On Wednesday, NBC’s Today show devoted over six minutes of air time to cheering longtime liberal reporter Andrea Mitchell receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the News and Documentary Emmys on Tuesday night. In a gushing montage of Mitchell’s 50-year career of biased reporting, NBC colleagues hailed her as “indefatigable” and a model of “fairness.”
While teasing the upcoming segment celebrating Mitchell, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: “Oh my gosh, Andrea is incredible.... I think if there were a lifetime achievement award for lifetime achievement awards, she should get that. Because Andrea’s won them all and deserves every accolade.”
Marking Mitchell’s 40 years with NBC News in 2018, Guthrie declared that the day should be a “national holiday.”
Introducing the montage of Mitchell highlights in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, Guthrie announced:
Well, last night she was honored, this is so special, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards here in New York. An Emmy for her whole life. This morning, we’re so happy because Andrea is here and we want to chat with her and just love on her, but we put together some of your iconic moments over the years.
Throughout the taped package, Mitchell could be heard expounding on her philosophy of journalism:
It’s just so important to be reporting and digging and trying to find out what is true....I love trying to peel back the layers of what we know, what we don’t know....I represent a lot of people out there who don’t have the privilege of walking through the gates of the White House. If I’m going to stand in for the American people, then I have the right to know.
Despite her assertion of being the “stand in for the American people,” the Media Research Center has documented decades of Mitchell’s one-sided reporting largely focused on repeating Democratic Party talking points. A trend which continued on Wednesday, when Mitchell compared President Trump to a mob boss.
In addition to Mitchell’s own narration, other NBC journalists heaped praise on the chief foreign affairs correspondent and MSNBC host. Guthrie fawned: “She is dogged and tenacious. She never gives up.” NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt applauded: “Andrea stands up for this business, she stands up for what we do....Watching her in the field is an especially rewarding exercise. Her ability to get people to talk.”
Amid clips of former secretaries of state heralding Mitchell, Guthrie chimed in: “Andrea is the reason the word was ‘indefatigable’ was invented.” A clip followed of Hillary Clinton happily telling Mitchell during a 2016 press conference: “I love you, Andrea. You are indefatigable, you’re my kind of woman.” In fact, MSNBC was so impressed with Clinton’s endorsement of Mitchell’s slanted reporting that the left-wing cable channel actually used the comments for a promo of its presidential campaign coverage that year.
Wrapping up the montage, Guthrie marveled: “She is tireless and amazing and I can’t think of anybody whose life merits this kind of award more than Andrea.”
Following the taped puff piece, co-host Hoda Kotb enthused: “Yes, Andrea! Oh my god, that was awesome!” Holding up glasses of champagne, Guthrie added: “We raise our glasses to you.” Kotb offered: “Cheers, Andrea.”
After Guthrie touted “four living secretaries of state on that tape, talking about Andrea and talking about her fairness and her integrity,” Mitchell jumped at the chance to bash the Trump State Department: “Unfortunately, we don’t have that connection to the two – the two secretaries in this administration. They have not interacted with the media, with the press, and I think it hurts our foreign policy, it hurts our government to not be able to project.”
The lovefest for Mitchell resumed on the 3rd Hour Today show at 9:00 a.m. ET, where MSNBC host Hallie Jackson labeled her colleague “the queen” and correspondent Maria Shriver thrilled: “She’s in a league onto herself....Because she’s out there for years, paving the way and asking the questions, and surviving.”
Moments later, co-host Craig Melvin teed up a clip of Mitchell’s Emmy acceptance speech, in which she eagerly hammered the Trump administration:
We are now in an entirely new environment. In my experience, during more than four decades covering the White House and Congress and national security during seven administrations, the politics was invariably and appropriately adversarial, but this is different. Now we are called the enemy of the people. Our credibility as journalists is deliberately targeted as part of a reelection strategy. Today, time-honored norms are ignored. Press secretaries and senior officials deliver alternative facts. Traditions, such as White House briefings, State Department expanded travel pools, formal news conferences, are replaced by shouted exchanges on the South Lawn. Often drowned out by the whirling rotor blades of Marine One.
Shriver, a fellow longtime liberal at NBC, was delighted by Mitchell’s denunciations: “I think that’s incredible to have somebody with that perspective, as everybody runs around and says ‘fake news,’ ‘this is that.’ Someone who said, ‘I’ve seen it, this is not the norm. This is not the way it’s been done or should be being done.’”
As long as those in the liberal media constantly congratulate themselves on a job well done rather than confront their blatant bias, the public will continue to lose faith in the credibility of the press.
Here is a full transcript of the Mitchell celebration on the September 25 Today show:
8:20 AM ET
KOTB: It is time, Savannah Guthrie, for a celebration of a lady we all love. Her name is Andrea Mitchell.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Honoring Andrea Mitchell; NBC News Icon Wins Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award]
GUTHRIE: And she needs no introduction, but we want to anyway. She has been asking the tough questions that we all want answers for, for more than half a century. Well, last night she was honored, this is so special, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards here in New York. An Emmy for her whole life. This morning, we’re so happy because Andrea is here and we want to chat with her and just love on her, but we put together some of your iconic moments over the years.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Oh my gosh, embarrassing
GUTHRIE: Take a look.
[TAPED REPORT]
MITCHELL: It’s just so important to be reporting and digging and trying to find out what is true.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Seven other plans designed by the company that built the Three Mile Island plant could have some of the same problems.
MITCHELL: I love trying to peel back the layers of what we know, what we don’t know.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: That’s not what you said Sunday night, sir!
RONALD REAGAN: Yes, it is.
GUTHRIE: She is dogged and tenacious. She never gives up.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Israeli soldiers are coming now to chase the kids who have been throwing stones. Excuse me, can we ask you what’s going on now?
JUDY WOODRUFF: If it’s gonna be gotten, Andrea can get it.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE, ASKING JOE BIDEN]: Does this White House have some of the responsibility for the gridlock in this town?
LESTER HOLT: Andrea stands up for this business, she stands up for what we do.
MIKE POMPEO [SECRETARY OF STATE]: Take a look at the e-mail trail and you will see.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: I cover the state department, that is just factually not correct.
MITCHELL: I represent a lot of people out there who don’t have the privilege of walking through the gates of the White House. If I’m going to stand in for the American people, then I have the right to know.
GUTHRIE: She really broke the path wide open for women in our industry.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, the Capitol...At the White House...At the State Department.
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT [FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE]: She puts people through tests, at least I felt that way. She really knew what she was talking about, always does.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Isn’t this again an instance of NATO threatening to take action, but appearing weaker.
WOODRUFF: A career that spans so many administrations, so many years.
MICHAEL DUKAKIS: May I disagree with the premise of your question?
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: For the sake of argument, no. [Laughter]
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: NBC News has learned Clarence Thomas, Anita Hill, and the Senate will all be on trial.
JOHN KERRY [FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE]: There’s a fundamental decency in her approach to journalism which doesn’t let you off the hook.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Can we get a couple questions about your agenda?
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: We have some breaking news. The White House has announced on Twitter, Vladimir Putin is coming to the White House in the fall.
DAN COATES [FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE]: Say that again. [Laughter]
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: After 20 years of war and chaos.
CONDOLEEZZA RICE: She was just fierce in getting to places.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Eights years after the Tiananmen Square massacre....The question is, will be the U.N. be able to maintain the security?...We go to his offices, then he [Fidel Castro] takes us for a ride in his bulletproof Mercedes....You’re not just soldiers, you’re social workers, you’re doing everything.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [U.S. SOLDIER]: Roger that, ma’am.
HOLT: Watching her in the field is an especially rewarding exercise. Her ability to get people to talk.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: Do you believe the government?
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: No, we don’t believe the government.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: What good are their promises?
RICE: I’ll never forget her in Sudan.
MITCHELL: If you slam a door in my face, there’s something in me, this bell rings.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: They grabbed me from behind and dragged me out.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT]: Don’t ever touch that journalist again!
RICE: And thinking to myself, Andrea Mitchell is taking on these big burly guys with sun glasses.
GUTHRIE: Andrea is the reason the word was “indefatigable” was invented.
HILLARY CLINTON: I love you, Andrea. You are indefatigable, you’re my kind of woman.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE, SHOUTING TO REX TILLERSON]: What about the Russia investigation?! Can you assure us that Russia –
COLIN POWELL [FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE]: She seemed like such a nice, warm easy person to get along with. So I thought it’s going to be great working with Andrea.
ALBRIGHT: All of a sudden the same person, Andrea, starts asking you really hard questions and you think okay, what just happened here?
POWELL: I couldn’t believe it. This nice lady who I thought was going to be my friend is attacking me. I said, “Is it going to be like this for the rest of our career together?” And she said, “Probably.”
HOLT: She is charming and she is respectful and one of the nicest people you ever meet, but she is going to get that story.
MITCHELL [FILE FOOTAGE]: I am somewhere on the floor of this convention.
GUTHRIE: She is tireless and amazing and I can’t think of anybody whose life merits this kind of award more than Andrea.
KOTB: Yes, Andrea! [Applause] Oh my god, that was awesome!
GUTHRIE: We raise our glasses to you. [Raising champagne glasses]
KOTB: Cheers, Andrea. Here you go.
MITCHELL: Could you believe the hair color? [Laughter]
GUTHRIE: You know what? Let’s just soak in the moment, four living secretaries of state on that tape, talking about Andrea and talking about her fairness and her integrity.
KOTB: Yes.
GUTHRIE: And even though you went after them hard, they respect you.
MITCHELL: What was so touching about that also to me, I feel some pride, two Democrats, two Republicans.
KOTB: Yeah.
MITCHELL: Unfortunately, we don’t have that connection to the two – the two secretaries in this administration. They have not interacted with the media, with the press, and I think it hurts our foreign policy, it hurts our government to not be able to project.
KOTB: When I saw them like laying a hand on you and shoving you and pushing you in front of – you know, where Condoleezza Rice was there, that just struck me as wow.
MITCHELL: And Condi Rice demanded an apology from the Sudanese government before she would leave the country.
MELVIN: Over the – you look back at that tape, Andrea, is there an interview, is there a story that stands out more than the others?
MITCHELL: I think a lot about the people in Haiti because we really have not paid enough attention, covered the revolution, the earthquake, and all the aftermath and it is still such a beleaguered country. Obviously Cuba, Vietnam, but the people around the world who are so pro-American, so embracing no matter what our policies, there’s a great love for America and for freedom.
GUTHRIE: Well, we just want to say, Andrea, congratulations. Not only – you see what she does every day on camera, what you don’t know is about the sisterhood that she has raised up inside this building. The executive producer of this show, her producers on her show, so many women, like me and Kristen Welker, and you’ve supported all of us.
KOTB: Yes, you have.
GUTHRIE: And that is your legacy, too. So to you we say congratulations.
MITCHELL: Thank you.
GUTHRIE: So well deserved.
