Robin Roberts

On ABC's World News, Wednesday, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts hyped Barack Obama's endorsement of gay marriage as a "historic," "riveting" "cultural event." The exclusive interview played more as an infomercial for the President, featuring long stretches of Obama talking with no pesky, interrupting questions.

Anchor Diane Sawyer enthused, "Well, as we said this is a historic cultural and political event in this country." In the tease for the interview, Sawyer trumpeted, "Tonight on World News, a historic ABC News interview. President Obama takes a stand on same sex marriage." In the segment, Roberts didn't push the President on why his "evolution" took 17 months.

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Thursday made little effort to hide the excitement she felt when Barack Obama came out in support for gay marriage. Touting her exclusive interview with the President, Roberts marveled that, just talking about it, "I'm getting chills again." She added that the moment "was not lost on anyone" who was in the White House, Wednesday.

Co-anchor George Stephanopoulos hyped the "watershed moment." Roberts deemed it to be the President's "historic stand." During the GMA segment, she offered several softball questions, including one about Mother's Day. On people who might actually oppose gay marriage, Roberts could only manage: "You realize there are going to be some people that are going to be saying [you made this decision for political gain]. Do you see where some people might consider that the same thing?"  [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

For the third day in a row, Wednesday, an absent George Stephanopoulos prompted ABC's Good Morning America to provide skimpy coverage of the GOP presidential race. While CBS This Morning devoted nine minutes, including an interview, on the Illinois primary, ABC allowed just two minutes and 21 seconds of coverage.

In GMA's only full report, Jake Tapper quoted Romney casting the race as law professor vs. conservative businessman (which typically leaves out describing Obama as liberal): "It's very clearly a very stark choice between Barack Obama, who [Romney is] casting as a law professor, versus a conservative businessman."

Despite there being numerous presidential news stories developing on Monday, including Rick Santorum and abortion, ABC's Good Morning America skipped all political topics. Not coincidentally, former Democratic operative turned journalist George Stephanopoulos was off for the day. Since Stephanopoulos became a co-host on December 14, 2009, ABC has marginalized incumbent anchor Robin Roberts's participation in serious political stories, often relegating her to tabloid coverage. 

When Stephanopoulos debuted on GMA in 2009, GMA executive producer Jim Murphy told TV Newser, "We believe in supporting everyone fully...Everyone will get their fair share." Yet, on Monday, as CBS and NBC were discussing Santorum's comments on abortion and faith, Roberts was left to highlight the latest on accused murderer George Huguely. The program also found time for more on Whitney Houston and basketball player Jeremy Lin.

Who is Jake Tapper shilling for? The Obama administration or the Disney corporation? Over the two hours of Thursday's Good Morning America, there was not one mention of the administration's decision to reject the Keystone oil pipeline, costing at least 20,000 jobs. Yet, Tapper and ABC 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, parent company of ABC.

The segment, which featured clips of Beauty and the Beast and It's a Small World, included Robin Roberts gushing, "But, now, a big announcement about jobs from President Obama today." (She wasn't referring to Keystone, of course.) An excited Tapper enthused, "The President will announce this afternoon that he wants to make the United States the number one tourist destination in the world." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Good Morning America's reporters and hosts on Thursday continued to hype their own impact in the Herman Cain scandal. Co-anchor Robin Roberts gloated that Cain is "under a lot of pressure right now, facing so many questions after George [Stephanopoulos'] interview, Wednesday, with a woman who says she was his mistress for more than a decade."

On Wednesday, co-host Stephanopoulos touted his exclusive with accuser Ginger White, wondering, "Will our interview spell the end of the one-time front-runner's presidential bid?" On Thursday, an ABC graphic pushed, "Can Cain survive? Is he feeling the strain?" Reporter John Berman is known for his snark and a separate graphic featured a doctored Cain sign reading, "I'm getting off this train."

All three morning shows on Tuesday trumpeted the latest woman to make accusations against Herman Cain, hyping this as a possible "death blow" and sign of coming "doom" for the "Sixth Sense" campaign. [See video below. MP3 audio here.] Ginger White insisted that she and Cain had engaged in a 13-year affair.  CBS, unlike NBC and ABC, made no mention of the woman's past legal problems, which include claims of stalking.

On Tuesday's "Good Morning America," co-host Robin Roberts pounced, "Campaign bombshell...Do [White's] shocking revelations spell doom for his troubled campaign?" On CBS's "Early Show," correspondent John Dickerson proclaimed, "At the worst, it's a death blow to the campaign."

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts bashed her own network, Monday, decrying GMA's obsession with tabloid stories. In a Daily Beast article, she lamented, "I’ll be honest, it’s been an adjustment for me, the lighter fare...I want to be No. 1. I don’t want to sell my soul to the devil to be No. 1."

The Howard Kurtz piece contained several gossipy nuggets, including a possible icy relationship between Roberts and co-host George Stephanopoulos. Kurtz related that the two "almost never chat during the show when the cameras are off, with Stephanopoulos usually tapping on his BlackBerry."

The Big Three networks' seeming desperation to report on "Occupy Wall Street" reached a new level on Friday, after they led their morning shows with New York City's decision to not clear the park where the protesters are camped. NBC touted how the demonstrators were "proclaiming victory" in response to the move. ABC highlighted the "celebratory" atmosphere, while CBS played up the "mood of jubilation" there.

Today show anchor Ann Curry noted that a "showdown [was] averted at the site of the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement here in New York." She then turned to correspondent Maria Schiavocampo, who reported live from Zuccotti Park,  the home base of the left-leaning protesters for about a month. The correspondent immediately zeroed-in on how one could "hear the celebrations taking place behind me here as protesters are proclaiming victory in their showdown with the park's owners."

ABC's Robin Roberts tossed softballs to Anita Hill on Monday, wondering what the "legacy" will be for the "quiet" law professor who accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment 20 years ago. The Good Morning America co-host only once challenged Hill about skepticism of her charges.

Although co-host George Stephanopoulos teased the segment by calling the 1991 Supreme Court nomination hearings "controversial," Roberts' questions didn't indicate that at all. She prompted, "Take us back. What were your emotions?...Are you still angry?" Later, Roberts fawned, "I know there's still many books to be written, but [what's] your legacy?" [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Newsweek editor Tina Brown, who last week smeared the Republican Party as "suicide bombers," was featured as a guest on Tuesday's Good Morning America to slam the "amorality" of Rupert Murdoch. Brown appeared to discuss the News of the World scandal and the ethics of the media mogul.

Talking to host Robin Roberts, the editor attacked, "But at the same [Murdoch] has no, you know, ethics in the company." Brown, who in addition to running Newsweek, also oversees the Daily Beast, showed up on MSNBC's Morning Joe last week to trash Republicans who oppose raising the debt limit: "I think they’re the suicide bombers in all of this."

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Friday conducted a softball, light-hearted interview with Barack Obama, devoting 15 minutes to the President. She even included questions from sports celebrities such as Drew Brees.

During the two part segment, which was billed as a look at Obama on Father's Day, Roberts only bothered with four policy questions, instead choosing to highlight the queries from NFL quarterback Brees and NBA star Dwyane Wade.

Relaying audience questions, she investigated, "...Many of you wanted to know how the President would handle a big birthday next month, his daughter Malia is turning 13. You are about to hit the teenage years."

[See video below. MP3 audio here.]

 

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts conducted yet another fawning interview with Michelle Obama on Friday, offering 11 minutes and two segments to such important topics as whether the First Lady will attend Prince William's wedding.

Not exactly grilling Mrs. Obama, the co-anchor mused, "We understand that Prince William and Kate, they sent out the save the date kind of notifications. Have you received yours?...Would you like to attend the wedding?"

In comparison, when Roberts interviewed Laura Bush on October 22, 2007, she quoted Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "Desmond Tutu went even farther, saying the generosity of Americans, that's what we should export instead of our bombs."

Hard-left comedienne Roseanne Barr appeared on Wednesday's Good Morning America and faced no questions about her controversial, often bizarre statements, such as in 2009 when she dressed up like Hitler and pretended to bake "burnt Jew cookies." Instead, Roberts fawned, "Buckle up, folks. Roseanne Barr is back, making us laugh."

An ABC graphic touted Barr: "Roseanne is Back! Past, Present and Presidency?" Keep in mind, this is a woman who once smeared that Republicans "cherish the freedom to have sex with small children."

Roberts downplayed the cover of Roseannearchy, Barr's new book, by blandly observing, "Clever little cover there." The "clever" cover features the comic dressed up like the communist Che Guevara. It was up to Barr to reference the radical nature of the book, noting, "I was thinking Rush Limbaugh, kind of. A left-wing, Rush Limbaugh kind of thing."

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Wednesday offered a doubting take on whether or not the newly elected Republicans in Congress would be able to keep their promises. She skeptically wondered, "And they're not the first ones who go to Washington, with the right intentions and feeling, you know, the things that they talked about to get elected and then, getting to Washington."

She continued, "Why do they think it's going to be different with them to be able to, you know, have the Constitution whipping out in their pocket, but to be able to maintain what they want?" World News anchor Diane Sawyer appeared on GMA with an interview of newly elected Republicans.

The host announced in a sing-song voice: "They are here!" Sawyer then helpfully announced, "But, they're human."

 As the broadcast network morning newscasts on Thursday each interviewed former Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell regarding allegations that she misused campaign money, in the setup piece on each network, the correspondent failed to inform viewers of credibility weaknesses on the part of O’Donnell’s accusers and omitted O’Donnell’s contention that she did not use campaign money to pay for rent on her home. Additionally, only CBS’s Jan Crawford informed viewers that the group pushing for an investigation - the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) - is a "left-leaning" group, as NBC’s Norah O’Donnell vaguely referred to a "watchdog group," and ABC’s Rob Nelson did not mention the organization.

Although both accusers who used to work for the O’Donnell campaign were fired - one after less than two weeks on the job - all three networks failed to inform viewers of these details that would suggest they may be disgruntled, and NBC’s Norah O’Donnell on the Today show even suggested that the accusers have greater credibility because they, like Christine O’Donnell, are Republicans, while the NBC correspodnent failed to inform viewers that the group CREW is liberal. NBC’s Norah O’Donnell reported: "O'Donnell calls them phony, but it was members of her own party who first raised the issue. During this year's bitter primary battle, Delaware's Republican Party paid for robo calls where O'Donnell's past campaign manager accused her of breaking the law in her failed 2008 Senate bid."

According to Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Monday, the efforts of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence aren't "anti-gun." The morning show co-host interviewed Colin Goddard, the group's assistant director of legislative affairs, and promoted a new documentary on the "gun show loophole."

Colin Goddard survived the massacre at Virginia Tech and now works for the aggressively anti-Second Amendment organization. Yet, while talking to Goddard, she portrayed the group's work as just common sense. She exclaimed, "Because you're not anti-gun."

After playing a clip of the young man going undercover at a gun show, she mildly suggested, "And we were talking in the commercial break and saying there are groups on both sides. There are groups that say I have the right to bear arms, I don't need this. How do we coexist?"

[MP3 audio here. See video below.]

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Friday expressed incredulity that Sarah Palin shot a caribou on her TLC reality show. Interviewing the former governor, she chided, "Some in the lower 48, would say, why did you shoot Rudolph? Though, it's not a reindeer."

Roberts highlighted lefty Hollywood producer Aaron Sorkin, informing that he "calls it a snuff film." She added, "There are some that see this and see the high-powered rifle, and going, really?" (In a humorous moment, Palin dismissed the filmmaker, "Is his name Allen?...I've been calling him Allen.")

Trying to show how hunting is controversial, Roberts added, "I think it also because it was such a high-powered rifle." A perplexed Palin explained, "Well, you can't bring down an animal with a BB gun."

[Video below. MP3 audio here.]

Apparently one of the most pressing issues in the California senatorial race is whether or not Sarah Palin is "too extreme." Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Friday pressed Carly Fiorina twice on that issue, insisting on knowing why the former Alaska governor hasn't been campaigning for the Republican.

She demanded, "We know that Sarah Palin has visited California recently, but she was not campaigning for you. Why not Sarah Palin? Is she too extreme for you?" The co-host followed-up: "Down in Florida, Charlie Crist had an ad campaign saying Sarah Palin is just too extreme for some Republicans."

Barbara Boxer has not appeared on GMA during the 2010 campaign season, so there's been no opportunity for the show's host to grill the Senator on supporters such as director Rob Reiner, who recently compared the Tea Party to Nazis. [MP3 audio here.]

Video after the break.

According to ABC's Juju Chang, "wedge issues" like gay marriage can be linked to the bullying of homosexual teens. On Thursday's Good Morning America, the news anchor connected the subject in a piece on why a "seemingly accepting society" would allow harassment.

The reporter complained, "But despite the progress, gay issues are wedge issues in this country. 29 states effectively ban gay marriage." Effectively banned? Without explaining the connection, she added, "And there's Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

In a follow-up segment, co-host Robin Roberts interviewed Harvard professor William Pollack and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, star of ABC's Modern Family, to talk about gay bullying. (It's interesting that the network chose a gay actor from ABC to talk about this issue and not one from NBC or CBS. Was this a discussion of a serious topic or promotion of a network sitcom?)

Playing Stevie Wonder's version of 'Happy Birthday' at the end of Wednesday's CBS Early Show, co-host Erica Hill reported: "The Obamas, of course, big Stevie Wonder fans. And President Obama, 49 years old today." After she observed that Obama looked a little grayer, co-host Harry Smith, who interviewed the President on Friday, chimed in: "He came bounding into the interview area full of energy."

Smith went on to note how "in terms of energy and sort of lines on the face or any of that other kind of stuff....looks like [Obama's] still got it together." Hill wondered: "He doesn't look tired or drawn or stressed?" Smith replied, "No, no. Nope," and started to joke about his own age: "[Obama] was probably very happy to see me....Because Lord knows, everybody likes it when they see the old- "

At that point, weatherman Dave Price interjected: "But keep in mind, you really never notice it until you see those pictures." He added: "...the only one who really came out looking just like he did was Reagan....left looking great." Smith couldn't resist getting in a quick shot at the late president: "...they insisted till the end that he never dyed his hair."

ABC and CBS's morning shows on Monday hyped Chelsea Clinton's wedding as happy reminder of the '90s. Daily Beast editor Tina Brown appeared on Good Morning America and enthused, "Well, I really felt that this wedding came in for the real rosy glow, Clinton, sort of back-lit feeling, because people are really very depressed right now." [MP3 audio here.]

Co-host Robin Roberts prompted the former editor of the New Yorker, "You said that we needed, that America needed this wedding." The nostalgic Brown reminisced that the "Clinton-era was all about surpluses and prosperity and pre-9/11."

Speaking of the decade, she oddly asserted, "And, suddenly, we think, 'How safe we were in those days and we didn't even realize it.'"

Democratic Congressman Ed Markey appeared on ABC and CBS's morning shows on Monday to talk about the Gulf Coast oil spill and didn't face a single question about the government's handling of the disaster. Instead, Good Morning America and the Early Show both kept the heat on BP.

Discussing the likely departure of BP's CEO Tony Hayword, GMA's Robin Roberts pressed, "And that when [Haywood] gave those evasive answers, you felt were evasive answers, when you grilled him on Capitol Hill last month- What do you think about this imminent change? Is it too late for you?"

The network morning shows on Thursday trumpeted Barack Obama's nuclear weapons treaty with Russia as "historic" and "landmark," with only Good Morning America allowing that the reduction plan could be "controversial." However, ABC's George Stephanopoulos also enthused, "But, [Obama and Russia's President] are here first and foremost to make history..."

Reporting live from Prague, Stephanopoulos was mostly light on details. He did explain that the treaty's goal is to cut "nuclear arsenals by about 30 percent over the next seven years." And while the ex-Democratic aide allowed that "critics call [the treaty] utopian and dangerous," he didn't explain why.

Co-host Robin Roberts announced, "George Stephanopoulos is there in Prague for the historic moment." She later teased, "George is traveling, of course, with the President, who just signed a landmark treaty."

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts on Tuesday pressed Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to account for the "tone" of conservatives and Republicans following the passage of health care legislation. Speaking of protests in Washington over the weekend, she complained, "And some things that didn't help, and I don't know if you agree or not, the tone, the tone that it took."

Guest co-host Bill Weir uttered similar disapproval of the "vitriol." He talked to White House senior advisor David Axelrod and worried, "How do you regard this white-hot anger we heard yesterday?" Weir also opined that some Americans are "violently opposed" to the legislation.

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Monday allowed the Kennedys to take a victory lap for the passage of health care. As the co-host interviewed Patrick Kennedy, an ABC graphic announced, "Rep. Kennedy on Dad's Final Wish: Father's Life Work Was Reform." Roberts teased the segment, "And we talk to the Congressman who sees this bill's passage as the completion of his late father's legacy."

The anchor repeatedly tossed softballs to the Rhode Island representative: "Did you feel your father's presence throughout this ordeal?" Earlier in the segment, she offered this hard-hitting query: "Congressman, an emotional 24 hours for so many people. I want to just get a gauge of your feelings here this morning."

In comparison, co-host George Stephanopoulos grilled Senator John McCain on the Republican response. He demanded, "I know that Republicans want to repeal the bill. But there are also some provisions that take effect this year that you said you're for...No cancellation of policies if you get ill. Will you move to repeal those provisions as well?"

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts tossed softballs to Michelle Obama in an interview on Tuesday, asking the First Lady to explain how she "feels" when people like Sarah Palin make "light" of her husband's efforts to "make a better world."

After referencing Palin's speech to the tea party convention on Saturday, Roberts played a clip of the former Alaska governor mocking, “How's that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for you?”  The GMA co-host offered this aggrieved question: "How do you feel when people are making light of something that was very important to the campaign and had every intent, and still do, to bring hope and change and make it a better world for people?"

A sympathetic Roberts then allowed the First Lady another chance to attack those who would criticize her husband. She empathized, "But, does it sting? Does it sting when you hear those things?"  The journalist then simply sat quietly as Mrs. Obama proceeded to blame the Republicans for incivility in Washington.

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts didn’t even try for objectivity on Wednesday when she talked to pay czar Kenneth Feinberg about his attempts to stop AIG CEOs from receiving bonuses. "We can feel the fire in your belly," she enthused after Feinberg touted the administration’s efforts at reining in bonuses. "And that's great to see," Roberts opined.

After Feinberg proudly told Roberts, "I do not, for a minute, ignore the outrage out there, which I share," the GMA co-host marveled, "We can see that." The pay czar assured the ABC anchor that "we’re doing a very good job" of "getting as much of this money back as we can." Roberts rhapsodized, "Progress is being made. No doubt about it."

Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts on Thursday implored Teresa Heinz Kerry to explain how Republican Scott Brown could have won his Senate race in Massachusetts. Talking to the wife of Democrat John Kerry, she lamented, "What’s happening?"

Prefacing this question, a bewildered Roberts recapped, "We have the election, recent election in Massachusetts, where Ted Kennedy had been senator there for almost 50 years. Health care was very important to him. And a relative newcomer, a Republican, Scott Brown, wins..."

The Senator’s wife offered a condescending explanation for the failure, thus far, to pass government-run health care: "And people don't quite understand either the depth and the ramifications [sic], in spite of the President explaining it." Roberts didn’t press Heinz Kerry on this insulting remark.

Despite promises from ABC to the contrary, Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts appears to have been almost completely shut out from political and policy interviews since George Stephanopoulos joined the show on December 14. The former Democratic operative has now anchored 11 mornings and conducted all but one of the big interviews.

Back on December 10, GMA executive producer Jim Murphy told TV Newser, "We believe in supporting everyone fully." He also added, "Everyone will get their fair share." And yet, Stephanopoulos has talked to such heavyweights as Senator John McCain, author Bob Woodward, Representative Pete King, former counter-terrorism advisor Richard Clarke, Howard Dean, David Axelrod and others.

(The single exception occurred on December 22 when Roberts and Stephanopoulos both quizzed Dr. Tim Johnson about the health care bill.) This is a break from how the show operated prior to the exit of Diane Sawyer in December. On March 26, 2007, Roberts was the solitary host of an episode-long town hall GMA with then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. On September 9, 2009, she scored an exclusive interview with President Obama. These are but a few examples.