CBS’s Greenfield: Is Right-Wing ‘Militancy’ A Dilemma for GOP
September 21st, 2009 1:38 PM
Reporting for CBS’s Sunday Morning, political analyst Jeff Greenfield wondered about the impact of nationwide ant-Obama protests: "Does this new militancy on the Right pose an opportunity for the Republican Party or create a dilemma?" He fretted over the tone: "Some of it is aimed specifically and virulently at Obama....At his background, at his race, at his agenda." Greenfield began the segment…
CBS Early Show: Michelle Obama ‘Stealth Weapon’ In Health Care Deb
September 18th, 2009 12:12 PM
On Friday’s CBS Early Show, White House correspondent Bill Plante highlighted President Obama’s latest media blitz on health care reform and touted a new piece of the PR arsenal: "The President does have a new partner in his nonstop effort to sell health care, it’s the First Lady....Michelle Obama will be more like a stealth weapon in the battle for health care, giving it a softer touch." Plante…
Down Steeply Since Late Jan., Big 3 Evening Newscasts Stuck at Low Sum
September 17th, 2009 5:16 PM
After a summer swoon, you would think that the evening newscasts of the Big 3 networks would start to recover a bit now that many Americans are back from vacations, kids are back in school, and fall routines are getting established or re-established. So far, you would be wrong. It's early, and there's still plenty of time this fall to recover, but during the time period after Labor Day, the…
CBS and NBC Finally Catch Up to ACORN Scandal; Express Sympathy for th
September 16th, 2009 12:48 PM
In the first story on CBS since the scandal broke last week, on Tuesday’s Evening News, anchor Katie Couric reported: "The grassroots community organization called ACORN helps low-income Americans find affordable housing and gets tens of millions of dollars in government funding. But as Cynthia Bowers reports, that may be coming to an end after a scandal caught on tape."After showing undercover…
Media Double Standard: Only the Right's Signs Are Worth Covering
September 16th, 2009 10:49 AM
After systematically ignoring the outrageous and offensive signs used by leftist protesters at anti-war demonstrations journalists and bloggers are now devoting an immense amount of attention to a small minority of Tea Party protesters carrying signs far outside of the mainstream.Brian Williams and Chris Matthews think the Tea Party goers are racists, CBS's Nancy Jiles called the protests "a…
CBS’s Nancy Giles: Joe Wilson Like A ‘Drunk At Open Mic Night
September 15th, 2009 5:50 PM
Appearing on CBS’s Sunday Morning, commentator Nancy Giles shared her thoughts on Congressman Joe Wilson’s outburst: "Some sign waving and you probably heard about it, heckling. At a joint session of Congress....That’s the voice of Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, not some drunk at open mic night, calling the President a liar."Giles continued, denouncing all health care reform…
MRC Report Card: Media Coverage of the 9/12 Protests
September 15th, 2009 2:05 PM
Big liberal protests, such as the Million Mom March (for gun control), the 2006 demonstrations in favor of illegal immigrants’ “rights,” and numerous anti-war marches all garnered heavy play and adoring coverage from the broadcast networks, cable news outlets, and big papers like the New York Times. So how did those news outlets react to Saturday’s huge protest with conservative themes? MRC’s…
Broadcast Morning Shows Ignore 83-7 Anti-ACORN Senate Vote
September 15th, 2009 1:57 PM
A bipartisan consensus of senators in Washington is newsworthy in these fiercely partisan times, but when the matter of agreement is something that leaves egg on the faces of the left-wing community organizers, eh, not so much. Yesterday, in an 83-7 vote -- 50 Democrats and 33 Republicans for; 6 Democrats and 1 independent against -- the Senate passed an amendment to an appropriations bill that…
CBS’s Rodriguez: Will Democrats ‘Finally’ Pass Hate Crimes Act
September 15th, 2009 12:51 PM
Approaching the 11-year anniversary of the murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard, on Tuesday’s CBS Early Show co-host Maggie Rodriguez spoke with his mother Judy Shepard and asked about her efforts to pass hate crimes legislation: "Do you think this is finally the administration and the Congress that will get it done?" Shepard, who was on to discuss her new book about her son, was hopeful…
ABC’s Bill Weir Frets Over 9/12 Rally Rage and ‘Anger;' Worries Ab
September 14th, 2009 6:04 PM
Over the weekend, ABC provided hyperbolic, worried reporting on the 9/12 protest in Washington D.C. And while the other networks had mixed results, Good Morning America co-host Bill Weir opened the program on Saturday by fretting, "This morning, outrage. Protesters descend on Washington to rally against the President's health care plan. As civility gives way to shouting, what's fueling all this…
CBS Face the Nation: Obama ‘Best Salesman’; ‘Keeps Topping Himse
September 14th, 2009 5:12 PM
On Sunday, CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer praised President Obama’s recent media blitz for health care reform: "There’s no question he is the best salesman on the staff," but wondered: "Does he run the risk of overexposing himself?" Politco.com’s Roger Simon dispelled that fear: "It is a risk, but he keeps topping himself."Simon elaborated on Obama’s oratory skill: "Every time you think…
CBS’s Schieffer: Joe Wilson Shout ‘Ugly Sign of Mindless Meanness
September 14th, 2009 11:37 AM
At the end of Sunday’s Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer denounced South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson: "The irony of a congressman trying to heckle a President in the midst of a speech that was, among other things, about the need for civility, is just one ugly sign of the mindless meanness that has settled over our politics."Apparently Schieffer forgot this passage of President Obama’…
CBS Finds Less Govt Regulation Means Fewer Traffic Accidents in Dutch
September 11th, 2009 12:26 AM
On Saturday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Mark Phillips filed a report that lends credibility to the conservative or libertarian theory that too much regulation can be counterproductive and even lead to results opposite to those intended, as he highlighted a town in the Netherlands that took the seemingly radical step of removing all its traffic lights and road signs. Rather than resulting in…
Flashback: CBS Had No Difficulty Finding Van Jones for 2003 Anti-Iraq
September 10th, 2009 12:27 PM
If you rely only on the three major broadcast networks or one of the top major national papers as your news sources, the name "Van Jones" might prompt you to say,"Who?" But, while the media had difficulty reporting on Van Jones the embattled member of the Obama Administration, it had no such trouble covering Van Jones the anti-Iraq War protestor. Jones, who was President Barack Obama's so-…