ABC News' Friday special, "Over a Barrel: The Truth About Oil," was reviewed by David Almasi, one of my colleagues at the National Center for Public Policy Research. He found so much bias in the special, I knew his review would be of interest to Newsbusters readers:
ABC News Finds Selective "Truth About Oil"
by David AlmasiLast Friday, July 24, ABC News aired the special "Over a Barrel: The Truth About Oil." It might have been more correctly titled "Charlie Gibson Hates the Oil Companies."
ABC News newsreader Charlie Gibson interviewed 18 people during the course of the program. Seven were gas station owners, refinery workers and the like - people who were there to specifically deliver raw information about the operations of the oil industry. When it came to the 11 people featured for their political insight, it was obvious Gibson only really wanted to hear one viewpoint.
Story Continues Below Ad ↓For those who wanted to bash the oil companies, Gibson gave people such as Mark Cooper of the Consumer Federation of America and New York University professor Vijay Vaitheesweran long segments to pontificate. On the other side was Rayola Dougher of the American Petroleum Institute, who was given very little time at all in comparison to her opponents and were more informational responses than a defense of her industry.
The other oil industry defender? Gibson used campaign footage of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin and an interview he did with her during her vice presidential campaign. In the opening segment, for example, they have Gibson, Energy Secretary Stephen Chu and President Obama state that our nation is "addicted to oil," and then cut to Palin starting a "drill, baby, drill" chant at a rally.
No bias there.
Secretary Chu was also pitched softballs by Gibson, who even prompted Chu at one point to say our nation is "headed for a train wreck" due to our reliance on foreign oil. Despite a small portion of the program talking about how new technology is allowing more productive domestic offshore drilling, there was a definite implication that America's best energy days were in the past. And there was no mention of oil shale or tar sands exploration.
Further showing the network's apparent allegiance to the White House, every previous modern president - from Nixon to Bush 43 - was derided for pledging to reduce American dependence on energy and not delivering. Gibson reserved praise for the promises of President Obama. And Secretary Chu added that things must change to stop global climate change.
That's when they brought on "lifelong Republican" T. Boone Pickens to push for alternative energy. He's invested in windfarms these days.
"Over a Barrel" was billed as a "20/20" special, but it was originally supposed to be a stand-alone special the previous Wednesday. Due to the presidential press conference that day, however, the network decided to go with "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" that night instead.
Despite this apparent acknowledgement by the network through its reprogramming that this was a dog of a program, it still won the sponsorship of some top-tier advertisers such as Home Depot, American Express, S.C. Johnson (Glade air freshener and Off insect repellant) and Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster and Olive Garden).
The National Center for Public Policy Research has been tracking the advertisers of ABC's World News after it allowed Obama the ability to shill his health care plan on prime time television last month.
To see a list of corporate sponsors of ABC News programming and how you can contact them to express your thoughts on their bankrolling their nightly news and these news specials, go to The National Center's ABC News sponsors list.
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Comments Policy
Gibson got one thing
July 28, 2009 - 00:23 ET by bigtimerGibson got one thing right...we are in danger depending on our dependency of foreign oil.
What fools he and all his ilk are...complete fools in our faces everyday, passed on by others in the business of all venues as trees of knowledge and that's supposed to be that according to their arrogance...no questions asked....it is written.
News flash you idiots, what the heck do you think is ever going to happen if we have a real, long, national emergency, wars etc...get the picture yet... and oil really runs low...you simpletons....and you and all of your party ilk, along with your La-La-Land co-sponsors will be the loudest screechers, acting as if you all had nothing to do with the results.
Drill Often...Drill Everywhere!
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Snake in the grass ...
July 28, 2009 - 00:34 ET by metaphorsbwithuThe only oil these shills seem to be pushing these days is snake oil. I have a feeling though that even the most gullible among us are starting to catch on
metaphorsbwithu
Well guess what? I'm not so fond of Charlie Gibson either...
July 28, 2009 - 01:55 ET by jawebster1especially after his "bias was showing" interview with Sarah Palin. In fact, I'm proud to say that I have never watched his show before or since the SP interview. Jim Webster
I am sorry
July 28, 2009 - 02:33 ET by well99I dont see how Truth and ABC can be used in the same sentence.ABC has no comprehension of the truth.With the exception of Jake Tapper ABC is agenda driven network which looks on with distain to those who use actually facts.I am surprised Tapper is still with them.Now bias I could understand associated with ABC.Just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Drill here, drill now...save cash to pay for insurance.
July 28, 2009 - 05:10 ET by ekslibWith the current global cooling we might have cooler winters.
At any rate, people would save money on fuel if we developed our own (large) supply of oil.
People could use what they save toward paying health insurance.
Did they mention these truths too....?
July 28, 2009 - 07:03 ET by c5thenThe reason that we are dependant upon foreign oil is that the liberal left hasn't allowed almost any new domestic drilling in 30 years.
Co2 in the atmosphere is a trailing indicator, not a leading indicator. Much like unemployment is to the economy.
There is much recent evidence that the major petroleum deposits are being replenished from somewhere below in the earth's crust and that the world currently has more oil reserves than was stated in the mid 1970's.
The reason that we and the rest of the world are "addicted" to oil is that it is the cheapest, most versatile and easiest energy supply that exists to date. All other forms of producing energy cost more and are harder to deal with than oil.
Throw 'da bums out!
no one re-elected who voted for socialism or debt
www.loyaltoliberty.com
The one Republican that
July 28, 2009 - 08:31 ET by jdhawkThe one Republican that Goofson on purpose interviewed was Pickens. However, what Goofson failed to mention is that Pickens gave up on his windmill idea because it would cost billions to build transmission lines from the windest parts of our country to where poeple acutally live. Futher, because wind turbine electricity generation can't be counted on to coincide with peak usage, you have to spend addtional billions to store the electricity or to have at the ready conventional power generation means.
In other words, Pickens plan is a dud and the news that he dropped this plan is weeks old. So, Goofson, as Governor Palin opined the media should not do, is making stuff up - again. there is nothing new in that . . .
Nationalization?
July 28, 2009 - 10:01 ET by slickwillie2001I believe that favorable fluctuations in the price of oil are all that has saved us from the Bamster nationalizing our oil industry. Had oil been at $140 during the peak of the Bamster's power, Exxon-Mobil would now be Government Oil.
Still, the oil companies are not out of the woods. If I were a significant stockholder I would be demanding that the oil companies look at rebasing their corporations in a more friendly country before it's too late. The Bamster and his cabal are waiting for the opportunity to pounce.
slick... So right you
July 28, 2009 - 13:43 ET by bigtimerslick...
So right you are...just ask Maxine.
We all know the rest of her ilk agree, they are just patiently waiting.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
I
July 28, 2009 - 14:09 ET by jessieHI don't care what ABC- All Barac Channel has to say. They mean nothing to me.......On another note, has anybody heard anything about Hugh Hefner dying? A friend just told me, but I'm not shure it's true.
Gasoline
July 28, 2009 - 14:57 ET by VengeanceIsMineI watched this show. I rarely watch 20/20 if it isn't a Stossel piece. Charlie, if gas is too expensive, then don't use it. Why is it these jerks get so pissy if gas goes up in price? The MSM & O'Reilly all freak out. Price adjusted for inflation gas would/should be around $4-5 dollars a gallon. This is a phony arguement stirred up by these elites to promote the belief that they "care" about the average Americans day to day costs. Inexpensive gasoline is not a right. If it costs too much, you use less of it.
"You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt." Daniel Hannan
IMO
July 28, 2009 - 16:43 ET by stratmanI have to admit that Charlie Gibson fooled me. Yep, he fooled me good.
I thought Gibson was an old style news reader who kept his opinions to himself. That's why I rooted for him to get the anchor job at ABC News. I figured he was about as close to neutrality as anyone in the biz, similar to a Russert (who was not neutral either, but much more than his compatriots), that Charlie was the right man (or woman, not that there's anything wrong with that) for the job.
Now I reckon Gibson was either always Liberal but held his tongue in check because that was his training, Liberal's feel very disinhibited since the inauguration of Obama and feel disinhibited, or he is presstituting himself to avoid ageism bigotry.
For me, Charlie Gibson is a big dissappointment.