The network evening newscasts were split as to their coverage of the growth in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the 4th quarter of 2023, a stout 3.3%. Coverage, to our surprise, ranged from regime cheerleading to brutal reality.
First, for the regime cheerleading: here’s the entirety of ABC World News Tonight’s report. All sugar: citation of the data, a Biden quote, and a mention of “new record highs in the stock market,” closing out with an image of a smiling President Biden:
DAVID MUIR: To the economy tonight, and more promising news: the nation's output of goods and services, the GDP, growing 3.3% during the fourth quarter of last year -- far outpacing expectations. President Biden today in Wisconsin on the news:
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Thanks to the American people, America now has the strongest growth, the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world.
MUIR: Of course, the White House also pointing out it comes amid new record highs in the stock market.
That’s it. There is no mention of consumer skepticism, polling showing Biden underwater on the economy, inflation, or anything else that could be perceived as adverse to The White House. ABC gave The White House a quick tongue bath and moved on to the manhunt for an escaped murderer in Philly.
Next, there’s NBC, which was a mixed bag. Christine Romans’ report was recorded in a glass factory in Bensalem, PA The regime cheerleading was sprinkled with a mention of Biden’s bad polling, but then cited negative factors as the reasons people are not feeling this awesome economy in their bones.
CHRISTINE ROMANS: Yet polls show, Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy. The ongoing effects of high inflation, and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the economic growth personally.
Romans wasn’t going to let things like inflation and the high cost of housing put a damper on her report. The report closed with optimism that the Fed will cut rates this year.
Then, there was the brutal reality of CBS. Nikki Battiste’s report opened with clips of people across the country who are mostly struggling these days. There are mentions of the high cost of groceries, of people using credit cards to pay their bills, and of rent that is 60% of income. Positive economic information, such as GDP and the stock market, was reported as being despite the overall bad news, with no mention of anyone’s feelings. CBS’s report was shockingly balanced.
ABC and NBC, however, devoted themselves to varying degrees of regime cheerleading.
To view NBC’s transcript, click HERE
To view CBS’s transcript, click HERE
