CNN Drops Editor That Made Pro-Hezbollah Comments on Twitter
July 7th, 2010 7:04 PM
On Monday, NewsBusters wondered how CNN would handle one of its senior editors expressing regrets for the death of the Hezbollah cleric that possibly orchestrated the 1983 bombing of two Marines barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
Two days later, the self-professed "most trusted name in news" dropped Octavia Nasr for tweeting, "Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of…
CNN Again Omits Pro-Illegal Immigration Stance of 'Public Defender
July 7th, 2010 6:02 PM
On Wednesday's Newsroom, CNN's Tony Harris omitted the pro-illegal immigration activism of guest Isabel Garcia, just as his colleague Suzanne Malveaux did more than two months earlier. Harris twice referred to Garcia as merely the "deputy public defender in Pima County, Arizona," and didn't mention her involvement in the beating and decapitation of a pinata effigy of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.…
State Lawmaker Discredits Campbell Brown's 'Misinformation' About Ariz
July 7th, 2010 2:09 PM
Debating the fallout of the Obama administration's attempt to squelch Arizona's popular immigration law before it goes into effect later this month, CNN's Campbell Brown on July 6 challenged a chief advocate of the law with a multi-pronged assault, only to see her attacks thwarted and her "misinformation" corrected.In a blatant contradiction, Brown dismissed State Senator Russell Pearce's (R-Ariz…
CNN Editor Mourns Death Of Hezbollah Cleric Possibly Responsible for
July 5th, 2010 7:51 PM
CNN's senior editor of Middle East affairs on Sunday publicly expressed regrets for the death of Hezbollah's Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah the cleric that possibly orchestrated the 1983 bombing of two Marines barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. According to the New York Times, he also "justified suicide bombings and other tactics of asymmetrical warfare by arguing that if Israel and its allies used…
CNN Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Mourns Loss of 'Hezbollah Giant
July 5th, 2010 7:13 PM
They're a militant Shiite Muslim organization defined by the U.S. government as a terrorist group, but don't tell that to CNN senior editor of Middle Eastern affairs, Octavia Nasr. In a July 4 post on her Twitter account, Nasr openly admitted to mourning the loss of Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah: Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah.. One of Hezbollah's giants I respect…
Embattled Weigel Calls Sources of Criticism of His Ideology 'Partisan
July 4th, 2010 9:13 PM
At this point, we all know the Dave Weigel saga, which is as a so-called blogger for The Washington Post, he made some disparaging remarks about the people he covered as a conservative beat blogger. That eventually led to his resignation at the Post and he addressed it on CNN's July 4 "Reliable Sources." Weigel was asked by host Howard Kurtz if in this day and age it was "an uncomfortable fit"…
White House Enacts Rules Inhibiting Media From Covering Oil Spill
July 3rd, 2010 11:28 AM
The White House Thursday enacted stronger rules to prevent the media from showing what's happening with the oil spill in the Gulf Coast.CNN's Anderson Cooper reported that evening, "The Coast Guard today announced new rules keeping photographers and reporters and anyone else from coming within 65 feet of any response vessel or booms out on the water or on beaches -- 65 feet."He elaborated, "Now,…
CNN's Sanchez on Mel Gibson: 'Very Politically Involved
July 2nd, 2010 8:20 PM
Today on CNN, Rick's List host Rick Sanchez was, as he likes to say, all over and drilling down on a story of major import. No, nothing about the dismal unemployment numbers we're seeing this recovery summer. Despite repeated teases on the topic, he didn't get around to it.Sanchez was all over and drilling down on the latest Mel Gibson antics, despite pushback from his audience:SANCHEZ: Some of…
Biden Wrong So Far: June Data Shows 125,000 Lost Jobs, But Media Still
July 2nd, 2010 10:55 AM
The June jobs report was released July 2 showing a tiny decline in the unemployment rate to 9.5 percent, but a depressing 125,000 overall non-farm payroll jobs lost. CNN's "American Morning" reacted with an appropriately downbeat report, but the onscreen chyron led with the better news -- showing the lower unemployment rate rather than the job losses. Christine Romans also pointed out that…
ABCBSNBC Continue to Lose Audience
July 1st, 2010 12:50 PM
The big three nightly news broadcasts, NBC Nightly, CBS Evening and ABC World, lost a combined one million viewers in the second quarter of 2010, according to TVNewser.These numbers are comparable to the first quarter, which saw Evening News and World News get their lowest average viewers ever, while NBC's Winter Olympics coverage helped it get their highest average viewers since 2005. In the…
Media Defend Obama's Call for More Spending, Despite G-20 'Rift
July 1st, 2010 9:27 AM
In the wake of a European debt crisis, the recent G-20 meeting in Toronto revealed the intention of many European nations to begin dramatically tightening their fiscal belts. The world leaders agreed to cut deficits in half by 2013 and "start to stabilize their debt-to-output ratios by 2016," according to Bloomberg Businessweek. That goal conflicted with President Barack Obama's wishes.…
CNN and MSNBC Applaud Elena Kagan's Capitol Hill Comedy Hour
June 30th, 2010 6:03 PM
In covering Elena Kagan's confirmation hearings, CNN and MSNBC have repeatedly lauded the Supreme Court nominee for her "flashes of humor" and "disarming ease."In tune with the reverberations of the network morning shows' echo chamber, correspondents like CNN's Dana Bash and anchors like MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Tuesday praised Kagan for her ability to inject humor into otherwise "hollow and…
Network Morning Shows Unanimously Gush Over Larry King
June 30th, 2010 4:59 PM
The morning programs of the Big Three networks all sang the praises of CNN host Larry King after he announced on Tuesday his upcoming retirement from his program, while overlooking his liberal bent at times. Both Willie Geist on NBC's Today show and CBS's Harry Smith labeled King "legendary," while ABC's George Stephanopoulos heralded how he was "on top of his game" for most of his career.NBC…