NBC Highlights (But ABC Skips) Obama Aide’s Love Child Scandal

January 7th, 2010 12:27 PM
Nine days after ABC announced on Good Morning America that financial correspondent Bianna Golodryga would be marrying top Obama official Peter Orszag, NBC’s Today made sure to highlight the revelation that the budget director has also fathered a child with his (now) ex-girlfriend. Good Morning America skipped this development, as did CBS’s Early Show. Orszag, the director of the Office and Budget…

Networks Downplay $42 Million in 'Outrageous' Bonuses, 'Unlimited' Bai

January 7th, 2010 8:58 AM
The network news media cheered when Obama called for restrictions on CEO pay or bonuses that, according to reporters, exemplify the Wall Street "greed" that toppled the American economy. But when $42 million in cash compensation packages were announced on Christmas Eve for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives, the networks couldn't muster any anger toward the highly connected groups. Although…

Robin Roberts Shut Out: New Host George Stephanopoulos Hogs GMA's Poli

January 6th, 2010 1:25 PM
Despite promises from ABC to the contrary, Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts appears to have been almost completely shut out from political and policy interviews since George Stephanopoulos joined the show on December 14. The former Democratic operative has now anchored 11 mornings and conducted all but one of the big interviews. Back on December 10, GMA executive producer Jim Murphy…

Surprise: ABC Investigates Frivolous Laws, Impact of Estate Tax Return

January 5th, 2010 3:39 PM
In a welcome change of pace, Good Morning America on Saturday provided a skeptical look about a glut of new laws that have gone into effect in 2010. ABC correspondent Laura Marquez warned, "From the serious to the frivolous, legislators passed more than 40,000 new laws." She chided, "And some argue telling people how to behave isn't part of the legislator's job description." The morning show even…

George Stephanopoulos Touts Democratic Spin: Obama Doing More to Fight

January 4th, 2010 4:42 PM
Former Democratic operative turned Good Morning America co-host George Stephanopoulos prompted guest Bob Woodward on Monday to repeat Democratic spin that Barack Obama is doing more to fight terrorism than George Bush did. The famous D.C. journalist backed up claims first made by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Woodward asserted, "...It's very clear that the new administration is…

ABC Highlights Democrat James Carville to Tout Brilliance, Sexiness of

January 4th, 2010 12:47 PM
On Monday’s Good Morning America, ABC featured Democratic aide James Carville to sing the praises of former Democratic aide George Stephanopoulos, now the co-host of the ABC program. Carville cooed, "I once said, 'If you converted his IQ to Fahrenheit, you could boil water.'" An ABC graphic reinforced this by proclaiming, "George Is Smart." The outspoken political operative later commented on the…

GMA's Elizabeth Vargas Pushes James Carville to Attack GOP

December 29th, 2009 1:01 PM
On Tuesday's edition of Good Morning America, Elizabeth Vargas was joined by former Bush pollster Matt Dowd and Democrat strategist James Carville.  Astonishing though it may seem, Carville was not the left-most member of the panel.Carville and Dowd were there to provide commentary on the Obama administration's response to the attempted Undi-Bomber attack.  Dowd agreed with Carville's assessment…

Obama Budget Director to Marry ABC Reporter

December 29th, 2009 7:25 AM

Media Reaction to the Best Notable Quotables of

December 28th, 2009 1:54 PM
The Media Research Center's "Best Notable Quotables of 2009: The Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting" are garnering some media attention of their own. MRC President Brent Bozell drew laughs from the gang on Fox & Friends this morning as he reviewed a few of the winners, but other journalists have also found the awards worthy of coverage:The American Spectator's Quin Hillyer, who…

CNN Guest's Sexual Joke: 'I Have No Problem Being Right on Top of Dian

December 27th, 2009 11:53 AM
Appearing as a guest on CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday, TVNewser’s Gail Shister, who was inducted into the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Hall of Fame in 2008, made a sexual joke about new World News anchor Diane Sawyer that a male guest likely couldn’t have gotten away with. After the Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik had finished discussing the visual effect of ABC zooming in…

'GMA' Featured Christmas 'Spiritual Leader': Look to God to Ease Fears

December 25th, 2009 4:03 PM
At face value, it seems harmless enough. According to ABC "Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts, every Christmas the show features various "spiritual leaders" to talk about the role of faith in their lives. And this year's Christmas Day broadcast was no exception. "And now, it is a ‘GMA' tradition on Christmas Day, to talk about the role of faith in all of our lives," Roberts said. "We…

Ali Wentworth Roasts Husband Stephanopoulos on ABC’s Good Morning Am

December 25th, 2009 3:49 PM
On Wednesday’s Good Morning America on ABC, after she talked about her latest film, It’s Complicated, actress Ali Wentworth subjected husband and new GMA anchor George Stephanopoulos to some jabs as she and co-anchor Robin Roberts spent a few minutes talking about him. Wentworth joked that as they were about to meet for the first time for a blind date, "I knew who he was and wasn’t interested…

ABC Details Obama's $4,000/Day, Two-Week Christmas Vacation

December 25th, 2009 4:10 AM
Imagine the outrage if any Republican President went on vacation during a recession and spent $4,000 a night on accommodations. On ABC’s Good Morning America Wednesday, correspondent Yunji de Nies seemed to suggest that President Obama’s family will be spending such an amount renting expensive living space at an estate house in Hawaii for a two-week Christmas vacation. De Nies: "Christmas trees…

ABC Touts Robert Byrd's Dedication to 'Health Care Champion' Kennedy

December 24th, 2009 9:10 PM
On Thursday's World News, ABC anchor Diane Sawyer took the time to devote an entire story to 92-year-old Democratic Senator Robert Byrd’s vote for the Democratic health care bill, which the West Virginia Democrat dedicated to former Senator Ted Kennedy, whom the ABC anchor described as "health care champion Ted Kennedy." Sawyer recounted that Byrd had to be brought into the Senate chamber in a…