Noteworthy from Friday night's broadcast network evening newscasts which, a day after his death, spent 95 percent of their air time on Michael Jackson -- all but 1:03 of ABC's approximate 22 minutes was devoted to Jackson, all but 34 seconds of CBS and all but 1:22 of NBC, for 2:59, less than three minutes in total for all news beyond Jackson:
♦ Only ABC's World News reported how Monica Conyers, a Detroit city councilwoman married to powerful U.S. House Democrat John Conyers, pled guilty to accepting bribes. But anchor Charles Gibson, who on Wednesday night made sure to identify Mark Sanford as “a rising star in the Republican Party,” failed to name the party affiliation for either Monica Conyers or John Conyers, and neither did any on-screen graphic. Speaking of Detroit, last year, when Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged with felonies, Gibson (as well as the CBS and NBC anchors) didn't consider Kilpatrick's party worth mentioning.
♦ ABC also uniquely found a little time, a mere 20 seconds, to mention House action on President Obama's “cap and trade” bill. As noted by the MRC's Business and Media Institute, for months the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts have barely covered the bill “that would cost each family $1,241 a year.” CBS and NBC kept up the near-blackout again Friday night. Gibson outlined how “the bill would impose limits pollution from power plants and factories and force a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” but also noted: “Critics charge it will drive up energy costs for consumers.”
Gibson's June 26 item on the energy bill:
A few notes on the other news of the day. On Capitol Hill, one of President Obama's top priorities, sweeping legislation to combat climate change, is advancing in the House of Representatives. The bill would impose limits pollution from power plants and factories and force a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Critics charge it will drive up energy costs for consumers.
Gibson on Monica Conyers:
A Detroit city councilwoman, who's married to one of the most powerful members of Congress, pleaded guilty to accepting cash bribes today. Monica Conyers admitted taking the money in exchange for supporting a sludge contract with a Houston company. Her husband is John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Prosecutors say he was in no way involved.
My March 24, 2008 NewsBusters post, “ABC, CBS and NBC All Fail to ID Indicted Mayor as a Democrat,” recounted:
Two weeks since the ABC and NBC evening shows took multiple days before getting around to informing viewers that disgraced New York Governor Eliot Spitzer belonged to the Democratic Party -- after every ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening news program last year immediately highlighted the party of Republican Senators David Vitter and Larry Craig -- Monday's broadcast network evening newscasts all failed to note, verbally or on-screen, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's party.
ABC anchor Charles Gibson announced on World News: “Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged today with felonies that could cost him his job and 15 years in prison.” NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams relayed how “Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick...was indicted on perjury and other charges in the wake of a sex scandal there.” (NBC also refused to tag Kilpatrick in a full story aired Friday night.) Over on Monday's CBS Evening News, fill-in anchor Harry Smith introduced a full story: “In Detroit, a sex scandal led to criminal charges today against the Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, a married father of three.”
The brief update from Gibson on the Monday, March 24 World News on ABC: “Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was charged today with felonies that could cost him his job and 15 years in prison. Kilpatrick is charged, along with his female former chief of staff. Explicit text messages contradict their sworn testimony that they did not have an affair. Kilpatrick, charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and misconduct, says he expects to be cleared.”...
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
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Comments Policy
SCM. Simple as
June 26, 2009 - 19:58 ET by bigtimerSCM.
Simple as that.
Agenda is all that matters....and they succeeded today.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
It's a crying shame...
June 26, 2009 - 20:44 ET by JetmoreAll day I looked for some kind of coverage of the cap and trade on TV, but to no avail- even Fox News had nothing but M. Jackson. WTH! Congress just voted us into 3rd world status and not a peep?!!
Jet... Yep...it's past
June 26, 2009 - 20:53 ET by bigtimerJet...
Yep...it's past disgusting....Hannity has NOT even mentioned the House bill that passed and the RINOs who voted for this...or we would have defeated it....there is only 14 minutes left of the show now.
I'm furious....who the hell makes these decisions in the end..is it the political head of the network, Hannity?
Whoever....they should have had at least what happened today to all of our lives possibly if this passes in the Senate for 30 minutes....
But NO.....!!!
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
CSPAN, Anthony Watts blog
June 27, 2009 - 03:37 ET by danboCSPAN, Anthony Watts blog and Rush were about the only places I found that followed congress friday.
But Anthony does have to make a living and Rush was was only on the air for part of it.
That left CSPAN. Which only gave the debate. And you didn't get anything on what wasn't on the floor. Or recaps.
Limited Disclosure: I used to belong to the Sierra Club untill they went crazier. Worse of all, I was bribed by Exxon with free New Orleans Saints glasses with fill ups in the 70's.
Same on CNN, hackery network
June 26, 2009 - 21:48 ET by GaiusBaltarSAME ON CNN, CHECK IT OUT:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/26/monica.conyers.bribery/index.html
No mention of Democrat aprty affiliation oh her and her husband's at ALL! I sent a letter to CNN executives right after I noticed this today along with a link to THE CNN REPORT. If and when I get a response from those executives, I will post it here!
Also, don't forget that this has been well documented in "THE CNN REPORT" (read the PDF here: http://www.firesusan.com/THE_CNN_REPORT.pdf)
Let's not play games now, CNN = DEMOCRAT PARTY MACHINE (just as much as MSNBC is)!
Kind of reminds me of the
June 27, 2009 - 03:26 ET by danboKind of reminds me of the former mayor of New Orleans who when it came out his "aunt" was given a big city contract. They mayor responded. Besides, she's not my aunt. She's my uncle's wife.
Limited Disclosure: I used to belong to the Sierra Club untill they went crazier. Worse of all, I was bribed by Exxon with free New Orleans Saints glasses with fill ups in the 70's.
Well just LOOK at that picture.
June 26, 2009 - 22:21 ET by Calypso JonesI'd have to say that there's quite an age difference going on there, wouldn't you. Why would that be do you suppose: How about this:
http://whoisakindele.info/2008/04/monica-conyers-is-she-new-monica.html
Even FOX sucked: all Jackson, all the time...
June 26, 2009 - 22:58 ET by wnaegele...turned off TV. Drank.
Yes
June 27, 2009 - 08:01 ET by ApodicticI couldn't agree more. FOX dropped the ball in favor of sucking up to the illuminati and Hollywood. I'd bet that Beck, Hannity and Greta are upset. But, what can they do in practical terms?
There's is a small upside
June 27, 2009 - 10:37 ET by RukusAt least we aren't seeing all Barry all the time for a change. : )
Gary
Look, it's already hot as hell down here, so don't sweat it! - My Dad
Sweet tea please! - Me
I just noticed this too.
June 27, 2009 - 02:31 ET by mostlymoderateI just noticed this too. Nowhere was the party label of "Democrat" attached to Conyers. That's why I came over here to Newsbusters, to see if you guys would notice :)
Sadly not just the MSM but
June 27, 2009 - 07:53 ET by danboSadly not just the MSM but also Fox was caught up on Jackson and even this blog spent as much time on Sanford as the spectacle we watched going on in Congress. I had to turn on CSPAN. (Thanks to the folks here I knew to turn on CSPAN.)
Hopefully we'll get some good analysis of friday in the days to come.
But that's all after the fact. Or after the midnight changes to the Cap N Trade Rapeing America Bill.
A part of friday's debate.
Limited Disclosure: I used to belong to the Sierra Club untill they went crazier. Worse of all, I was bribed by Exxon with free New Orleans Saints glasses with fill ups in the 70's.
Electing more democrats
June 27, 2009 - 06:05 ET by Blogger Guy00001The refusal to name democrats involved in a scandal and the eagerness to splash the word "Republican" all over the news when a Republican does something wrong, is all about electing more democrats. It is a subtle form of programming. It plants the idea in the listener's head that Republicans are evil and that democrats are really nice people.
The obsession with Michael Jackson is being used to cover up the "energy bill." The media know very will what they are doing. It is deliberate and intentional. They want the bill passed and know that the public would reject it if it knew the facts.
You know it's sad
June 27, 2009 - 06:46 ET by sdanwhen watching tv my 11 year old daughter said in reference about Jackson, "It's a shame that he died he could really sing and dance but isn't there anything else going on in the world today?"
Nuclear War in South Central Asia!
June 27, 2009 - 07:53 ET by Kingfish17I don't think a nuclear war between India and Pakistan would get the lead over Michael Jackson dieing. Even though we are totally inundated with "news", it's really not hard news. It's all human interest and pop culture news, with a smattering of actual news if the pop culture stories are slow.
FOX is not much better then the other "news networks" when it comes to running these inconsequential human interest stories 95% of the time. This Cap and Tax story should be one of the biggest stories to hit the airwaves in a long time, but 95% of America is ignorant.
"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them." Judge Smails
Fox News: "What Energy Bill?"
June 27, 2009 - 08:05 ET by SickofLibsCheck out foxnews.com today. All Jacko Whacko.
The only mention of the energy bill is WAAAY down the page under a little heading 'Politics' , and it's only the 4th bullet in a list of seven.
→ Hey SOL
June 27, 2009 - 08:13 ET by Cool ArrowWhat's the difference?
We will Barry you! - Russian Prophecy
all the same
June 27, 2009 - 08:25 ET by Catherwoodthere is no difference in this woman, Jesse Jackson, Kwami Kilpatrick, William Jefferson, Charlie Rangel, et al. They all have a sense of entitlement which justifies stealing from the white guy. Indeed, to them nothing they do is wrong because they are 'owed' by all the white breads out there whom they hate with a passion. I see this attitude everyday in my work. This entire thought process has become more pronounced since the election of BHO. One woman, who reminds me very much of Sconyers, said without a qualm that she could take the day off because now there was a black man in the White House. She did take the day off. Another woman told me that she didn't want me handling her case; she asked if there were black men in the office who knew that she had rights.......on and on.
Call your cable or satellite company and demand that they remove CNN, MSNBC, and MTV from your entertainment package. Stop subsidizing the liberal left.
Resume Enhancer
June 27, 2009 - 08:31 ET by Kingfish17Serving a little time in the joint will give Monica Conyers some extra street cred. I predict she will be a future mayor of Detroit.
"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them." Judge Smails
cap & trade
June 27, 2009 - 10:18 ET by jessieHjessieH I am fed up with the MSM, even FOX. OK, he died. Everyone does. Report the news & move on. Don't spend 2 days telling the same story. Yes, he was a genious with his songs. He was also a child molester. Get over it. With all of the so called "news shows" on tv, the only place to learn about the cap & trade was the net & C-SPAN. I may stop watching FOX, like I stoped watching the others. Here it is, 3 days later, & all I hear is M. Jackson.
500 Channels
June 27, 2009 - 11:16 ET by Kingfish17You figure with 500 channels on television that I could get a news channel that would devote 5% of their time to human interest stories and 95% to hard news. You got to think there would be an audience for that. I would have to be at least as large as MSNBC's.
"I've sentenced boys younger then you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it, but I felt I owed it to them." Judge Smails
Crack house politicians!!!!
June 27, 2009 - 13:43 ET by Roscoe MendagoDoesn't it seem the entire mid-west, and large inner-cities, with it's corrupt leadership, is telling America of things to come. Isn't the economic health of these cities proof enough that cities run by the prominent ethnic minorities there-in, can't run anything without examples of gross incompetence and corruption. If tomorrow, burning barricades at street intersections in those cities and citizens who don't go along with those in power were seen with burning tires wired around their necks, it shouldn't surprise anyone...
Obama is a pleasant sounding politician, verbally accomplished, although an anomaly, he doesn't come across like the standard liberal black politician who sounds like someone standing on the porch of a crack house yelling at the passing cars. Obama though, is going to do to America what his brothers and sisters in those large cities, along with the Unions, excessive regulation and corrupt white Governors, Granholm, a classic example of doing whatever to get re-elected, they are going to destroy complete states, but here's Obama being allowed to destroy a nation, unchecked...