NewsBusted

Update 11:48. Audio sync problem fixed. Topics in this show: Seattle Times and the New York Times attack on John McCain, Michelle Obama's comments about America, Bush 41 endorses McCain, Lindsay Lohan in New York magazine, and Kirstie Alley leaves Jenny Craig.Like the show? Get involved! Add NewsBusted as a friend on MySpace, subscribe to our YouTube channel or embed today's episode on your blog…
Matthew Sheffield

On TV, Big Difference Between Kerry Rumors and McCain Rumors

Earlier, I noted how the New York Times barely touched on adultery rumors about John Kerry four years ago, and how the morning shows lurched into McCain-in-crisis mode at the first shaky Times "romantic relationship" story on Vicki Iseman. The same pattern followed on network TV coverage of the Kerry rumor. It barely surfaced, and never for more than a sentence or two. All three networks heavily…
Tim Graham

ABC Discovers Barack Obama Is a...Liberal Who Loves Raising Taxes

ABC News sent Terry Moran to Springfield, the capital of Illinois, to explore Barack Obama’s record as a state Senator and, deep in his Monday story on World News, Moran acknowledged a reality rarely mentioned in network campaign coverage:   Obama was...considered a reliable liberal Democratic vote in Illinois, voting for most gun control measures, opposing efforts to ban so-called “partial…
Brent Baker

Religion in America and on the Network News

It's always interesting to see how different news organizations report the exact same information.
Kristen Fyfe

AP's Snow Wants You to Know: Cuban Communism Is 'Unshaken

In a report yesterday from Cuba, Anita Snow of the Associated Press, with the help of the headline writers at ABC, seemed intent on telling any Yanqui imperialists or hard-liners in Miami's Little Havana who might have any ideas of doing something rash during the transition of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul to forget about trying anything (HT Rush Limbaugh; story #4 at link; link…
Tom Blumer

'Howard Wolfson's Always Calling Around Threatening People

Tucker Carlson, on his MSNBC show this evening, describing the Clinton campaign's press relations . . .TUCKER CARLSON: They're awful to the media: let's be totally blunt. They're awful to the press. They treat the press like enemies. [Clinton Communication Director] Howard Wolfson's always calling around threatening people. Threatening people! News organizations! They do that! People hate you if…
Mark Finkelstein

Brit Hume Undermines '60 Minutes' Hit Job on Rove

FNC’s Brit Hume, in his Monday “Grapevine” segment, undermined CBS’s Sunday night 60 Minutes scoop about Karl Rove’s smear efforts to destroy former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat now in federal prison for bribery, “some say, only because of his politics,” CBS’s Scott Pelley framed his story. Hume relayed how “Rove says he does not recall ever meeting the woman who is accusing him of…
Brent Baker

'Dangerous Not to Be Aware How It Sounds on Television

The airwaves have been filled today with the clip of an angry Hillary saying "shame on you, Barack Obama," and another of Clinton mocking the notion that, to believe Barack, "celestial choirs will be singing."But on this evening's Hardball, Chris Matthews unearthed yet another clip of Hillary at her harshest. And after playing it, a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-his-mouth Matthews ripped the Clinton…
Mark Finkelstein

CNN Chief Klein Lauds Net’s ‘Commitment’ to ‘Unbiased’ Cove

CNN’s Jon Klein, in an internal memo obtained by the TVNewser blog, bragged about the strong ratings the network won during its recent debates and primary coverage, and spun the reason for this success. "CNN is proving that with innovation, execution, and passion, the sky's the limit. Our deep-seated commitment to independent coverage that is unbiased — without an agenda — is more powerful and…
Matthew Balan

CBS ‘60 Minutes’: Karl Rove Part of ‘Covert Campaign to Ruin

On Sunday’s CBS "60 Minutes," anchor Scott Pelley interviewed former Alabama Republican attorney, Jill Simpson, about a supposed effort to smear the former Democratic governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman: "Now this woman tells us there was a covert campaign to ruin the governor, a campaign that she says involved Karl Rove, at the time the president's top political advisor." In a story that violated…
Kyle Drennen

CBS Plays Class-Envy Card Over Countrywide Event That Didn't Happen

Embattled mortgage lender cancels controversial Colorado event, but 'Early Show' report spins it anyway.
Jeff Poor

Dan Rather Backs 'Outstanding' NYT Journos on McCain Hit Piece

Geoffrey Dickens

AP Article on States' Budget Woes Ignores Spending Excesses

Old Media coverage of government budget difficulties usually focuses on the here and now, and all the "tough decisions" that have to be made. Seldom is there ever an examination of how a state or local government entity got into its current fix. Scratch just a little bit beneath the surface, though, and you'll almost inevitably find that an annoying habit of overspending during the good times…
Tom Blumer

Newsweek.com Photo Bias: Raul Castro vs. John McCain

Below the page break I've included screen grabs taken around 3:50 p.m. today for top stories at Newsweek.com, one having to do with John McCain and how his denial of an affair with Vicki Iseman "invited a game of catch me if you can," the second about the rise of a Raul Castro, a dictator who "promises change." The latter, flashing a peace sign, looks somewhat avuncular. McCain, however appears…
Ken Shepherd