ABC's Obama Super PAC: Network Devotes 38 Minutes to Pushing First Lad
May 29th, 2012 4:51 PM
Over the course of two programs, ABC on Tuesday devoted 38 fawning minutes of time to Michelle Obama and her new book, American Grown. Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, who admitted getting a "chill" during her last interview with Barack Obama, happily announced that "everybody [on GMA] is on their best behavior" during the First Lady's visit.
Roberts's interview with the First Lady…
ABC Recounts Accusations of Pope Covering Up Evidence in Missing Child
May 28th, 2012 2:30 PM
On Monday's Good Morning America, as ABC's Jeffrey Kofman recounted the news that Pope Benedict XVI's butler has been arrested, implicated in leaking Vatican documents to the media, the ABC correspondent asserted that the Pope's "seven-year papacy has been consumed by very public scandals," and then recounted a group of demonstrators who recently accused the Pope of "covering up evidence" in…
ABC, NBC Punt on Alleged Obama Administration Leak of Classified Infor
May 24th, 2012 4:44 PM
CBS This Morning stood out as the only Big Three network morning show on Thursday to cover a conservative group's allegation that the Obama administration gave a movie director and writer "special access to government officials involved in the commando operation that killed Osama bin Laden," as reported by Reuters on Wednesday. ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today ignored the story.…
Networks Censor News of Massive Democratic Protest Vote Against Obama
May 23rd, 2012 11:35 AM
42 percent of Democratic primary voters in Kentucky on Tuesday chose "uncommited" over Barack Obama. In Arkansas, a Tennessee attorney finished with 41 percent of the vote. ABC's Good Morning America, NBC's Today and CBS This Morning all skipped the embarrassing story, despite the fact that CBS and NBC covered the far less interesting Republican primary.
During the month of May, Obama…
ABC Skips Catholic Lawsuit Over Birth Control Mandate; NBC Allows 20 S
May 22nd, 2012 11:49 AM
ABC on Monday and Tuesday completely ignored 12 major lawsuits filed by Catholic groups over the Obama-imposed birth control mandate. NBC allowed a mere 20 seconds to the topic.
CBS This Morning, however, was the only show on the networks to devote a full report to the lawsuits. Co-host Charlie Rose allowed Cardinal Timothy Dolan to make his case that the mandate limits religious liberty.…
CBS Surprisingly Highlights Persecution of Christians in 'Majority Mus
May 21st, 2012 5:04 PM
Sunday's CBS Evening News refreshingly spotlighted the continuing persecution of the Coptic Christians in Egypt, an ongoing story that the Big Three networks have largely ignored for months. Correspondent Elizabeth Palmer zeroed in on the uncertain future for the religious minority as the country gears for a rare election: "[Egypt's] Christians are deeply worried....Two of the frontrunners in…
Morning Shows Skip Ideological Labels for Violent Anti-War Protesters
May 21st, 2012 3:24 PM
Violent anti-war protesters clashed with Chicago police this weekend, but the network morning shows on Monday avoided attempts at pinning an ideology on them, simply referring to "anti-war" "protesters."
On CBS This Morning, Charlie Rose blandly explained, "Protests turned violent in Chicago...Police battle protesters in Chicago." Reporter Bill Plante added, "And a small group of them…
ABC Breathlessly Hypes Romney's 'Troubling' 'Teenage Bullying'; Did He
May 11th, 2012 12:16 PM
ABC on Thursday and Friday breathlessly hyped the "troubling" details of Mitt Romney's "teenage bullying," events that ocurred 47 years ago. On Friday's Good Morning America, co-anchor George Stephanopoulos, a former Democratic operative, introduced, "It's your voice, your vote and new questions today about whether Mitt Romney's teenage pranks went too far." On Thursday, World News was the only…
Robin Roberts Awed by Obama's Gay Marriage Stand: I Get 'Chills' When
May 10th, 2012 12:09 PM
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Thursday made little effort to hide the excitement she felt when Barack Obama came out in support for gay marriage. Touting her exclusive interview with the President, Roberts marveled that, just talking about it, "I'm getting chills again." She added that the moment "was not lost on anyone" who was in the White House, Wednesday.
Co-anchor George…
Media Mourns Lugar Loss as a 'Tragic' Blow to 'Bipartisanship
May 9th, 2012 2:53 PM
ABC’s Good Morning America treated last night’s loss of long-time serving Republican Senator Richard Lugar, to the more conservative Tea Party favorite Richard Mourdock, as a sad sign of the end of bi-partisanship. In the 7am half-hour of Wednesday’s show, ABC’s Josh Elliott declared Lugar’s loss was an “earthquake of great degree” and eulogized Lugar as a senator who was “well-known for his…
ABC Gushes Over 'Cool,' Popular Hillary Who 'Doesn't Care What People
May 9th, 2012 1:23 PM
Good Morning America's Martha Raddatz on Wednesday turned the program into something out of Entertainment Tonight, fawning over the "cool," popular Hillary Clinton who "doesn't care what people think." Former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos enthused, "The Secretary of State has been sporting a new look these days. No makeup. No contacts. No blowouts."…
Uncritical John Berman: 'What the President Seems to Want Is Space' on
May 7th, 2012 12:15 PM
Perhaps previewing the winking and nodding that will follow in the general election campaign, ABC's John Berman on Monday uncritically parroted the White House line on gay marriage: "What the President seems to want is space."
The Good Morning America correspondent added that the President is looking for "space to say that perhaps in a second term he might change the policy. But for it not…
Media Breezes By Politically Embarrassing Occupy May Day Protests
May 3rd, 2012 5:21 PM
When the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement first arrived on the scene back in October of 2011 the Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) news networks greeted, what they viewed as the left’s answer to the Tea Party, with a whopping 33 full stories in just the first 11 days of coverage and a total of 81 stories in that month. However, when that movement proved to be an embarrassment to the left and…
Networks Hype 'Steamy' Details from Obama's Ex-Girlfriend, Downplay Fa
May 3rd, 2012 12:37 PM
Wednesday's nightly newscasts and Thursday's morning shows hyped "steamy," "romantic" journal entries from an ex-girlfriend of Barack Obama, but downplayed or ignored revelations that his autobiography created a "composite" relationship of multiple women.
On Thursday's Today, Natalie Morales gossiped like a school girl: "Steamy journal entries from a long-ago ex-girlfriend of President Obama…