On Monday's Daily Show, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart mocked the Right's outrage over the lack of Benghazi coverage in the media.
"You know, there are very few things we've heard more about in the past year and a half. The only thing we've heard more about in the past year and a half may be the Kardashians," Stewart quipped. Yet as the MRC has documented, the mainstream media either ignored key findings after the attacks or reported them for a period of time before moving on from the story. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
And Stewart quoted figures for effect:
"You think people's failure to match your level of outrage is based on ignorance that after nearly 100 network news stories, hundreds of cable news stories about Benghazi, 13 congressional hearing, 50 further Congressional briefings and 25,000 pages of official findings concerning what happened in Benghazi, that if we all only knew about it – we would care."
Of course, Stewart conveniently left out the fact that some of the hearings or briefings weren't even picked up initially by the broadcast networks. For instance, when former defense secretary Leon Panetta admitted in February of 2013 that President Obama was disengaged on the night of the Benghazi attacks, the networks gave the bombshell a grand total of two reports. ABC ignored the story.
That lack of coverage has continued into 2014. After House Speaker John Boehner announced on Friday a special committee to investigate Benghazi, Saturday night's White House correspondents dinner received 15 times more coverage on Monday morning.
After last Wednesday's Congressional hearing, the broadcast network evening news casts virtually ignored the story. Only ABC reported it, and for only 46 seconds.
Below is a brief transcript of the segment:
COMEDY CENTRAL
DAILY SHOW
5/5/14
JON STEWART: Okay. I think I see the problem. You think people's failure to match your level of outrage is based on ignorance that after nearly 100 network news stories, hundreds of cable news stories about Benghazi, 13 congressional hearing, 50 further Congressional briefings and 25,000 pages of official findings concerning what happened in Benghazi, that if we all only knew about it –
[Laughter]
STEWART: – we would care. You know, there are very few things we've heard more about in the past year and a half. The only thing we've heard more about in the past year and a half may be the Kardashians and there is no dispute that this situation was spawned by the release of a video. I don't think there's any question. I think I see the problem. Here's your problem.
