Appearing on Tuesday’s Fox & Friends to discuss his latest Trump study co-authored with research analyst Bill D’Agostino, the MRC’s Rich Noyes told co-host Steve Doocy that liberal broadcast network journalists have ditched their ability to use “neutral language that reporters used to use with presidents and getting into subjective commentary” that’s “creating this prejudicial impression of the President.”
Noyes explained that, upon completion of his study on the network evening newscasts from January 1 to September 10, journalists “are trying to focus on the drama surrounding President Trump and his emotional state” versus “looking at the actual results in office.”
“[W]e’ve had 185 synonyms for anger and angry, furious, livid, you know, that time should be spent talking about the economy and talking about jobs and talking about the results...If this was leading us into a bad situation, that would be one thing, but the results are pretty good and...the coverage is, I think, distracting from the real state of the nation,” he added.
Doocy went through a few of the other findings from the study: “You mentioned 185 times the word angry used. 30 times frustrated. 14 times afraid or worried. Happy 23. Confident six. Calm one.”
When Doocy noted that the negative coverage has translated into negative terminology, Noyes responded in agreement:
[B]ut this..it is the same thing that we're finding with the broader coverage, the — the spin of coverage has been 90 percent negative from the very beginning back during the campaign. It continues to this day, but, this is not the way these news outlets have covered other presidents. This is not how they covered Barack Obama. It's not how they covered Bill Clinton. They have thrown away their own rule book and they're using a different set of rules for President Trump and it's designed, I think, to create this general impression that he’s unfit for office, way beyond what the results of his presidency are showing us.
Later, Noyes concluded that journalists “are not paid to provide their own personal reaction to the news” but rather “the facts and let the public decide.”
To see the relevant transcript from FNC’s Fox & Friends on September 18, click “expand.”
FNC’s Fox & Friends
September 18, 2018
7:45 a.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: How The Media Portrays President Trump]
STEVE DOOCY: President Trump's performance in office will be a key issue in this year's November midterm elections. So, take a close look and listen to how the President is described on some network news shows.
LESTER HOLT [on NBC Nightly News, 02/18/18]: Plenty of outrage from President Trump this weekend.
DAVID MUIR [on ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, 09/06/18]: The President described as volcanic, seething
PIERRE THOMAS [on ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, 08/24/18]: Sources say he’s been fuming about Cohen all week.
PAUL REID [on the CBS Evening News with Jeff Glor, 04/10/18]: Mr. Trump's furious reaction to the Cohen raids.
MUIR [on ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, 07/23/18]: And that provoked angry response from president trump.
TERRY MORAN [on ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir, 07/23/18]: It did, Dave, an angry response in all caps.
DOOCY: While volcanic or seething or fuming are just a few of the words chosen to describe the President, the media research center analyzed the language used by reporters and here with more research director for MRC and senior editor over at NewsBusters.org, Rich Noyes. Rich, good morning to you.
RICH NOYES: Morning, Steve.
DOOCY: What's the matter with the President calling the president volcanic or seething?
NOYES: Well, it's — it’s just going away from the neutral language that reporters used to use with presidents and getting into subjective commentary that, I think, over time, is creating this prejudicial impression of the President.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Study: Media Paints Trump as ‘Angry Hothead’]
I mean, they are trying to focus on the drama surrounding President Trump and his emotional state. Instead of looking at the actual results in office. I mean, where is all — this is — we’ve had 185 synonyms for anger and angry, furious, livid, you know, that time should be spent talking about the economy and talking about jobs and talking about the results. You know, if this was leading us into a bad situation, that would be one thing, but the results are pretty good and this is the — the coverage is, I think, distracting from the real state of the nation.
DOOCY: You mentioned 185 times the word angry used. 30 times frustrated. 14 times afraid or worried. Happy 23. Confident six. Calm one. Rich, does this really surprise you, though, the language — the subjective language — you say that certain reporters use when you look at the general coverage that the networks have given the president, your own outfit has 90% of the time it's negative. So, if you are going to do a negative story you need some negative words, don't you?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Study: Media Casts Trump as Angry 185 Times]
NOYES: Right. This — but this, you know, it is the same thing that we're finding with the broader coverage, the — the spin of coverage has been 90 percent negative from the very beginning back during the campaign.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Media’s Description of President Trump]
It continues to this day, but, this is not the way these news outlets have covered other presidents. This is not how they covered Barack Obama. It's not how they covered Bill Clinton. They have thrown away their own rule book and they're using a different set of rules for President Trump and it's designed, I think, to create this general impression that he’s unfit for office, way beyond what the results of his presidency are showing us.
DOOCY: You make it sound like reporters are trying to put their thumb on the scale to impact how the public feels about the President.
NOYES: Well, look, this could be their honest reaction to the trump presidency. But, you know, they are not paid to provide their own personal reaction to the news. They’re meant to provide the facts and let the public decide. You know, whatever happened to that old — old way of doing business?
DOOCY: Yeah, remember that. How quaint in the olden days. Alright, Rich Noyes from NewsBusters.org. Rich, thank you very much.
NOYES: Thanks, Steve.
