CBS Spins Civilian Court Debacle of Detainee as a Setback for the 'Gov
November 18th, 2010 12:09 PM
Of the three morning shows on Thursday, only CBS left out any mention of Barack Obama or Attorney General Eric Holder while reporting on the nearly complete acquittal of a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.
Early Show news anchor Erica Hill asserted that "the verdict is in for the first Guantanamo detainee to be tried in a civilian court and it is being seen by some as a serious setback for the…
CBS: Lisa Murkowski 'Not Beholden' to GOP 'Who Turned Their Backs on H
November 18th, 2010 11:47 AM
On Thursday's CBS Early Show, correspondent Nancy Cordes reported on Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski declaring victory in her write-in bid for reelection and portrayed her as a victim of the GOP: "[She's] in a very unique position, not beholden to the Republican leaders who turned their backs on her when she decided to run and not beholden to the tea party, which did everything it could to defeat…
ClimateGate 1 Year Later: Networks Barely Cover Scandal, But Defend an
November 18th, 2010 9:55 AM
It’s been a year since thousands of emails and files were leaked from a prominent climate science group at the University of East Anglia, with startling comments including this one: “We can’t account for the lack of warming at the moment.”
Other leaked emails showed potential manipulation of temperature data, a willingness to destroy information rather than release it under the British…
Networks Allow a Scant Four Minutes For Rangel Conviction, Devote
November 17th, 2010 12:59 PM
Tuesday's evening news broadcasts and Wednesday's morning shows allowed a scant four and a half minutes of coverage to the conviction of powerful Democrat Charlie Rangel over ethics charges. In comparison, these same programs devoted 121 minutes to exhaustively examining every aspect of the announcement that Prince William is getting married, a disparity of 30 to one.
NBC's Today featured the…
D.C. Judge Drops Marijuana Possession Charges Against CBS Radio's Howa
November 17th, 2010 12:34 PM
Last month I noted the October 1 arrest of CBS Radio's Howard Arenstein on marijuana possession charges. The Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist allegedly grew pot in his Georgetown backyard.
But just yesterday D.C. Magistrate Judge Kimberley Knowles dropped the charges against Arenstein and his wife, Israeli newspaper reporter Orly Azoulay Katz, after a witness for the prosecution…
CBS Highlights Murkowski’s Criticism of Tea Party ‘Purity Test
November 16th, 2010 8:07 AM
On Monday’s CBS Evening News, anchor Katie Couric filed a report on Senator Lisa Murkowski in which she highlighted the Alaska Republican’s criticism of the Tea Party movement requiring a "purity test," and of Sarah Palin being "not worldly enough" to be President. After describing Murkowski as "one of a dying breed of moderate Republicans," without noting that Tea Party Republican Joe Miller…
On CBS, Laura Bush Calls Out Media for Liberal Bias
November 15th, 2010 12:36 PM
During an interview with former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush on CBS's Sunday Morning, correspondent Jim Axelrod wondered: "In terms of how you understand how you are perceived is there a liberal bias in the media?" Mrs. Bush quickly replied: "Yes. He doesn't have to answer, but I will."
Axelrod seemed surprised by her response: "Why do you jump in so quickly?" Mrs. Bush laughed…
CBS’s Andy Rooney: Obama Is ‘Doing the Best Job He Knows How and I
November 15th, 2010 8:34 AM
As he devoted his regular 60 Minutes segment on Sunday to complaining about surveys, CBS’s Andy Rooney declared his belief that President Obama is "doing the best job he knows how, and it’s good enough for me." Rooney, who has a history of openly admitting that his political views are liberal, also gave viewers some insight into his social circle as having like-minded views on politics as he…
Bob Schieffer: For Obama 'When it Rains it Just Seems to Pour and Keep
November 14th, 2010 8:26 PM
Bob Schieffer concluded Sunday's "Face the Nation" with a weather metaphor-filled comment about today's politics.
With his final observation, the viewer was left with the impression the long-time host feels everything that's happened to President Obama is just bad luck (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CBS’s Greenberg Blames America for Mexican Drug Cartels, Claims All
November 14th, 2010 5:34 PM
On Friday’s CBS Evening News, travel editor Peter Greenberg filed a report in which, without challenge, he passed on Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s charge that America is "the key part of the problem" of drug cartels in his country. And, even though the overwhelming majority of guns seized from Mexican drug cartels are known to originate from countries outside the U.S., Greenberg seemed…
Chuck Schumer: Ten Million Jobs Saved By Stimulus and TARP
November 14th, 2010 5:02 PM
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday claimed the President's stimulus plan combined with 2008's Troubled Assets Relief Program resulted in ten million jobs being saved.
Such was actually said on CBS's "Face the Nation" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Big 3 Nets' Evening News Election and Pre-Election Week Audiences Down
November 12th, 2010 10:11 PM
Along with the cheerful news that Fox News trounced its cable news competitors on Election Night (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), those longing for more fairness and balance in television news coverage can take some comfort in the fact that the Big Three Networks' evening news shows came in with audiences almost 20% lower during the week before and the week of the 2010 midterm elections compared…
CBS: 'Polarizing' Palin Speaks At 'Anti-Abortion Rights Rally
November 11th, 2010 11:52 AM
On Thursday's CBS Early Show, news reader Erica Hill used loaded liberal terms to describe a Texas pro-life event that Sarah Palin attended on Wednesday: "Palin shared the stage in an anti-abortion rights rally with Texas Governor Rick Perry."
Hill touted how despite making no announcement to make a 2012 presidential run, Palin "was looking an awful lot like a candidate," adding that the…
CBS's Dickerson: Obama Will Make GOP 'Own' Spending Cuts to 'Pay For
November 8th, 2010 5:57 PM
On Monday's CBS Early Show, political analyst John Dickerson discussed President Obama's strategy against Republicans in Congress, particularly on tax cuts: "[He] said there's got to be a way to pay for it, again trying to put pressure on Republicans to say if you want to spend $700 billion, you've got to find the cuts, make them own those cuts, which are painful and might be quite unpopular…