Dueling Time Headlines: 'Bush Motorcade Kills Cop' vs. 'Officer Killed Escorting Clinton'

Photo of Warner Todd Huston.

Back on August 28 we posted the sad story of the death of a motorcycle policeman who was killed while in service as a motorcade escort for president George W. Bush. What brought the story to our attention was the shocking way that Time Magazine reported the story. With a headline that blared "Bush Motorcade Kills Cop," Time made it appear that the officer died as a result of... well, President Bush.

Well, today, we have a similar story to report. A motorcycle policeman was killed today while in service as a motorcade escort for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The previous incident was headlined as if Bush was responsible for the unfortunate death, but today's Time headline was not so harsh in its tone when a Clinton was involved. "Officer Killed Escorting Clinton," is how Time magazine reported this incident.

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The August report on the Bush motorcade accident is no longer on the Time website, but it contained the actual account proving that the police officer died when he lost control of his cycle. Obviously Bush's motorcade didn't "kill" a cop. It was just that the man lost control and died from the accident. Regrettable, yes. Negligence on the part of George W. Bush? No. Still, the tenor of the Bush report clearly carried a harsh tone against president Bush.

Just look at those two headlines side-by-side.

Bush Motorcade Kills Cop

Officer Killed Escorting Clinton

Quite a difference in tone there, eh?

This new report, however, is far less harsh on Sen. Hillary Clinton.

(DALLAS) -- A police motorcycle officer died after a crash while escorting Hillary Rodham Clinton's motorcade to a campaign rally.

"I have just learned of the death of a Dallas police officer in a devastating accident that occurred as the motorcycle officers were leading our cars to this site," Clinton told reporters at a Dallas rally. "We are just heartsick over this loss of life in the line of duty."

Clinton said she planned to call the officer's family to express condolences, as well as the police chief.

"This reminds us once again what the men and women in law enforcement do every single day," Clinton said. "It is important that we respect and appreciate their service. I certainly am grateful for all they do for me and, more importantly, they do for the citizens of cities like Dallas and across the country. I just want to express my deepest condolences to the family and the Dallas police department for this tragic, tragic accident."

Isn't it so wonderful of Hillary to be so caring and heartfelt? Aren't we glad Time magazine reported Hillary's compassion?

Of course it is good that Hillary felt so bad about this accident. There is nothing wrong with her sentiment. It is rightly expressed. But, here is the thing... Time magazine offered none of President Bush's sorrow for the officer that died in his service. Time magazine gave us a headline that seemed to say that Bush actually killed his unfortunate officer, and then went on to discuss other deaths purportedly attributed to Bush. Bush was treated coldly during his incident while they lend Hillary all the humanity they can muster.

No, there's no bias in Time's treatment of the two situations... is there?

For a screen shot of the two headlines side by side, visit Verum Serum.


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nit nit nit-picking again

nit nit nit-picking again guys

I disagree.

This looks like a fair bust to me. Time's agenda may not be convenient for you at the moment, but it's blatantly obvious in these 2 headlines. And I'm not a big fan of Time, the Clintons, or the Bushes, so (I think) I have no dogs in this fight. If you erase the politicians' names from the headlines but tell me "it's Time Magazine," I'd have instantly been able to tell you which headline goes with which party. If that doesn't perfectly-define Time's ongoing media bias problem, nothing does.
JMR

A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.

kat... You are always

kat...

You are always unhappy with this site most times....how come?

Oh I forgot, you also rarely answer....

Lets see...you remind me of something...I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it starts with a 'T'....I'll think of it and get back to you...in the meantime smile, be happy. 

Apparently, it's all nits

Apparently, it's all nits with katlee, BT.

LOL Chris...it has to be.

LOL Chris...it has to be.

I always wonder why people

I always wonder why people who don't like this site at all continue to come here. Also the ones whose sole purpose in life appears to be posting "What does that have to do with media bias?"

That's why..........

I always leave my favorite tag line when I reply to balboa like this...

----
On missing the obvious:
"I just think you could point to a million different stories... But to point at one and blame the liberal bias seems pointless."
--Comment by Balboa, Feb 3, 2008 - 11:21 ET, on Newsbusters, a site where "exposing and combating liberal media bias" is the WHOLE point the site exists!

Its the perks MB

Everytime I come to NB my coffee holder on my comp pops open.So I then have a place to put my coffee cup.

The other working headlines revealed

You should have seen the 'working headlines!'

Take one: "Bush tells his driver to stop short, kills motorcyclist"

Take two: "Bush stops motorcade, exits vehicle and personally kills motorcyclist"

Take three: "Bush motorcade kills motorcyclist" (ACCEPTED)

 

You forgot one... "Bush is

You forgot one...

"Bush is an evil warmonger and we hope he dies just like the Motorcycle cop he killed today"

Liberals have pure venom

Today in a grocery line, I heard a strange rant from an old man I later observed had a new Buick. He started out with not having any money, then went on about that son of a bitch Bush and how he would be glad when he was gone.

The checker was rolling her eyes.......but it visits the complete strangeness of liberals in using dead bodies of all things to attack President Bush.
It reminds me of Ron Silver saying "Those are our jets now" (in the military) when Clinton was in office.

A dead police officer is killed by Bush, but in Hillary he is killed doing his duty.

It is simple psychopathy..........."my baby can not rape and murder a dozen people with video showing it", but George Bush protecting America murders 600,000 Iraqis who were manufactured for a report.

Liberals can do no wrong and Conservatives can do no right in their communist eyes.

 

*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS

Hillary's car hit's cop - media mum

Warner. Have not we been here before? (;~> gary Hillary's car hits cop - media mum

Warner. For some reason, that reminded me of the following event, which the media ignored, as well. I would imagine that had the Senator at the time been a leading Republican candidate in this years election cycle, that the press would have never stopped hounding them about the issue. I add to the story. A follow up account noted that Hillary never got out of the car to see if the officer was OK, and that no-one ever bothered to follow up with the officer to see if he was OK. Insensitive and uncaring comes to mind - with the "it takes a village - taking a back seat:

10/14/01) YONKERS - A bizarre accident at Westchester County Airport involved Senator Hillary Clinton's entourage Sunday.

Sources tell News 12 Westchester that a vehicle in Senator Clinton's security team tried to bypass a mandatory check point at the airport, which has been under a heightened state of alert since the terrorist attacks. A county police officer attempting to stop the vehicle from getting through injured his shoulder. That officer was taken to Saint Agnes Hospital in White Plains, and his condition is not known.

Senator Clinton, who turned 54 Sunday, was en route to board a private jet to an unreleased destination. The former first lady could not be reached for comment.Copyright © 2001 News12.com.

 

Gary, great catch.

I was looking for a link on that, too. I remember at the time it happened about the only people that covered it was Boortz and Limbaugh. The MSM didn't go anywhere near it.

Proud member of the "Rough Republican Attack Machine."

A county police officer

A county police officer attempting to stop the vehicle from getting through injured his shoulder.

That's the other difference...notice that in this instance, the officer injured his own shoulder!

Not enough room

You point out "...then went on to discuss other deaths purportedly attributed to Bush".

C'mon, let's be fair. There's simply not enough room in the paper to discuss other deaths purportedly attributed to the Clintons!

___________________________________ 

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber

TnT... I'd be ROFL if

TnT...

I'd be ROFL if that wasn't so danged true.

Well, isn't it obvious that

Well, isn't it obvious that Time learned that they needed to be more compassionate and caring after the Bush article?

/sarc off.

Impressions

The Bush headline makes it sound as if the motorcade itself killed the cop -- perhaps running down some hapless flatfoot who was just trying to direct traffic and got turned into roadkill by the cruel oblivions escorting Bush.

 The Clinton headline makes it sound as if somebody -- perhaps some enemy of Clinton? -- deliberately killed the stalwart man in blue who was bravely protecting the former First Lady from her many heinous enemies.

You can't tell me that they chose their words without trying to convey these impressions. They're professional wordsmiths, not Korean ESL students struggling to express themselves in a foreign language. 

She needs to withdraw from the race right now

before more innocent cops are killed. She dragged us into this campaign on the false promise that she had this thing rapped up. Now its been dragging on for months, with no end in site, and she hasn't come up with an exit strategy. And, she hasn't renounced the wordsmiths of mass deception.

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

Vital signs missing

What is also interesting is how the Time story completely omits any detailed explanation of incident that caused the man’s life.

For example, was it similar to the hit-and-run incident when Hillary’s car struck and injured a policeman while she was deliberately running a police blockade at an airport a day or so after 9/11? That incident was particularly interesting because for reason never explained the injured office, and I believe his supervisor too, were so intimated that they refused ever to talk to reporters about the incident. Never mind the sensation in Chris Matthews’ leg, this matter send a chill down my spine every time I think about this woman being president. To the best of my knowledge the MSM never reported this incident whatsoever.

In answer to my own question, Hillary probably was not directly responsible for what happened today because Time did report this story.

Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.

katlee, you didn't prove

katlee, you didn't prove we're wrong. Just because you're a nitpick-ophobe doesn't mean you should be flaunting it in your trollish garb.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian: Illustrating Idiocy

NB Hall of Infamy

Warner,

I think NB should establish an "NB Hall of Infamy" for the most outragious examples of liberal news media bias.  I'm sure that this would rank in the top ten!!!!  NB could do a yearly "Razzie" type award and invite the top three winners to a national media attended dinner (they LOVE to dress up and go to these affairs).

I can picture it now..."And the winner of the 2008 Most Outragious Media Bias Award is...(drum roll please)...Time Magazine!!!!

Sad and Angry

As a former motorcycle cop, I'm saddened to learn of the death today of the DPD officer.

As a broadcast journalist, I'm steamed (but not surprised) by how Time reported the two tragedies.


A member of the right-wing media

steve... Hear..Hear!

steve...

Hear..Hear!

Shrillary and Osama Obama

Found this somewhere that will show the hypocrites they are:

Obama slanders the CIC on troops/equipment, Shrillary remains silent,  and then I read this the next day. Only one word explains it, Hypocrite.

Clinton, Obama Take No Funding Pledge

September 17, 2007

ABC News’ Teddy Davis, Jonathan Greenberger, and Donna Hunter Report…

 

Clinton, Obama Take No Funding Pledge

September 17, 2007

ABC News’ Teddy Davis, Jonathan Greenberger, and Donna Hunter Report…

“I have voted against funding this war and I will vote against funding this war as long as it takes,” Clinton told the Service Employees International Union on Monday in Washington, D.C.

Clinton’s comments came one day after Obama made a similar pledge.

“If there is a funding bill that does not have a timetable for when we begin withdrawal, and the completion — a plan for how that withdrawal will proceed — I will not support it,” said Obama on Sunday during a wide-ranging foreign policy discussion at Des Moines’ First Christian Church…

Yes, they are so concerned about our soldiers having adequate supplies, they have voted against funding them at nearly every opportunity.

 

But then they know democrats are stupid and assume everyone, except themselves, are also stupid.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate this around a 2.5 in terms of bias potentiality.  And that is (in my opinion) primarily attributable to the sloppiness in the wording of the Bush headline.

If one's mission is to find bias, you can be certain it will be found.  It brings to mind the observation that where the only tool one has is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. There will be more than enough legitimate examples of MSM leftward tilting to keep a website such as NewsBusters thriving far into the future.  But there will inevitably be occasions where the alleged bias exists more in the mind of the hunter than in the behavior of the prey.

The comparative Time headlines may raise an eyebrow, but they hardly establish a level of anti-Bush animus that Warner and most others on this thread suggest.  Indeed, the case might well be made that the Clinton headline was more susceptible to a negative interpretation--for the following reason:  The Bush headline was depersonalized.  And despite Warner's spin at the end of his blog [wherein he illogically concludes that "Time magazine gave us a headline that seemed to say that Bush actually killed his unfortunate officer..."(emphasis mine)], no discerning reader should properly surmise that the President had personally taken anyone's life.  The cause was clearly an inanimate object--the motorcade.

In contrast, the Clinton headline employed no such depersonalization.  Here an officer died while escorting Hillary.  Hmm...was he murdered like others who have crossed the Clintons, or did he die a mysterious death like Vince Foster at the direction of the Clintons and their assassination teams...if one believes what many at NB apparently believe, then those might be distinct possibilities.  The headline, at least, doesn't blame it on some unliving, outside agent, i.e. a motorcade. 

My honest take on this item:  Bias is in the eye of the beholder.  That said, I think Time could have written a better headline in the Bush incident...but I don't see this an an example of blatant, egregious bias.  Indeed, Time printed a number of overwhelmingly positive articles about both George and Laura Bush during the 2000 campaign and early in his administration.  As a matter of fact, Gore supporters were upset with what they considered clear favoritism by Time toward Bush.

Jer

So Time magazine is sloppy

So Time magazine is sloppy just like Fox News is sloppy, right jer?

Whoever wrote those headlines for Time ought to be fired for sheer incompetence as a journalist at the very least.  I guess if Newsbusters can nitpick, you guys can whitewash and gloss over every example of obviously biased, left wing, yellow journalism with, "Oh they didn't really mean it".  Give me a break.

 

gordon...not sure what you

gordon...not sure what you mean about Time vs. Fox News sloppiness. 

I wouldn't fire the headline writer unless clumsy wording were a habit.  In the latter case, demote, transfer, or terminate.

If you're including me in the constant whitewash, gloss-over crowd, give me a break.  Not guilty.

Jer 

"Clinton Motorcade Kills

"Clinton Motorcade Kills Cop!!" Jer, the situations in which the officers losth their lives were identical.  Why not use the same headline?  The answer is obvious to most of us.

The incident with President Bush:

"A New Mexico police officer crashed and died today while escorting President Bush's motorcade into the Albuquerque airport after a fundraiser for Sen. Pete Domenici, the AP reports.

Rio Rancho Officer Germaine Casey, 40, hit a curb and a tree where a road enters an underground parking garage, police said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was married and had two teenage children." 

The incident with Senator Clinton: 

"Senior Cpl. Victor Lozada was one of more than 30 motorcycle officers whose job it was to hold traffic at intersections while the black SUVs and patrol cars of the motorcade rolled through Dallas.

As the caravan headed south across the viaduct, Cpl. Lozada rounded a curve during his leapfrog toward the front. He apparently was unable to manage the turn.

Cpl. Lozada's motorcycle ran up onto a sidewalk lining the viaduct, its momentum forcing it against the concrete railing, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation. Then it slammed head-on into a concrete outcropping."

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."  - Sir Winston Churchill

Jer, if *partisan* "clumsy wording" _weren't_ a habit of Time's

Then how could I say what I said above, about being able to fill-in the political party simply by knowing "it's Time"?
JMR

A corruption-story the TV media will-not cover.

If you can cite ONE example

If you can cite ONE example where they were ever "sloppy" in the other direction (pro-republican and anti-democrat), your argument will have merit.

When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).

Not even...

Not even one example proves the point. Not even 10 or 100 examples of pro-Republican bias in the media erases the salient fact that there are hundreds of thousands of examples of left leaning bias in the media! There is in no way whatsoever any sense that there is any evenhandedness in the bias. It is far and away more on the left side. It's just not even a contest. The "news" media in this country (and the west in general) is leftist by agenda as well as by unconscious bias.

What we chronicle here on Newsbusters is just a drop in the ocean of leftist media bias. We'd need 100 writers busy 24 hours a day to get even 1/4 of it.

TIME Likes Bush?

"Indeed, Time printed a number of overwhelmingly positive articles about both George and Laura Bush during the 2000 campaign and early in his administration. As a matter of fact, Gore supporters were upset with what they considered clear favoritism by Time toward Bush."

Really? Can you give us some credible examples, with links, to these pro-Bush TIME stories? As well as a credible cite for the Gore people being upset at TIME?

Del...I haven't forgotten

Del...I haven't forgotten about you...I have a couple of links I'll post for you soon.

The Gore people upset at Time?  That would be me and my Gore-voting friends...actually I think it would have been more accurate for me to say "upset at the media in general" for their treatment of Gore.  I'll give you a cite for that, too.

Jer

Del... if you go to the

Del... if you go to the archives of www.Time.com, you will find a number of very positive articles about George [and Laura] Bush--particularly in the 1999-2001 time period. For example, there were favorable cover articles on 6/21/99, 12/25/2000 (Man of the Year issue) 2/28/2000, 1/08/2001 (Laura Bush), 9/24/2001, and 10/22/2001 to name just a few.

For media treatment of Gore, www.dailyhowler.com has been documenting MSM negativity for years.  Archives is replete with examples:  6/01/07 and 4/21/06 are good starting points.

Jer