Media Research Center president Brent Bozell appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources on Sunday to discuss liberal tilt in midterm election coverage (the first tilt being the lack of coverage on ABC, CBS, and NBC as Democrats looked like they were in trouble in the polls).
CNN host Brian Stelter tried to suggest Bozell and President Obama could agree that there is a bias, since Obama thinks there is a bias toward covering conflict. Bozell thought that didn't sound true at all:
BRENT BOZELL: In 2006, the media were everywhere covering that Democratic wave. This time -- and I'm talking about the broadcast networks, not CNN -- this time, they were virtually nowhere to be found covering this election cycle.
BRIAN STELTER: Here's the thing about this. You think the networks are biased in favor of President Obama. President Obama thinks the networks are biased, but in favor of conflict. Would you concede maybe this is one area you where and the president agree, there is a bias, you just don't agree on what kind?
BOZELL: Well, no, I don't think there is. If there was a bias based on conflict, they would be reporting Benghazi, they would be reporting the IRS, they would be reporting the VA scandal. They would be reporting Fast and Furious. All these things have disappeared. The conflict continues. You're having one development after another continuing on these things. They're not being reported anywhere. Where is the conflict?
Stelter asked Bozell if he liked Sen. Rand Paul’s idea of having a press secretary for the congressional Republicans to counter the White House press briefings. Bozell said yes, but he wouldn’t want the spokesman to be anything like Josh Earnest. Stelter closed with this:
STELTER: Let me ask you one more thing before we go. A lot of information about this election didn't come from the news. It came from all the political ads. We talked about Republicans having a hard time communicating in the mainstream media, but they did an awfully good job with their ads this season, didn't they?
BOZELL: Yes. Just think about this number. It's stunning to me. In the month of October alone, Republicans ran 35,000 ads on Obamacare. The two takeaways from that is, A, they have made a commitment they better follow through on. And, number two, I'm surprised more people didn't throw themselves out of windows after having to hear all those ads.
STELTER: Oh, I am with you on that.
