If Trump’s second term was a movie, the network news anchors would title it Trump Tariff Meltdown. In all the tariff turbulence, the networks have obsessed over economics with a very negative tone, even on the typically soft-news morning shows. Good news on inflation and employment is buried in the "meltdown" hype.
When it comes to Trump, on any issue, the broadcast network “news” shows seem designed to push a 100-percent negative narrative – or if they manage ten seconds of good news, it’s 95 percent negative.
On April 4, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found the economy added a stronger-than-expected 228,000 jobs in March. CBS skipped it. ABC gave it 14 seconds. NBC anchorman Lester Holt gave it 18 words: “Not even a surprisingly strong jobs report -- 228,000 jobs added in March -- was enough to stem today's market slide.” Behind Holt, a graphic screamed “Trump Tariff Meltdown.”
On Thursday, the Consumer Price Index actually declined 0.1 percent, for a year-over-year inflation rate of 2.4 percent. Once again on the nightly newscasts, there was next to nothing. On NBC, Christine Romans gave it eight seconds out of 164 seconds of news: “That bright spot, consumer prices fell in March from the month before, bringing the inflation rate to 2.4 percent.” On CBS, anchor John Dickerson did almost nine seconds out of CBS pushing five minutes of tariff anxiety. ABC skipped it entirely.
The PBS News Hour added insult to injury, preceding 15 words on the inflation statistic with economic mockery from Team Biden. John Yang intoned: "On CNN, former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said President Trump took a wrecking ball to the economy.” Yellen claimed “This is the worst self-inflicted wound that I have ever seen an administration impose.”
We also explore the latest parade of bias on CNN. Morning host Audie Cornish is still having trouble locating any pro-Trump pundits. Anderson Cooper presided over a one-hour socialist softball session with Bernie Sanders. CNN's promoting a weekend "Misinfo Nation" special with Donie O'Sullivan, who thinks all the extremism is on the right-wing side. And "fact checker" Daniel Dale has already provided 23 on-air "checks" of Team Trump in the first 80 days of the second term, when there were only two fact checks of Biden in his first 80 days.
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