Morning Joe Burying Gore Story—Or Sending Subliminal Message
Which is the bigger story: a few power companies out West have started a pilot program to promote solar panels, or . . . police announce they will investigate allegations of sexual assault against a Nobel prize winner and former Vice-President of the United States? I'd guess most people would go with 'B.' But when it came time to highlight a story from the front page of today's Oregonian,…
Media Spin Supreme Court Gun Ruling as Loss for States' Rights
Don't look now, but it seems the media have suddenly discovered a respect for states' rights. All it took was a Supreme Court ruling affirming the Second Amendment's role in protecting gun owners' rights from state or local infringement. Newsweek called the ruling "bad news" for gun controllers because "the right to ‘keep and bear arms' in the U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment restricts state…
AP Breaking: Supremes' Ruling 'Casts Doubt' on Chicago Handgun Ban
Lord have mercy, even when it hits him in the face, the Associated Press's Mark Sherman won't concede the obvious: "Cast doubt"? Is that what court rulings do now? A USA Today item has it right:
Name That Party: Again-Indicted Kwame Kilpatrick Still Not Tagged as a
The Associated Press is still failing to tag the currently imprisoned former Detroit Mayor and former beneficiary of President Barack Obama's high praise Kwame Kilpatrick as a Democrat. I know, same-old, same-old. And Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead. But there's more to this particular chapter in this ongoing "Name That Party" narrative. The wire service kept its near-perfect…
Silent on Obama Judicial Nominee's Wild Legal Theories, Will Media Rep
Did you know that President Obama has nominated for a federal judgeship someone who believes a serial killer and rapist's "sexual sadism" should be a cause to give him a less serious punishment? Probably not, since the media have given it almost no coverage.Robert Chatigny, nominated for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, believes that sexual sadism should be what's known as a "mitigating…
On Networks, 'Controversial' Law Means Conservative Law
Liberals may like to boast of fighting the establishment and taking on the status quo, but it's conservative laws that are 30 times more likely to be deemed "controversial" - at least by the mainstream media. In the past five years, when ABC, CBS, or NBC news reporters claimed a law was "controversial," they were most likely referring to legislation backed by the right. This analysis looked…
Is Illegal Immigration Raising Arizona's Crime Rate? NY Times Says No
On Sunday, New York Times reporter Randal Archibold offered up more of his slanted reporting on Arizona's pending new immigration enforcement law, suggesting that supporters of tough immigration enforcement are fostering fear by exaggerating the problem of violent crime on the border with Mexico: "On Border Violence, Truth Pales Compared to Ideas." But does his evidence stand up? Two conservative…
At AP, GOP Criminal an 'Operative,' Dem Criminal an 'Adviser' Without
An Associated Press writer has perpetuated a long-standing allegation of bias with two stories about corruption in New York State she wrote last Monday.In one story, "NY AG: ‘Everyone does it' not a fraud defense'", Colleen Long wrote about the New York Attorney General's office rejecting arguments for dismissing corruption charges against Hank Morris, a former aid to State Comptroller Alan…
'Today' Shows Cop-Punch 14 Times, Leaves Out Suspect Resisting Arrest
The headline sounds sensational: "Cop punches girl in face during jaywalk arrest." That's how the June 17 NBC "Today" show began what might appear to be an even-handed story. But a closer look at what the network aired and what it left out show a far different result.The morning segment repeatedly played a clip highlighting what Matt Lauer referred to as a "violent arrest" - a police officer…
Chris Matthews Crams Year's Worth of Anti-Tea Party Cliches into One H
What do Tea Partiers, Truthers, birthers, Birchers, militias, Pat Buchanan, Jerry Falwell, Barry Goldwater, Joe McCarthy, Father Coughlin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Ronald Reagan, Strom Thurmond, Rand Paul, Alex Jones, Orly Taitz, and Oklahoma City bomber Tim McVeigh all have in common? Approximately nothing, but don't tell Chris Matthews.The MSNBC "Hardball" host…
Mediaite's Colby Hall: Rep. Etheridge a 'Hero' For Assaulting Students
Mediaite's Colby Hall thinks Congressman Bob Etheridge might be a hero for assaulting a college student who asked him a question. Etheridge attacked a student and held him captive for a short time after he asked if the Congressman supported the Obama agenda. Colby Hall wrote an article defending him titled, Congressman Loses Cool To Students With a Flip Cam, But Somehow Comes Out The Hero?. To…
On Same Day, NYT Downplays Etheridge Assault, Runs Long Report on 3-Ye
RELATED: From NB's Noel Sheppard -- "NYT Reports Whitman's 2007 'Shove', Ignores Brown Calling Her Nazi Last Week"If the folks at the New York Times had any sense of shame, they would feel foolish today. A review of the Times's June 15 print edition index and review of the related articles indicates that the paper's editors: Gave reporter Jeff Zeleny about 330 words on Page A21 to recycle a…
Follow-up: AP TV Says Etheridge 'Manhandles' Questioner; Text Coverage
It would appear, based on the graphic tease reproduced at the right and the underlying content, that the folks putting together videos at the Associated Press didn't get the memo that they should go as soft as possible on North Carolina Democratic Congressman Bob Etheridge. Etheridge arguably committed assault "last week" when approached on a public street. The description of what occurred and…
Journalistic Instincts: In Alleged Etheridge Assault, Who Does AP Want
A sitting congressman allegedly commits assault on a public sidewalk, is caught on video doing so (link is to the related Eyeblast.tv video and blog post), and "apologizes." Note that the incident took place "last week," according to the linked BigGovernment.com post, which means that Etheridge didn't see the need for an apology until the video went viral. So ... who does the intrepid…
