'Combat Casualties' of Iraq War, 'Civilian Casualties' and Now Blair a
The broadcast network evening newscasts, reflecting the focus of the media's approach to British Prime Minister Tony Blair's announcement that he will step down on June 27, framed their reviews of his ten-year tenure around the unpopularity of his decision to join the U.S. in the Iraq war. On CBS, however, Elizabeth Palmer uniquely found time to recall how Blair won in 1997 by “dragging Britain'…
Obama Says ’10,000 People Died’ in Kansas Tornado, Media Couldn
Imagine for a moment that one of the leading Republican presidential candidates said that 10,000 people had been killed by the recent tornado that destroyed Greensburg, Kansas, Saturday. Do you think this would have been easy fodder for the broadcast television news divisions that always seem fascinated with gaffes made by folks on the right?If your answer is an unequivocal “Yes,” then why did…
Katie’s Collapse: ‘CBS Evening News’ Viewership Lowest in 20 Yea
The Katie Couric as “CBS Evening News” anchor experiment appears to be failing, and failing miserably.As TV Week reported Tuesday (h/t TVNewser): “The news is not good for third-place ‘CBS Evening News With Katie Couric,’ which in the week of April 30 hit its lowest total viewership since at least 1987.”According to TVNewser’s Brian Stelter, the “at least 1987” qualifier refers to Nielsen…
Brokaw Raises How Tenet 'Frustrated' That Reno Ruled 'Illegal' a CIA P
On Monday's NBC Nightly News, Tom Brokaw gave a sentence to a criticism of the Clinton administration, by former CIA Director George Tenet, not mentioned in broadcast network evening newscast stories last week, or Monday night on ABC and CBS, nor on Sunday's two-part 60 Minutes interview -- all of which focused on Tenet's attacks on Bush officials. Brokaw relayed: “He said that he was frustrated…
Should NBC Have Aired Virginia Tech Killer’s Videotape
When is something clearly newsworthy clearly not newsworthy?Interesting question, wouldn’t you agree?Like millions of Americans, I watched the Virginia Tech killer’s videotape yesterday with shock and horror. (Please be advised: I refuse to use his real name, or publish pictures of him, for reasons that should be obvious, and wish all members of the media would adopt the same anonymity strategy…
Nets Separate from 'Partial-Birth' Term, Frame Story Around Loss of 'A
The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts on Tuesday night all ran full stories on the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Act, but while each included arguments from justices in the majority, featured a soundbite from pro-life lawyer Jay Sekulow and offered at least a brief description of the procedure, they all framed the stories in ways favorable to those on the…
As Temps Go Below Freezing & Snow Falls in April, Net Hype 'Dire' Glob
The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts on Friday all hyped the “dire” warning on global warming from the UN's “prestigious” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with the CBS Evening News leading with two full stories. But ABC's Charles Gibson acknowledged “a bit of irony on the day global warming report was released,” given “parts of the Northeast are digging out from April snow” as…
