News Hour

English and Spanish-Language Networks Combine to Ignore Senate Voting to Approve Keystone Pipeline
By Curtis Houck | January 29, 2015 | 9:29 PM EST

The U.S. Senate took the step Thursday of approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline in a bipartisan fashion by a margin of 62-to-36, with nine Democrats joining 53 Republicans to pass it for the first time after failing to do so under the previous Congress. 

When the major English and Spanish language networks aired their Thursday evening newscasts, however, the news of the bill’s passage was nowhere to be found. Not a single second of coverage on Keystone appeared on English language networks ABC, CBS, and NBC in addition to Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision. 

PBS Anchor Gwen Ifill Oozes As SOTU Ends: Obama's Taking 'A Victory Lap'
By Tim Graham | January 21, 2015 | 4:38 PM EST

The State of the Union coverage on PBS last night had a slightly bizarre analysis as the speech ended. PBS NewsHour anchor Gwen Ifill jumped in over the applause and said Obama “talked about this being a breakthrough year for America and he seems to be taking on a victory lap.”

Later, David Brooks said it was a "very liberal speech" and professed amazement that Obama pretended he hadn't been crushed in the midterms.

On PBS and NPR, Pseudo-Conservative David Brooks Mocks Fringy 'Foxification' of the House GOP
By Tim Graham | January 19, 2015 | 7:36 PM EST

New York Times columnist David Brooks shows up every Friday on NPR and PBS to sound very moderate in the microphones, which usually means taking an immoderate swipe at conservatives. On both All Things Considered and the NewsHour on Friday, he slammed House conservatives by associating them with Fox News and their fans.

On PBS, Brooks compared to the House vote to block funding for Obama’s executive actions on immigratino to Pickett’s disastrous charge into Union guns at Gettysburg:

ABC’s WNT, CBS EN Tag Team to Barely Cover Obama’s Absence From Paris March
By Curtis Houck | January 12, 2015 | 10:34 PM EST

On Monday, ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir and the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley did their best to move on from the Obama administration’s decision to not have President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, or Attorney General Eric Holder attend the march against Islamic terrorism in Paris on Sunday that drew well over one million people. 

All told, ABC ran only a 42-second segment on the White House’s response to the criticism on Monday and CBS had a news brief. Along with one tease on CBS, their coverage combined for a scant one minute and three seconds.

In a Bubble: Liberal PBS Pundit Mark Shields Slams Obama Team for Dumping Chuck Hagel
By Tim Graham | November 29, 2014 | 4:11 PM EST

On Friday’s PBS NewsHour, the Shields and Brooks week-in-review segment began with mutual sensitivity about the Ferguson situation – the word or concept of riots never quite emerged.

But what was really surprising was liberal Mark Shields unloading on the Obama White House over the dumping of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, which anchor Judy Woodruff tried to soft-pedal as Hagel “steps down.”

Bozell & Graham Column: Enabling the Delusional Democrats
By Brent Bozell | and By Tim Graham | November 18, 2014 | 10:49 PM EST

After the 2012 campaign, liberal journalists swarmed around Republican Party chair Reince Priebus offering what was called an “autopsy” on every way Republicans failed, with a special emphasis on more outreach to minority voters. Democrats and their media enablers painted a picture of demographic doom for an aging white Republican base.

Two years later, Republicans made dramatic gains among minority voters. In House races across America, Republicans won 50 percent of the Asian vote to 49 percent for Democrats. Republicans won 38 percent of the Hispanic vote in House races. Gov. Sam Brownback drew 47 percent of Hispanics in Kansas, and Gov-elect Greg Abbott pulled in 44 percent of Hispanics in Texas.

NPR, PBS Finally Touch (Dismissively) on 'Pretty Obscure' Jonathan Gruber
By Tim Graham | November 18, 2014 | 12:02 PM EST

NPR and PBS have finally touched the Gruber brouhaha, but neither showed any enthusiasm for it. On Sunday morning’s Weekend Edition, anchor Rachel Martin and reporter Mara Liasson dismissed it in 59 seconds. 

On the PBS NewsHour Monday, anchor Judy Woodruff brought in two liberal journalists to discuss Gruber, but first Woodruff asked six questions about how open enrollment was going. 

On NPR, David Brooks Warns Obama Against 'Ted Cruz Maneuver' With Amnesty Executive Order
By Tim Graham | November 16, 2014 | 8:18 AM EST

Pseudo-conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks -- appointed by both NPR and PBS to agree with liberals from the "Republican" side of the political divide on Friday-night "week in review" panels -- is back to bashing Ted Cruz, even though after the election, he admitted Republicans weren't too extreme to win all over the place.

Brooks was bashing Obama with the worst cudgel he could imagine: Mr. President, don't pull a "total Ted Cruz manuever" and force amnesty by executive order. He said the same thing on PBS.

NBC Ignores NY Times Scoop on Chemical Weapons in Iraq
By Matthew Balan | October 16, 2014 | 3:45 PM EDT

As of Thursday morning, NBC's morning and evening newscasts have yet to cover the New York Times's front-page article on Wednesday about Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons stockpiles in Iraq, which were discovered by U.S. forces after the Iraq War. NBC was quick to cast doubt on the existence of these WMD's during the immediate aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion.

PBS Spurs Sen. Mark Udall to Trash The Denver Post As Un-Feminist, Proclaim His Libertarianism
By Tim Graham | October 16, 2014 | 8:15 AM EDT

In a Tuesday night segment on Colorado’s Senate race on the PBS NewsHour, anchor Gwen Ifill spurred liberal Sen. Mark Udall to trash the left-leaning Denver Post for endorsing his Republican opponent Cory Gardner for being Johnny One-Note on abortion.

Ifill said “Udall shrugs off the hometown rebuke.” He complained: “If the Denver Post doesn’t think women’s reproductive rights are important, that’s their decision, but that’s an important part of my campaign.”

PBS Pounds Panetta About Loyalty, Poor Timing of His Book; Didn't Do That to Scott McClellan in 2008
By Tim Graham | October 11, 2014 | 12:55 PM EDT

PBS NewsHour seemed upset at Leon Panetta's apparently questionable loyalties to Democrats from the beginning of her interview segment on Thursday. She incorrectly stated that Panetta served as "President Reagan's chief of staff." She meant President Clinton.

She scolded Panetta (and other Obama administration officials) for daring to write memoirs before Obama concludes his presidency, wondering why they couldn't be loyal:

PBS Anchor Judy Woodruff Asks Rare Question: Don't Democrats Have a Problem With Men?
By Tim Graham | October 9, 2014 | 10:31 PM EDT

Like the other networks, the PBS NewsHour has been very slow to offer any stories or interviews to the midterm elections. In October, the closest thing to a candidate interview was a chat with Rep. Paul Ryan on October 1. On Tuesday, anchor Judy Woodruff promoted liberal Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a potential presidential candidate if you listen to the pundits -- but she's not on the ballot this year.

Woodruff was two weeks late to the party relaying Gillibrand’s claims that she was “harassed” by other Senators who made remarks about her appearance. However, Woodruff asked something rare. Reporters always underline Republicans have trouble with women voters, but who asks Democrats about their problems with men?