On Tuesday, ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, and PBS reported Kathy Sun, an aide to New York Governors Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul, was arrested under suspicion of spying for communist China. The word "Democrat" was not uttered, as is often the case in Democrat-related scandal stories. You could see a (D) briefly under Hochul's name on screen on ABC.
ABC and NBC aired full stories.
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt previewed the story in the introduction; "The high-level political aide charged of being a secret agent for China. What she and her husband are accused of doing in exchange for millions of dollars." When it came time for the report, Holt announced: "A former top aide to New York governor Kathy Hochul was arrested today on charges of acting as a secret agent of the Chinese government.”
ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir aired this promotional blurb at the start of the broadcast: "Tonight, breaking news. The arrests outside New York City. Once a top aide to two New York governors. Was she a Chinese agent?" The story had drama, but no party label, and no questioning how this Chinese spy so effectively hornswoggled apparently brainy Democrats.
MUIR: But we do begin tonight with the stunning arrest, a former high level aide to two New York governors, Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul. That aide accused of spying for China. She and her husband now under arrest tonight. Linda Sun accused of acting as an undisclosed agent, meeting with officials from the Chinese Communist Party. Sun and her husband accused of making millions in the scheme. Tonight, what they're accused of doing, and what they got for it, allegedly. New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressing outrage tonight, calling it a betrayal of trust.
The same pattern flowed through the rest on Tuesday night:
-- CBS Evening News fill-in anchor Maurice Dubois: "FBI agents today arrested a former top aide to New York`s Governor Kathy Hochul, accusing the aide, the former aide, of acting as a foreign agent for China in exchange for millions of dollars."
-- In the news-briefs section of the PBS News Hour, anchor Amna Nawaz: "Sun worked as deputy chief of staff for New York Governor Kathy Hochul. She also held a position in former Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration. In a statement, Governor Hochul's office said that Sun was fired last year due to — quote — 'evidence of misconduct.'"
-- On NPR's All Things Considered, reporter Brian Mann: “She worked as a top aide on diversity and economic development under the former governor, Andrew Cuomo, later for the current governor, Kathy Hochul, also worked for a time as the chief of staff to Grace Meng in the state assembly. Meng is now a member of Congress.”
All of these are Democrats, but NPR didn't consider the party label as important information.
