Sebelius’ Controversial Veto Takes Back Seat to Stories About Bo Oba

April 24th, 2009 4:44 PM
News editors need to retake Journalism 101 or move to features when stories about the White House dog take precedence over a controversial veto by the President's unconfirmed appointment to Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill, House Substitute for SB 218, April 23 which would have placed additional restrictions on third trimester abortions and…

ABC's Dr. Tim Johnson Still Touting Universal Health Care

April 24th, 2009 3:36 PM
"Good Morning America" medical expert Dr. Tim Johnson on Friday gave ex-Health and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle a forum to promote his calls for a government run health care system. Co-host Robin Roberts made it clear in an introduction to the segment that there would be no discussion of the tax problems that forced Daschle to withdraw his nomination. Johnson, however, did offer softballs…

All Three Morning Shows Ignore Story of $25 Billion to Agency That Gav

April 21st, 2009 4:02 PM
[Updated 2009-04-21 16:02:29] All three morning shows skipped an exclusive story broken in Tuesday's Washington Times that explained how Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation in January to send "$25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates…

AP: CNN Planning Obama 100th Day Special Prime Time Coverage

April 19th, 2009 4:39 PM
Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh says the mainstream media attitude on President Barack Obama is that he is too big to fail. What CNN has planned for the night of April 29 is one of several signs that could be the case. According to an April 19 report from the Associated Press, CNN has a big night of coverage planned for Obama's 100th day in office that will deviate from its normally…

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…

Media Hails Hillary, Picks on Palin

April 17th, 2009 1:55 PM
New twist on the old media double standard: Strong pro-life women shouldn’t accept far-flung speaking engagements. They should stay home (presumably barefoot and pregnant, too.) Strong pro-choice women, however, are welcome to “champion women’s rights,” wherever and whenever they please. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin recently gave a speech at a pro-life dinner in Indiana on April 16 and the media…

ABC's Diane Sawyer Presses on Guns; Skips Story of Right-wing Violence

April 16th, 2009 12:34 PM
"Good Morning America" co-host Diane Sawyer interviewed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday and skipped any mention of a controversial report by the agency warning of right-wing extremist activity and disgruntled returning war veterans. In separate interviews, both the CBS "Early Show" and NBC's "Today" discussed the hot-topic issue with the top government…

ABC Reports Obama is 'Unaware of Tea Parties

April 15th, 2009 11:13 AM
Maybe he just doesn't know that there are people who disagree with his massive tax and spend agenda. That would explain a lot. Perhaps the network media's near silence on the "tea party" phenomenon has kept President Obama from realizing that hundreds of tax day protests will happen today? "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea parties and will hold his own event today…

ABC Special to Tout Kids' 'Obsession' With Weapons; No Pro-gun Voices

April 10th, 2009 11:28 AM
"Good Morning America" co-host Diane Sawyer previewed her ABC special "If I Only Had a Gun" on Friday's edition of the morning show. No voices from the NRA or any pro-Second Amendment group were featured in the clips shown. Instead, there was generous footage of a previous special in which ABC producers hid empty (but real) guns in toy chests and showed video of young children playing with the…

ABC Special to Dismiss Idea of Using Guns for Self Defense

April 8th, 2009 5:00 PM
Will the upcoming ABC special "If I Only Had a Gun" dismiss and deride the concept of using firearms to defend oneself and stop a potential massacre? A promo that aired during Wednesday's "Good Morning America" seemed to suggest yes. As ominous music played in the background, an announcer intoned, "Friday night on ABC, when it comes to protecting yourself, you may think, 'If I only had a gun.'"…

SWF Seeks Man, Woman or Famous Landmark

April 8th, 2009 3:18 PM
ABC has a history of pushing the boundaries between normal and abnormal sexuality - the pregnant man, transgenderism, bisexuality, incest - but the April 8 "Good Morning America" pushed the line to a new level with its report on "objectum sexuals." "Objectum sexuals," as defined by ABC's Kate Snow, are people whose "intimate life revolves around objects, not people." Erika Eiffel, an "…

ABC's Robin Roberts Hits Pelosi From Left on Guns

April 7th, 2009 12:14 PM
Interviewing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, "Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts challenged the Democratic politician from the left on guns. After bringing up the tragic shootings that occurred last week in New York and Pittsburgh, Roberts quizzed, "Under the Bush administration, you pretty much said the ball was in their court when it came to reinstating the [assault…

ABC Touts Gun Control Group; Hypes Special on Firearms

April 6th, 2009 1:02 PM
On Monday's "Good Morning America," reporter David Muir highlighted a rabidly pro-gun control group as an expert on weapons, without referencing the organization's political stance. The journalist also promoted "If I Only Had a Gun," an ABC special to air Friday night that seems to argue for tighter restrictions on firearms. During a segment on the tragic shootings in Pittsburgh and New York,…

ABC Hosts ‘Controversial’ Guest Debunking Gun Control’s Effectiv

April 5th, 2009 8:50 PM
On Sunday's Good Morning America, ABC co-anchor Kate Snow interviewed New York University Professor Jim Jacobs, author of Can Gun Control Work?, as the show gave attention to the view that gun control has little effect in stopping criminals from obtaining guns. While it is to the show's credit that they allowed him to make his case as Snow presented a contrarian point-of-view, Snow did seem…