Wisconsin Unions vs. The Tea Party: A Classic Double Standard

February 22nd, 2011 3:11 PM
Loud protests by Wisconsin public employee unions against a budget reform proposal from new Governor Scott Walker have drawn considerable national network news attention since Thursday, the day Democratic state senators fled the state in a last-ditch gambit to prevent the bill from becoming law. A story-by-story analysis by the Media Research Center shows the Wisconsin protests are a perfect…

George Stephanopoulos Lobbies Scott Walker to Compromise, Sympathizes

February 21st, 2011 3:03 PM
Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Monday repeatedly lobbied Wisconsin's Scott Walker to compromise in the budget battle over public employee unions. Arguing that the unions were making reasonable efforts to compromise, he said of the protesters: "They're going to stay out as long as it takes. Are you read to negotiate?" Repeating union talking points, Stephanopoulos pressed…

ABC's Bob Woodruff Touts 'Amazing' Union Protests, Downplays Other Sid

February 21st, 2011 12:36 PM
In a segment totaling just two and a half minutes on Monday, Good Morning America's Bob Woodruff managed to feature eight clips of pro-union protesters in Wisconsin and only two supporting Scott Walker, the state's Republican governor. Covering the ongoing battle over whether or not the state will limit collective bargaining for public sector employees, Woodruff appeared quite impressed by…

Tea Partier Joins George Will in Great Debate About Wisconsin on ABC's

February 20th, 2011 12:59 PM
In a surprising move Sunday, the folks at ABC invited a Tea Partier to participate in its Roundtable segment on "This Week." Rather than bringing on three liberals to battle lone conservative George Will while predictably presenting exclusively labor's side of the budget battle in Wisconsin, host Christiane Amanpour included freshman Congressman Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) to match wits with…

Networks that Railed Against Rhetoric of Tea Parties Offer No Comment

February 18th, 2011 4:06 PM
The same networks that assailed the allegedly extreme invective from the Tea Party have, thus far, not found anything interesting about signs implying that Scott Walker, Wisconsin's Republican governor, is a Nazi or a dictator in the style of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. On Thursday's newscasts and Friday's Today, Good Morning America and the Early Show, the extreme rhetoric of some of the signs…

ABC’s Outrageous 1991 Undercover Probe of Crisis Pregnancy Centers

February 18th, 2011 2:32 PM
Given the reactions of the left to both the Acorn and Planned Parenthood stings you might be surprised to learn that  Eyeblast.tv has uncovered a nearly identical sting, at least in terms of tactics, against crisis pregnancy centers that ABC News did back in 1991. Apparently back then the Left had zero problems with undercover video investigations aimed at proving a political point. They were…

ABC's One-Sided Take on Wisconsin Protests Includes an Interview With

February 18th, 2011 12:19 PM
Good Morning America on Friday spun the protests in Wisconsin from the perspective of the unions and Democratic lawmakers who oppose Republican efforts to reform collective bargaining. Co-host George Stephanopoulos even interviewed a Democratic lawmaker from a top secret location outside the state. Correspondent Chris Bury's piece on the protest featured five clips of those protesting the…

ABC's Banfield on CNN: 'I'm Not Going to Cast Aspersions' on Rosen

February 17th, 2011 6:27 PM
On Wednesday's AC360 on CNN, ABC's Ashleigh Banfield punted on Nir Rosen's offensive Tweets against CBS's Lara Logan and tried to explain them away: "We're using a lot of electronics to get information out as fast as we can nowadays before we can really digest the ramifications of what we say...And so, I'm certainly not going to cast aspersions on Mr. Rosen. Let he who is without sin cast the…

Fox News Highlights Nazi, Hitler Signs in Wisconsin Pension Debate, Ne

February 17th, 2011 6:01 PM
The network morning shows on Thursday failed to find any controversy in union protests from Wisconsin, ignoring the signs comparing Scott Walker, the state's Republican governor, to the Taliban, the Nazis and Hitler. Fox News, on the other hand, highlighted the attacks on "Mullah Walker." Wisconsin radio talk show host Vicki McKenna appeared on Your World With Neil Cavuto to discuss the…

George Stephanopoulos Badgers Michele Bachmann to Denounce Birthers, D

February 17th, 2011 12:42 PM
George Stephanopoulos on Thursday followed in the footsteps of other journalists who are lecturing Republicans on the need denounce birthers and declare Barack Obama a Christian. The co-anchor quizzed Michele Bachmann four times on the President's faith and citizenship. He pestered, "You know, a sizable number of GOP primary voters are questioning President Obama's faith and citizenship. Can…

In Wake of Abortion Clinic Arrests, Pa. Governor Fires State Workers

February 17th, 2011 11:29 AM
Earlier this week Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett  fired state workers whom he believes should have taken decisive action to shutter abortionist Kermit Gosnell's Philadelphia abortion clinic. You may recall that Gosnell was arrested in mid-January for murdering newborn babies. Authorities in Philadelphia also detailed for reporters instances of malpractice as well as the unsanitary working…

Stimulus Two Years Later, Networks Ignore Obama's Failed Job Promise

February 17th, 2011 10:11 AM
Just a few years ago, double-digit unemployment seemed like a crazy idea. But when the economy began to stumble, it was fear of high unemployment and a promise to prevent it that the Obama administration used to usher in the $787 billion stimulus package. As The New York Times reported on Oct. 22, 2009, "The Obama administration's forecast at the start of the year, which predicted that…

George Stephanopoulos Touts Michael Bloomberg's Anti-Gun Truck; ABC Pa

February 16th, 2011 12:10 PM
Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday conducted a softball interview with Michael Bloomberg, touting his new gun control campaign and never once calling the New York mayor a liberal. GMA even featured a truck promoting Fixgunchecks.org, highlighting the parked vehicle just outside ABC studios. Ignoring ideological labels, Stephanopoulos introduced, "New York Mayor Mike…

ABC Highlights Victims of Obama's Budget Plan, CBS Touts New Spending

February 15th, 2011 4:15 PM
The three nightly news broadcasts on Monday touted Barack Obama new spending as "investments," highlighted victims of White House cuts and ignored key facts about the President's 2012 budget. Evening News reporter Chip Reid used the preferred White House language, asserting, "But the President unveiled his budget at a technology school to highlight new investments, especially in education…