Will National Media Find 'Chauvinism' In Ban on Males in Michigan Chee

Last February, the national media were fixated on Iowa high-school wrestler Joel Northrup and his decision to forfeit a match in the state tournament rather than wrestle a female contender, Cassy Herkelman, based on his religious beliefs. CBS put this caption on screen: "Chivalry or Chauvinism?" ESPN's Rick Reilly mocked the religious conviction: "If my God told me to poke the elderly with…
Tim Graham
December 22nd, 2011 1:43 PM

NBC Highlights Bush Efforts to Fight AIDS in Africa

Thursday's Today show gave NBC contributing correspondent Jenna Bush Hager - daughter of former President George W. Bush - the opportunity to devote a report to her father's efforts to fight AIDS. As he introduced the piece, substitute co-anchor Carl Quintanilla gave President Bush credit for the federally funded program that he pushed for when he was in office. Quintanilla:
Brad Wilmouth
December 22nd, 2011 11:45 AM

Daily Kos Comes to Defense of North Korea; No Worse Than South Korea

How nutty is the Daily Kos blog? Nutty enough to make an outraged defense of North Korea? Yes. On Wednesday afternoon, Niccolo Caldararo – an adjunct professor of anthropology at San Francisco State University – complained “The Western media wallows in the exotic and North Korea has been the clown of the 20th century, brought forward for comic relief now and then or pasted up as a ‘paper tiger…
Tim Graham
December 22nd, 2011 11:30 AM

NBC Tries to Immunize Obama from Criticism After Bombings in Iraq

On Thursday, as NBC's Today show covered the eruption of more than a dozen bombings in Iraq just days after the pullout of U.S. troops, correspondent Richard Engel argued against the view that the Obama administration should have been more effective in negotiating an agreement with the Iraqi government for an extended U.S. troop presence which might have helped ward off such attacks. (Video…
Brad Wilmouth
December 22nd, 2011 9:58 AM

Ben Stein Argues Against Claims Middle Class Hurt by the Wealthy

Supposedly right-leaning actor, economist and former Nixon speech writer Ben Stein of late has become famous for advocating for higher taxes on the wealthy, but on Wednesday's The O'Reilly Factor on FNC, Stein was finally seen arguing from a conservative point of view again as he debated David Callahan of the left-wing group DEMOS, and argued that taxation rates on the wealthy are not to blame…
Brad Wilmouth
December 22nd, 2011 8:48 AM

ABC and NBC Celebrate Anniversary of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal

The day before the one-year anniversary of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, both ABC's World News and the NBC Nightly News on Wednesday took the time to celebrate the first time that a same-sex couple won the U.S. Navy's lottery that allows their welcome home kiss to be featured as the first photographed kiss. ABC substitute anchor George Stephanopoulos read a short item on the subject:  
Brad Wilmouth
December 22nd, 2011 8:31 AM

Omission Watch: Obama Panders to Gay Marriage Advocates With Congratul

The national media love to appear deeply cynical about politicians and their phoniness. But not when it comes to Barack Obama and "gay marriage." Obama campaigned in 2008 by publicly opposing it, and yet no one in the media condemned him like he was one of those troglodyte social conservatives -- because no one believed he was sincere. Now Obama is signaling to the gay Left that he's really in…
Tim Graham
December 22nd, 2011 7:48 AM

CNN Says Bachmann ‘Insults’ Wal-Mart for Calling N. Korea ‘Wal-M

After presidential candidate Michele Bachmann referred to North Korea as “the Wal-Mart of missile delivery systems,” CNN correspondent Brian Todd hyped the possible political backlash she could suffer for using Wal-Mart’s name in such a manner. The CNN headline blared “Bachmann Insults Wal-Mart” and Todd whacked the GOP candidate with a critical segment on her making an “odd Wal-Mart…
Matt Hadro
December 21st, 2011 7:56 PM

Rep. Jackson Lee: Obama Should Extend Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefit

The machinations in Congress over extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits into 2012 could be rendered moot if Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee gets her way. Appearing as a guest on Ed Schultz's radio show yesterday, the Texas lawmaker suggested Obama extend both by 60 days through executive order and bypass the GOP-led House. (audio clips after page break)
Jack Coleman
December 21st, 2011 7:26 PM

CNN Does Fawning Segment on Bill Clinton’s Humanitarian Work, ‘Gre

CNN’s Alina Cho touted “The man many Democrats call the best president in modern times” in her gushing interview of former President Clinton that aired multiple times Wednesday.  By the end of the interview, she sounded utterly enthralled by Clinton and his humanitarian work. “150 countries, more than that,” Cho told Clinton of his travels, before taking a deep breath and tremulously asking “…
Matt Hadro
December 21st, 2011 5:36 PM

FNC's Bret Baier Cites NewsBusters Critique of UNICEF Ad Attacking San

During the "Grapevine" segment on Tuesday's Special Report on Fox News, anchor Bret Baier played a clip of a UNICEF ad depicting Santa Claus as an uncaring Scrooge and quoted an item from NewsBusters' senior editor Tim Graham: "Conservative site NewsBusters asked quote: 'Why on Earth would jolly old Saint Nicholas resent aid for the poor? Is this just another way the UN bureaucracy asserts its…
NB Staff
December 21st, 2011 4:30 PM

Terry Moran to Rick Perry: Is Your 'Controversial' Campaign 'Denigrati

Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran on Tuesday huffed that Rick Perry's "controversial" ad, combined with a presidential campaign that could be seen as "denigrat[ing]" "non-Christians" and "gay veterans," might spell doom for the Republican candidate. [See video below. MP3 audio here.] The program's other anchor, Cynthia McFadden, teased the segment by proclaiming, "Plus, God and country. Who…
Scott Whitlock
December 21st, 2011 3:52 PM

Twas an Occupier Christmas

In which the 99 percent get a visit from Soros-Claus.
Dan Gainor
December 21st, 2011 3:45 PM

Omission Watch: Nets, AP, Major Papers Skip Biden Saying Taliban 'Not

Vice President Joe Biden can make the most outrageous gaffes and the major media will try to ignore it. Take his interview with Newsweek. "Look, the Taliban per se is not our enemy. That's critical," Biden said. "There is not a single statement that the president has ever made in any of our policy assertions that the Taliban is our enemy, because it threatens U.S. interests." ABC's Jake…
Tim Graham
December 21st, 2011 2:53 PM