MRC Study: The Real State of the Union, Big Three Networks Covering Up Obama's Failures
By many measures, Barack Obama has left the State of the Union in tatters, but the liberal media, led by the highly rated Big Three network (ABC, CBS, NBC) news shows, have attempted to cover up those holes in the Union by mostly ignoring the Obama administration’s greatest failings. From record numbers of people on food stamps, to the administration’s support of failed energy companies while rejecting an oil pipeline that would result in thousands of jobs, the Big Three networks haven’t told their viewers the full story of Obama’s pathetic track record.
The following are just a few of the glaring examples of Obama’s failed administration and the coverage, or lack thereof, the Big Three networks on their evening news shows (ABC’s World News, CBS’s Evening News, NBC’s Nightly News), morning shows (ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show, recently re-titled This Morning, NBC’s Today) and Sunday political roundtable shows (ABC’s This Week, CBS’s Face the Nation, NBC’s Meet the Press) have given them.
Record Number of People On Food Stamps
As of October 2011, the federal government reported that 46,224,722 persons were receiving food assistance payment (Food Stamps), down slightly from the record highs earlier in that year but still more than one out of every seven Americans (14.7% of the population). Yet network coverage of this human tragedy has been paltry -- just 15 mentions on ABC (3), CBS (2) and NBC (10) since January of 2011. For the most part, the President went blameless for this sorry state of affairs. In those 15 mentions, only twice did a network reporter link the Obama administration to the sad statistic:
On the August 14, 2011 edition of CBS’s Face the Nation, Norah O’Donnell brought up the stat in a list of problems that plagued the economy as she prodded Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “You have said repeatedly that we are in much better shape than we were when President Obama took office...13.5 million more people are on food stamps today. How are we in quote/unquote ‘much better shape,’ as you argue?” And on the December 7, 2011 Today show, co-anchor Ann Curry questioned former Obama White House press secretary Robert Gibbs: “This past year more Americans are on or asking for, applying for food stamps, than ever before. Why shouldn’t Americans hold President Obama accountable?”
<<Like this post? These sort of comprehensive studies of the liberal media's systemic bias would not be possible without your financial help. Please consider helping our mission by donating to NewsBusters (there's also a PayPal option on that page). Without the support of our readers, NewsBusters would not be possible.>>
Underplaying Importance of Keystone Pipeline
Of course, a key way to get some of those Americans off food stamps is the creation of more jobs, something approval of the Keystone oil pipeline from Canada through the United States would have accomplished. According to the American Petroleum Institute an approval from the administration could have resulted in as many as 500,000 new U.S. jobs. However, the Big Three networks gave the Keystone decision very short shrift as from November 10, 2011 (when Obama initially delayed his decision) up through January 19, 2012 (a day after Obama officially rejected the move) there were a total of just five full stories on ABC (1), CBS (3) and NBC (1) with 25 other mentions on ABC (3), CBS (9) and NBC (13).
The one full story on ABC is particularly galling since that network has a series called “Made in America” that encourages viewers to buy products made in America so as to keep and produce more jobs in the USA. As part of that series, on the January 19, 2012 Good Morning America and World News, ABC’s Jake Tapper followed the President down to the Magic Kingdom to promote Obama’s plan to boost American jobs through tourism and, as the MRC’s Scott Whitlock noticed: “managed to shill for both Obama and his parent company as that network found time to promote both the administration’s plan to create a ‘small world full of tourists who want to spend their money’ and Disney World.”
Ignoring “The New Solyndras”
A CBS News investigation, headlined “The New Solyndras,” aired on the January 13, 2012 edition of This Morning, revealed the controversial government loan to now-bankrupt Solyndra wasn’t an isolated incident. CBS This Morning reporter Sharyl Attkisson explained, “We identified 11 green energy companies beside Solyndra that, together, got billions of tax dollars then declared bankruptcy or are suffering other serious financial issues.”
Total Big Three network number of stories or mentions of these other budding Solyndra scandals, aside from the original CBS This Morning report: 0
U.S. Falling Behind the Rest of the World in Economic Freedom
On January 13 the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal released their 2012 Index of Economic Freedom that, “measures economic freedom in 10 specific categories: labor freedom, business freedom, trade freedom, fiscal freedom, government spending, monetary freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom, property rights and freedom from corruption.” The U.S. was ranked at (#10), behind such nations as Hong Kong(#1), Switzerland(#5), Chile(#7) and Ireland at (#9). The U.S. finished just slightly above Denmark(#11).
Number of Big Three network stories devoted to that embarrassment for the Obama administration: 0
When viewers watch the Big Three networks’ coverage of Obama’s State of the Union address, the question has to be asked: How many of these scandals and failures will they cover or cover up?
- Geoffrey Dickens's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
I'd like to see
Submitted by kch50428 on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 4:40pm.
Boehner stand up and say to the joint session there will be no speech until the Senate passes a budget that's been through conference committee, then adjourn the joint session.... I know it will never happen, because the entire House leadership lacks testicular fortitude.
Barry could then call session,
Submitted by Ashrak on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 5:08pm.
but what happens when someone invites everyone to a party - and nobody shows up?
It is not only his failings,
Submitted by ricklail on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 4:53pm.
It is not only his failings, it is the corruption in his admistration. Solydra and Fast and Furious with all of its operation within its operation. Don't forget his trashing of the constittuion at every turn.
CYA
Submitted by rowdygirl on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 4:56pm.
They have to hide his failures, because it also hides their failures. They can't start telling the whole truth now, can they?
Tam
Not only failures,
Submitted by Ashrak on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 5:08pm.
but his Treason too.
GunWalker especially but other blatant violations as well.
So why is it that Mr. Silent Speaker remains so quiet anyway? Just who's side is Boehner really on?
Rahm Emanuel has reportedly urged the President to . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 5:56pm.
. . . dismiss the past three years with "we inherited a mess and saved the country," and then move onto his campaign speech.
I'd look for this approach:
1) We inherited a mess, and the recovery has been deliberate but slower than we would like, but we are making progress. (Scripted applause from Dems).
2) We've brought health care to 40 million Americans (applause), an end to Down Ask Don't Tell (applause), saved the automobile industry (applause), and (wait for it -- wait for it), brought our troops home from Iraq (applause), and we have eliminated Osama bin Laden (Thunderous applause and standing ovation -- 3-5 minutes).
3) Now we need to roll up our sleeves and finish the great progress we've begun. I'm asking the Congress to increase our revenue by making the Top 1% pay their 'fair share." (applause). As my friend Warren Buffet said, it's not fair that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary (applause). We must ensure that those who have benefited the most from our economy now pay their fair share toward the common good, because we can't ask the working class and middle class people to pay any more. (Wild thunderous applause and standing ovation -- 2-3 minutes). . . .
The post-speech news analysis will assess it as the best State of the Union speech in 25-50 years, and they will overemphasize that their man Obama is best when he's in campaign mode, and that's what he was doing tonight.
And no matter what the canned Republican response is, the analysts will fine racial 'code talk' in it.
Plus criticism of obstructionism
Submitted by Rover on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 6:20pm.
I think you're right, plus he will ladle out a health portion of criticism for "Republican obstructionism," which he will blame for the lack of substantial economic recovery during his administration (not pointing out that the GOP only got control of the House a year ago). He will accuse the Republicans of obstructing progress in order to help their friends on Wall Street, laying the groundwork for the class-warfare that will be the foundation of his re-election campaign.
DNC
Submitted by Scott Trent on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 5:44pm.
ABC-DNC, NBC-DNC, CBS-DNC and CNN-DNC. All LAPDOGS to Obama pretending to be news organizations! All subsidiaries of the Democratic National Committee.
Apparachiks supporting their Communist masters.
Submitted by JLin on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 5:51pm.
The American political establishment has lurched radically left in the last 30 years in spite of Reagan and conservative successes. We are going to play hell reversing this mess. The Democrats are barely closeted Marxists and the Republicans are happy 1960's Democrats at best. Why would we expect the major "networks" to report the true state of the union? Truth and accuracy have to be restored to the marketplace of ideas before the culture of corruption will change.
What shocks me
Submitted by grapids38 on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 6:03pm.
What shocks me is having the media in his corner and still Obama's approval rating hangs in the mid 40's. Now just think if the MSM hit Obama on Solyndra and Fast and Furious just once a week, he would have the lowest approval in presidential history.
The Big Three Media
Submitted by helomech on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 3:03pm.
is complicit with being the Annointed Ones mouthpiece; yet the shocking and sad part is they think they're doing good by ignoring this persons failures and coverups; it'd be nice to see all the liberal mouthpieces silenced