Stoking the Outraged: Networks Showcase Consumers Feeling 'Pain at the
May 5th, 2006 11:55 AM
Anyone with a working TV set knows that the broadcast networks have hyped the high gas price story (“Pain at the Pump”) to ridiculous levels. A new MRC study of the ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening news shows found a whopping 183 stories in just three weeks, an avalanche of TV coverage that (helpfully to Democrats planning their midterm election strategy) has buried far more important good…
CBS and NBC Stick With Gas Pains, Ignore Wednesday’s Huge Price Decl
May 4th, 2006 2:44 PM
The wholesale price of oil and gasoline took a huge drop on the commodities markets Wednesday. But, you never would have known it from watching the broadcast networks’ evening news programs. In fact, the pain at the pump mantra continued in earnest at CBS and NBC without even the slightest mention of a greater than $2 decline in oil prices and an almost 9 cent decline in gasoline prices on the…
CBS Claims Old People Skipping Food, Medicine Due to High Gas Prices
May 2nd, 2006 2:48 PM
Monday’s CBS Evening News inaugurated a new series, “Eye on the Road,” the network’s latest gimmick to keep people outraged at the high cost of gasoline. Reporter Sharyn Alfonsi is driving from Florida to Boston to find people to complain about the high prices, and last night she highlighted senior citizens who are ostensibly sacrificing food and medicine because of Big Oil’s greediness.Alfonsi…
Networks Ignore How Big Government Rakes In More than Big Oil
April 27th, 2006 2:30 PM
All three network morning shows played the envy card Thursday morning, as they hyped the “record high profits” and “corporate greed” of American oil companies. High on their agenda: ExxonMobil’s announcement of $8.4 billion in profits, which the networks implied was scandalous given the high price of oil.But unstated in the network coverage was the fact that the U.S. government took in more than…
Media Attack Executive Pay, Hide Effort to Seal Their Own Compensation
April 26th, 2006 4:26 PM
Networks focus on ‘staggering’ pay and pensions for Exxon and other corporate CEOs, even as media companies fight SEC rule on disclosing high salaries.Free Market ProjectGas price rage has blended with executive pay rage recently, since the media have been bashing ExxonMobil’s departing CEO, Lee Raymond, for his pay and pension package. “Runaway pay,” said NBC’s Brian Williams on April 20,…