Imus Firing: Lauer Suggests NBC Caved to Pressure; Vieira Holds Sharpt
Give Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira credit. On this morning's "Today," Lauer suggested to his boss's face that in firing Don Imus he had caved to pressure from advertisers and people like Al Sharpton. And Vieira held Al Sharpton's feet to the fire, now that he had Imus' scalp, about going after rappers and others who use similar language every day.Here's part of the exchange, which came at 7:…
The NewsBusters Weekly Recap: March 31 to April
"Just Because You’re Getting Married, Doesn’t Mean You Need Electricity" Members of the media are working environmental bias into the oddest segments. "Good Morning America" weatherman Sam Champion reported this week on the trendy new concept of "green weddings." According to Mr. Champion, "more and more Americans" are embracing ideas such as not using electricity during their wedding and holding…
Media Mostly Ignore Whether Pelosi’s Syria Trip Violated The Logan A
Imagine if you will that in September 1996, just days after America launched a missile strike on Baghdad to expand the “no fly zone,” Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich met with Saddam Hussein to discuss foreign policy matters without the permission of President Clinton. Would the media have vociferously discussed the possibility that Gingrich had violated federal law in doing so?If the answer is…
Lauer Pelts Pelosi's Foreign Fling: 'A Lot of People Think She Messed
Call it a flying-pig moment, or chalk it up to his concern for Dems' long-term best interests if you will. But there's no denying that on this morning's "Today," Matt Lauer absolutely unloaded on Nancy Pelosi and her ill-conceived venture into foreign policy.The segment was entitled "Democratic Diplomacy: Has Pelosi Gone Too Far?", virtually answering the question by its very asking. In the…
Burns of NY Times on 'Today': 'No Limit to this Violence' if US Troops
Far be it from me to put in a plug for "Today," but I do hope Nancy Pelosi & Friends were watching this morning. Congressional Dems might be quick to dismiss what President Bush predicts would be the upshot of a date-certain pull-out from Iraq. But perhaps they would not so blithely disregard the observations of one of the most experienced and respected reporters on Iraqi matters . . . a…
Vieira to McCain About War Opponents: 'What Are We Missing
From the moment she participated in an anti-war march in NYC at the time of the 2004 GOP convention, there's been little doubt as to where Meredith Vieira stands on Iraq. Even so, it was something of a shock to hear the "Today" co-host express her opposition in the first person plural this morning.Discussing the war with Sen. John McCain [R-AZ] at about 7:05 AM ET this morning, she said:"Six…
Attorney Firing Flap: Pete Williams Has Monica Lewinsky on His Mind
Paging Dr. Freud . . .On this morning's "Today," NBC's Pete Williams engaged in slip that would have made Sigmund proud, so let's bring in the father of modern psychotherapy to analyze it. After all, he's only been dead for 68 years, plenty fresh enough for purposes of punditry.Williams had scored quite a journalistic coup, an exclusive sit-down with embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.…
