exhibition, 1964-2014,” at the Grolier Club, displaying “books and propaganda material from the collection of Justin G. Schiller, an antiquarian book seller.”
During Wednesday’s NBC Nightly News, NBC’s chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson enthusiastically promoted the global warming agreement between the United States and China that was announced earlier in the day, but fretted that Republicans were “already putting up roadblocks if congressional action is needed.”
Anchor Brian Williams hyped that it was “[a] surprise announcement” and “a history making deal” that will “greatly reduce carbon emissions.” Those generous descriptions segued into Thompson’s report as she mentioned that deal was between the two nations that were responsible for “producing 39 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases last year.”
All three networks on Wednesday offered excited descriptions about a global warming deal struck with China by the Obama administration. According to Good Morning America's Jim Avila, the President's Asian visit was supposed to end with "toasts to the landmark global warming agreement." In a follow-up story, Amy Robach parroted the President's claim that it is a "breakthrough climate deal with China."
On Tuesday night, NBC Nightly News concluded its program by pushing an over four-minute-long fawning segment on Hollywood actor and activist Ben Affleck that included banter between anchor Brian Williams and Affleck on New York and Boston sports teams, gushing over Affleck’s life and “restless mind,” and his disappointment about the United States “nation-building elsewhere” when it should be doing that in places like Detroit.
Williams’s coverage of Affleck came as the show refused to cover the growing protests for greater democratic rule in Hong Kong and any news regarding the midterm elections, which are five weeks away from Tuesday.
On Monday’s ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, the program not only spent the fewest time covering the democracy protests in Hong Kong than fellow networks CBS and NBC, but it spent nearly twice as much time gushing over the newest member of the Clinton family than the protests that now number in the tens of thousands.
ABC’s evening newscast ran a news brief on the Hong Kong protests for greater electoral independence from Communist China that lasted for a scant 15 seconds, while two teases plus a mention during the program’s “Instant Index” segment totaled 32 seconds.
Thursday's CBS This Morning stood out for zeroing in on the plight of Catholics in China, as it covered Pope Francis's trip to South Korea. Seth Doane noted the Pope's overflight of the communist country, and pointed out how "that's significant, because the last time a pope wanted to fly through Chinese airspace was in 1989, and Beijing refused the request." The Pope at that time, St. John Paul II, took a vocal stance against the communist regime in his native Poland.
Meanwhile, ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today touted the Pope "making history" with his trip, as he is the first pontiff to visit South Korea in 25 years. Both newscasts also hyped the temporary Popemobile – something that CBS This Morning left out of its coverage: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]