CBS Hypes Warren Buffett’s Call For Higher Taxes...Again

July 29th, 2008 1:28 PM
Following a segment on Monday’s CBS "Evening News," on Tuesday’s CBS "Early Show," correspondent Chip Reid again touted Obama economic advisor Warren Buffett calling for more taxes on the rich: "Barack Obama met with his team of economic advisers Monday...But there's one who couldn't make it and had to put in his two cents by phone...Warren Buffett, the richest man in the world. Despite his…

Shameless AP Editorializing, Republicans Against 'The Poor

July 28th, 2008 11:37 PM
The Associated Press injected an editorial comment into the news... again. A few days ago, the AP issued a piece headlined Senate Republicans block heating aid bill, in which the AP made it seem as if Republicans don't care about "the poor" and are only interested in mere political partisanship. This report featured quotes showing how wonderful and caring the Democrats are but not a single quote…

CNN Gives Pass to Democrats on Anti-Drilling Vote Maneuvers

July 25th, 2008 3:43 PM
The dilemma of high gas prices might be addressed if congressional leaders would all just get along. From CNN correspondent Kate Bolduan's perspective, the political differences on energy policy are little more than a "partisan standoff" between Democrats and Republicans. "Even before the votes were counted on the latest energy proposal, the partisan standoff was clear," Bolduan said on the…

‘Ask AP’ Writer Fails to Note Quick Retail Response to Oil-Price D

July 25th, 2008 12:10 AM
"Ask AP" is "a weekly Q&A column where Associated Press journalists respond to readers' questions about the news." Not surprisingly, given the deteriorating quality of their reporting, the journalists questioned sometimes give less than perfect responses. One such example came last Friday from Adam Schreck, AP's Energy Writer, at the end of a week when oil prices had already plummeted over 10…

MSNBC Taps Nation of Whiners for Summer Sob Stories

July 24th, 2008 1:47 PM
Earlier this month, former senator and John McCain economic advisor Phil Gramm was widely excoriated for his remarks about America being a "nation of whiners," discouraged by negative media reports fueling fears of recession.As my colleague Nathan Burchfiel noted, the context of Gramm's remarks were the media's role in accentuating the negative in economic news and hence ginning up the public's…

The Biz Flog – 'Nickel-and-Dime' Accusation Ignores Rising Cost of J

July 24th, 2008 11:49 AM
Catchphrases provide little context to media stories. So, when it comes to airlines and the phrase “nickel-and-dime,” reports are just becoming lame. The Biz Flog, the video blog over at the Business and Media Institute, takes at look at the effect the high cost of oil has had on the airline industry, and the effect that has had on passengers seeing higher ticket prices and fees. Instead of…

NYT's Thomas Friedman: Obama Middle Name Now a Plus

July 23rd, 2008 12:59 PM
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman appeared on Wednesday's "Good Morning America" to gush that the very act of Barack Obama going on his Middle East trip makes one think "he comes back a little wiser, a little smarter." Friedman also asserted that the candidate's middle name, Hussein, would be a plus for him as president. He opined, "I was in Cairo a few weeks ago. And one of things that…

Denver Post: DNC Getting Gas Tax Free

July 23rd, 2008 11:29 AM
Democrats in Congress may not have acted on Sen. John McCain's proposal for a summer gas tax holiday, but that hasn't stopped the Democratic National Convention from getting tax-free gas courtesy of the citizens of the Mile High City, reports the Denver Post this morning.Filed as breaking news and published at 8:13 EDT on July 23, the Post's Allison Sherry has the scoop here. Below is an excerpt:…

NYT's Larry Rohter Rides to Obama's Defense Again

July 22nd, 2008 3:50 PM
New York Times reporter Larry Rohter once again rode to Barack Obama's defense in Tuesday's "Ad Campaign" watch, a review of John McCain's latest TV ad accusing Obama of letting gas prices rise. In "McCain Links Obama and High Gas Prices," Rohter eviscerated McCain's ad for daring to blame Obama for rising gas prices. From the script of the ad, quoted by Rohter:Gas prices. $4, $5, no end in sight…

Conspiratorial Dan Rather: Big Oil Will Cut Gas Price to Help McCain

July 21st, 2008 12:45 PM
The tree doesn't grow far from the apple. A little under two years after Katie Couric, Dan Rather's successor as anchor of the CBS Evening News, suggested just before the 2006 election that President Bush was manipulating gas prices to benefit Republican candidates, on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show over the weekend a conspiratorial Rather predicted “the people who can affect the price of oil…

Omission Watch: Dems 'Quietly' Call for Gas-Tax Hikes

July 21st, 2008 7:38 AM

It's OK to Discuss Pickens' Windmill Investments but Not Gore's

July 20th, 2008 3:45 PM
For many months, NewsBusters has been reporting the financial interest Nobel Laureate Al Gore has in advancing global warming hysteria, and has continually wondered when media will raise this issue to the American people.On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Gore gave host Tom Brokaw the perfect setup to ask him about his investments in renewable fuel technology when the former Vice President mentioned…

Gibson Calms Down as ABC Leads with Good Econ News, But CBS

July 16th, 2008 9:25 PM
A night after ABC anchor Charles Gibson hit full panic mode by leading with how “markets are gyrating, inflation is rising, banks are closing” and suggesting money is only safe “under the mattress,” on Wednesday night he actually began with how “Wall Street posts its best day in months. Financial stocks rise. The price of oil falls.” But he couldn't be completely upbeat as he proceeded to note…

CNN Split Screen Pits ANWR-drilling Advocate vs. B-roll of Wildlife

July 16th, 2008 4:49 PM
So much of the liberal bias on cable networks is visual. It can impact the casual viwer on the treadmill at the gym watching with the audio off. Case in point is the video embedded at right from the July 15 edition of "The Situation Room" on CNN. [audio available here]In it, anchor Wolf Blitzer tries to put a substantial wedge between House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and presumptive…