Summary of the April 15 TEA Parties Media Coverage

April 22nd, 2009 4:20 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Lamestream Media The media coverage of the more than 800 Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party protests that took place in all fifty states on April 15 ranged from disdainful dismissal of their nature, significance and import, to outright hostility towards the events and individual participants, to sexual innuendo-based full-on ridicule…

Networks Use Misleading Gun Statistic in Reporting on Mexican Drug War

April 17th, 2009 3:05 PM
While reporting on the ongoing drug war in Mexico, CBS, NBC, and ABC have all cited a dubious statistic that claims that 90% of the guns being used in the violence are from the United States. On Thursday’s CBS Evening News, correspondent Bill Plante reported: "Mexican drug gang violence spilling into the U.S. is the urgent issue of President Obama's visit...A major sore point -- more than 90% of…

NBC's Chuck Todd Says Tea Parties Haven't 'Caught On

April 15th, 2009 9:13 AM
NBC - one of the networks that has virtually ignored the Tax Day Tea Party protests against taxation and government spending - finally mentioned it on "Today" April 15. The network's chief White House correspondent, Chuck Todd tacked his criticism on to the end of a glowing report about President Obama's economic speech from April 14. He cited "White House aides" who called Obama's speech…

NBC Hails Obama's Turkey Visit as 'Shrewd', CBS: Highest-Ever Approval

April 6th, 2009 8:23 PM
Giving a warm wind-up to President Barrack Obama's overseas trip as it comes to an end in Istanbul, NBC's Chuck Todd declared Monday that the decision to make Turkey the last stop “could prove to be one of the shrewder early moves in this young presidency.”On CBS, anchor Katie Couric highlighted how a new CBS News/New York Times poll pegged Obama's approval at 66 percent, the highest ever in that…

TV Journalists Enchanted by Obamas: 'America's Unofficial Royalty

April 2nd, 2009 8:06 AM
“There is so much to cover on this day,” ABC anchor Charles Gibson announced Tuesday night from London as the network anchors and reporters reflected their awe over how, as NBC anchor Brian Williams put it, “In a marathon, the President meets with the leaders of Britain, Russia, China, then the Queen, and the summit hasn't started yet.” NBC's Chuck Todd then admired how “the President was able to…

Admire Obama's 'Like to Know What I'm Talking About Before I Speak

March 24th, 2009 10:45 PM

MSNBC: AIG Saga Could Get Out of Control Like Schiavo Story

March 20th, 2009 4:09 PM
Afraid that the AIG executive bonus bailout just may be the demise of the Democratic Party, MSNBC’s Chief White House Correspondent Chuck Todd trivialized the death of Terry Schiavo by suggesting the fight over Schiavo’s life was the demise of the Republican party. Host Andrea Mitchell, Gene Robinson, and Chuck Todd were discussing Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s survival of the AIG scandal…

NBC Buries Obama Special Olympics line; ABC Knocks 'Late Night Gaffe

March 20th, 2009 1:02 PM
NBC's "Today" show on Friday minimized and neglected a gaffe by Barack Obama that his bowling skills are on the level of the "Special Olympics or something." In contrast, ABC's "Good Morning America" and CBS's "Early Show" heavily covered the remark. GMA devoted the first two segments to the ill advised joke the President made on Thursday's "Tonight Show With Jay Leno." And although "Today"…

Friendly TV Reception for Obama's Health Care 'Fix

March 6th, 2009 10:43 AM
President Obama's health care summit at the White House played into receptive television news hands Thursday night as NBC displayed “Fixing Health Care” on screen before reporter Chuck Todd appropriated the coach who inspired “win one for the Gipper” by touting how “the President's drive to pass health care got a Knute Rockne-like boost with a surprise appearance” by Senator Ted Kennedy, while…

'Today' Blames Limbaugh for GOP 'All-Time Low

March 4th, 2009 11:34 AM
According to the Politico Democratic strategists, months ago, planned to paint Rush Limbaugh as a bad guy to hurt the GOP and on Wednesday, the "Today" show followed that blueprint as Matt Lauer pilloried RNC Chairman Michael Steele over his flap with the talk show host: Doesn't Rush Limbaugh put people like you in a very tough position? If you agree with him publicly it sounds like you're…

NBC’s Chuck Todd Knocks Rush; ‘Backward,’ ‘Dying Medium’ of

March 2nd, 2009 9:36 AM
NBC White House political director Chuck Todd appeared on MSNBC’s "Morning Joe" on Monday to dismiss Rush Limbaugh as "looking backward" and deride the radio industry as a "dying medium." Todd (see file photo above), who was talking with co-host Mika Brzezinski about Limbaugh’s role as a leader in the Republican Party, also suggested a linkage between the radio host and far left bomb thrower…

Nets Presume Obama's Tax Hike Will Increase Revenue

February 23rd, 2009 10:06 PM
ABC, CBS and NBC reporters over the past two days have relayed how the Obama administration proposes to cut the annual federal deficit from $1.3 trillion to $533 billion in four years by cutting spending on the war in Iraq and raising the income tax rate for those earning more than $250,000. Not considered: How since the Bush tax cuts the revenue paid by the richest -- and their share of total…

In Gregg Stories, Short Shrift to White House's Census Grab

February 12th, 2009 8:38 PM
ABC, CBS and NBC centered their Thursday night stories, on Senator Judd Gregg's decision to withdraw as Commerce Secretary-nominee, around his disagreement with the Obama administration's “stimulus” plan -- with only passing mention, if any, of the administration's wish to move the 2010 census count from Commerce to the White House. CNN's Jessica Yellin reported at the top of the 6 PM EST…

Obama's 'Teaching Moments,' 'Message' to Ideologues, Fret Not Tougher

February 9th, 2009 10:26 PM
Some quick takes on the very brief presidential press conference wrap-ups on ABC, CBS and NBC before each returned to entertainment shows a bit after 9 PM EST: - ABC anchor Charles Gibson lauded how President Obama treated “each question almost as a teaching moment with long and expansive answers.” - CBS anchor Katie Couric cited how Obama talked “about 'ideological blockage'” against the “…