Networks Slam Obama From the Left, Demand More Female Nominations
ABC and CBS on Thursday hit Barack Obama from the left, fretting about a lack of diversity for his second term cabinet picks. The two network morning shows ignored substantiative criticism about Treasury Secretary choice Jack Lew, but highlighted the cutesy story of his messy handwriting.
Correspondent Jon Karl chided, "Well, some critics are looking at that emerging second-term cabinet and…
ABC Hypes High Temperatures in U.S. to Push for Climate Change 'Action
All three evening newscasts on Tuesday hyped a report that 2012 was the hottest on record for the United States. NBC actually mislead viewers into thinking the data relates to the entire planet and not just one country. On ABC, Dan Harris blamed the study's results on Congress for failing to take "action" over global warming.
World News reporter Dan Harris lamented, "Many cities had record…
Brian Williams: Al Roker's Accident 'Hasn't Happened in the West Wing
NBC's Al Roker revealed Sunday that back in 2002, he had an embarrassing accident in the White House as a result of getting his stomach stapled.
On CBS's Late Show Tuesday, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams said, "That kind of thing that happened to Al hasn't happened in the West Wing since Nixon discovered the tapes” (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary):
Networks Celebrate Hillary Clinton's Return to Work and 'Prank Gift
All three network evening newscasts on Monday found time to tout Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's return to work after hospitalization for a blood clot, "clearly enjoying a prank gift" from her staff and being greeted by a "standing ovation."
NBC's Nightly News devoted a full report to the development, with anchor Brian Williams declaring: "...we got our first official look at Secretary…
NBC: 'Rebellious Conservatives' Turned Against Boehner in 'Rocky' Reel
Despite John Boehner receiving overwhelming support from the Republican caucus to be reelected as Speaker of the House, NBC Capitol Hill correspondent Kelly O'Donnell hyped dissension in the ranks on Friday's NBC Today: "After a turbulent few weeks of setbacks that had cast doubt on his power and influence, a dozen rebellious conservatives turned against him, but Boehner had enough votes."…
Media Mash: Bozell, Hannity Note How Media Loved Left-wing 111th Congr
The way the news media fawned over the Democratic 111th Congress -- which passed the wildly unpopular ObamaCare -- while smearing the Republican House in the 112th is like a bad Saturday Night Live skit, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell told Sean Hannity on the January 3 edition of his eponymous Fox News Channel program.
"Look, what they're saying is, when the Democrats were in charge with…
NBC: House GOP 'Ignored' Sandy Suffering; 'Another Body Blow' to Storm
In a pair of back-to-back stories leading off Wednesday's NBC Nightly News, House Republicans were painted as villains for briefly delaying a vote on Hurricane Sandy relief. First, Capitol Hill correspondent Kelly O'Donnell declared: "Stunned Democrats and Republicans could not believe that their hometown suffering could be ignored."
In the next report, correspondent Anne Thompson decried…
Networks Trumpeted Obama's Pledge to Veto Backtracking on Spending Cut
Over 13 months ago, the NBC, CBS and ABC newscasts touted Barack Obama as a tough talker who wouldn't back down on threatened spending cuts. Now, that he's backed down, the same networks have ignored the President's retreat. On November 21, 2011, Obama thundered, "My message to [Congress] is simple: No. I will veto any effort to get rid of those automatic spending cuts to domestic and defense…
NBC's Todd Frets Over House GOP 'Theatrics' and 'Shenanigans' Before P
On Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, hours before the House of Representatives approved a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd wrung his hands over Republican opposition to the lopsided legislation that increased taxes and offered no spending cuts: "I think we're in the last throes of sort of the typical theatrics that have become the norm for Washington over the…
NY Post: Brian Williams to Start Distancing Himself From the Strugglin
NBC’s decision to give Nightly News anchor Brian Williams his own primetime program has been tremendously unsuccessful.
According to the New York Post, things are going so poorly for Rock Center that Williams is going to start distancing himself from it:
NBC Applauds 'Powerful Quote': 'Easier to Get Assault Rifle in U.S. Th
During a segment on Monday's NBC Nightly News supposedly devoted to tackling the issue of mental health in the wake of the Newtown school shooting, NBC chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman instead used the opportunity to tout more anti-gun rhetoric: "One person who we spoke with....and I'm going to quote him, he says, 'It's easier to get an assault rifle today in the United States than it is to…
NBC Hypes 'Prominent Voices' Backing Gun Control, Including 'Influenti
On Monday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams was eager to seize on any perceived momentum for greater gun control in the wake of Friday's school shooting: "The President said he would use the power of his office to prevent more gun tragedies, and tonight he is being joined by a growing number of prominent voices."
In the report that followed, correspondent Tom Costello listed some of…
Networks Skip Union Violence in Mich., Insist Protesters Are Simply 'V
All three networks on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning ignored the violent assaults by union protesters in Michigan, instead vaguely insisting that activists were simply "voicing their anger" at the "showdown raging in the heartland." The morning shows on Wednesday allowed little coverage of Michigan at all, a mere 72 seconds out of eight hours of programming. (On Tuesday, the nightly…
NBC's Todd Heralds 'Less Confrontational' Obama Using 'Softer Tone' on
In a report for Tuesday's NBC Today, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd touted President Obama supposedly being nicer to the GOP while in pursuit of a fiscal cliff deal: "Mr. Obama was noticeably less confrontational toward Republicans....The President's softer tone came just a day after he sat down with House Speaker John Boehner..."
While Todd focused on Obama's "softer" side,…
