While the broadcast networks were busy spending Wednesday hyping the anniversary of January 6 for political gain in the midterms, they were intentionally overlooking the violent chaos in their own backyard in New York City. There, newly minted District Attorney Alvin Bragg promised to allow violent criminals to walk free as part of his progressive Democratic criminal justice reform plan; at a time when the city was already experiencing a wave of violent crime.
Instead of reporting on how Bragg was going to let drug dealers, armed robbers, burglars, and more walk the streets of New York unabated, ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News spent a combined 22 minutes and 16 seconds on January 6 and topics stemming from it.
Broken down, ABC gave it the most at a whopping 11 minutes and 17 seconds, NBC was next at 6 minutes and 52 seconds, and CBS had 4 minutes 7 seconds.
Meanwhile, on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, in addition to covering the anniversary of January 6, they gave the New York crime story the attention it deserved in a full report lasting 2 minutes and 27 seconds.
“New York City's new district attorney says he will stop seeking prison sentences for a number of offenses ranging from certain robberies, weapons possession charges, and drug dealing offenses,” announced anchor Bret Baier. “That announcement comes while New York City's new mayor, Eric Adams, pledges to take a tough stance on crime.”
In a conversation with Fox News senior correspondent Eric Shawn, Bragg suggests he knows crime because he’s been on the receiving end of it. Yet he bizarrely suggested the people holding knives and guns to him weren’t criminals:
BRAGG: I had a knife to my neck. I’ve had a semi-automatic weapon to my head. I know these issues intimately. What we are doing now is not working plain and simple. And so, this is our path forward. This is how we reduce violent crime.
(…)
SHAWN: Would his policies give criminals a green light?
BRAGG: No! I mean, it just depends upon your definition of criminal. And for all too long, we’ve kind of dealt with this othering of anyone we put in jail is a criminal.
Noting that Bragg will pursue “alternatives” to incarceration, Shawn reported, “He will no longer incarcerate lawbreakers unless it's murder, a crime that involves someone's death, or a felony.”
Adding: “Bragg will largely no longer enforce trespass crimes, resists arrest, and sex work and he’s reducing charges that could mean no jail time for some armed robbery arrests, stealing from stores or storage areas of homes, and dealing drugs.”
Shawn also spoke with Jennifer Harrison, the founder of Victims’ Rights NY, who said Bragg “is paving the way for an even bigger blood bath than what we have seen in New York City already. Ruining any chances of that the city has to come back.”
“Progressive Democrats are also supporting other controversial DAs like in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Philadelphia who are pushing policies similar to Bragg’s. Those cities have recently seen a sharp increase in violent crime,” Shawn concluded.
The omission of this capitulation to violent criminals was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Fisher Investments on ABC, Liberty Mutual on CBS, and Ensure on NBC. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
January 5, 2022
6:09:51 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: New York City's new district attorney says he will stop seeking prison sentences for a number of offenses ranging from certain robberies, weapons possession charges, and drug dealing offenses. That announcement comes while New York City's new mayor, Eric Adams, pledges to take a tough stance on crime. Senior correspondent Eric Shawn shows us tonight from New York.
[Cuts to video]
ERIC SHAWN: You can do the crime and now not get the time. Critics say that's the message from the new progressive Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.
In a stunning reversal of traditional law enforcement procedures, Bragg will stress diversification and alternatives like crisis intervention to jail time over putting some criminals behind bars. He will no longer incarcerate lawbreakers unless it's murder, a crime that involves someone's death, or a felony.
Bragg says his goal is, quote, “safety and fairness.”
ALVIN BRAGG (New York County district attorney): I had a knife to my neck. I’ve had a semi-automatic weapon to my head. I know these issues intimately. What we are doing now is not working plain and simple. And so, this is our path forward. This is how we reduce violent crime.
SHAWN: Bragg will largely no longer enforce trespass crimes, resists arrest, and sex work and he’s reducing charges that could mean no jail time for some armed robbery arrests, stealing from stores or storage areas of homes, and dealing drugs.
Police unions and criminal justice advocates are outraged saying Bragg is giving criminals a free pass.
JENNIFER HARRISON (Victims’ Rights NY, founder): He is paving the way for an even bigger blood bath than what we have seen in New York City already. Ruining any chances of that the city has to come back.
SHAWN: Would his policies give criminals a green light?
BRAGG: No! I mean, it just depends upon your definition of criminal. And for all too long, we’ve kind of dealt with this othering of anyone we put in jail is a criminal.
Well, you know what? We are putting in jail homeless people who, um, literally in one example used one counterfeit bill to buy food and toothpaste. Got a sentence to four to eight years. So, if that's your definition of a criminal, I suggest we need to really reorder ourselves.
[Cuts back to live]
SHAWN: Progressive Democrats are also supporting other controversial DAs like in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Philadelphia who are pushing policies similar to Bragg’s. Those cities have recently seen a sharp increase in violent crime. Bret.
BAIER: Eric, thank you.
