MRC/NB's Bozell on New Poll on Media Bias; Media Disinterest in Obama's Gaffes

MRC President and NewsBusters Publisher Brent Bozell appeared on the June 10 "Fox & Friends" to discuss yet another poll noting that the public perceive what the MRC has documented for nearly 21 years: the media are not only biased ideologically, they tailor campaign coverage in a way that goes softer on candidates they favor, such as Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

For example, Bozell note, the Illinois Democrat's numerous gaffes have received widespread play in blogs and on video-sharing sites like YouTube, yet are virtually ignored by the MSM:

Barack Obama has a long history of gaffes on this campaign trail, Bosnia sniper type of gaffes. We've documented them. Others have documented them. But you won't see them on the news media. So you just can't say, I mean it's, what Ed has said is true, Hillary did stumble and did make mistakes and Bill did make mistakes but so did Barack Obama and they weren't covered.

Audio from the two segments is available here. Transcript below by MRC intern and NewsBusters blogger Lyndsi Thomas:

STEVE DOOCY, Fox & Friends co-host: Are the media being objective when covering the presidential election? A brand new Rasmussen poll says not so much. Sixty-eight percent polled say they believe most reporters on TV try to help the candidate that they want to win. Does the media deserve a failing grade in election coverage? Well joining us right now is Media Research Center president Brent Bozell and in Fargo, North Dakota, we've got radio talk show host Ed Schultz. Morning you guys. Brent, this does not surprise you, does it?

BRENT BOZELL, Media Research Center President: No, it's a continuation of an onslaught of polls. Whether it's this poll, whether it's the Pew Center, whether it's Harper, whether it is George Washington University, I mean, they're coming out like a tsunami and they're all saying the same thing that we've been saying for twenty years, that there's a left-wing bias in the news media and they are deliber- they are definitively favoring Barack Obama. And if you think the coverage in the primary was one-sided between Barack and Hillary, ya ain't seen nothin' yet. Wait till you get to the general.

[...]

DOOCY: But, Brent, it [the Reverend Wright story] got a lot of coverage but then the mainstream media just dropped it like a hot potato.

BOZELL: Yeah, I don't know where this four times, four times as much as what? Secondly, Barack Obama has a long history of gaffes on this campaign trail, Bosnia sniper type of gaffes. We've documented them. Others have documented them. But you won't see them on the news media. So you just can't say, I mean it's, what Ed has said is true, Hillary did stumble and did make mistakes and Bill did make mistakes but so did Barack Obama and they weren't covered.

[...]

DOOCY: All right, we're continuing our conversation. Brent Bozell screen left, the president of the Media Research Center and radio talk show host Ed Schultz is in Fargo, and he, oddly, is on the right. Hey guys, also in this - [laughter]. At least screen wise. Guys, additionally in the Rasmussen poll, they asked who has gotten the best media coverage and fifty-four percent of those responding said Barack Obama followed by twenty-two for John McCain and fourteen for Hillary Clinton. Brent, that does not surprise you because as you have said in the past you feel that the mainstream media are in the tank for Obama.

BOZELL: No, it doesn't surprise me. I think, personally I think that overall the media have done a pretty lousy job, the news media, with all the candidates on both sides. I think that there's been a dearth of coverage on the issues, everything has been who's up, who's down, you know, who's winning this caucus state, who's got -

DOOCY: The horse race.

BOZELL: this primary state. But no one's, yeah, no one's looking at the issues on either side and I think there ought to be. I mean, listen to the conversation you and Brian and Gretchen had before the break about where McCain and Barack Obama are on economic issues. Listen, in that three minutes you covered economics more than CBS has this year.

DOOCY: You're welcome.

GRETCHEN CARLSON, Fox & Friends co-host: Well, thank you for that plug Brent. I do want to ask you, though, about Hillary Clinton's roll in this because immediately after she dropped out there were several articles that said, "Oh, guess what, people are gonna blame Hillary Clinton now if Barack Obama does not win." What do you think about that Brent?

BOZELL: I think that's unfair. Look, we have a long ways to go. I think she's gonna do what she needs to do to say that, to show that she was a trooper. Look, plan A didn't work, plan B would be, for her to get to the White House, is for him to lose in November and for her to run four years from now. However, if she's seen as having gotten in the way of his campaign, then she's finished so she won't do that.