Sequester Scare! Two Thirds of News Stories Devoted to Hyping Budget
March 4th, 2013 10:03 AM
“Deadline day. Hours, now, until massive government cuts go into effect that could impact every American. Jobs vaporizing. Flights delayed. Even criminals walking free.” That’s the call to panic with which ABC’s Josh Elliot greeted viewers on the March 1 Good Morning America. Elliot’s frenzied tone, on the day sequestration was going into effect, was typical of the Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC)…
Matthews: 'Has Obama Put Himself at Political Risk if the Big Cuts Do
March 3rd, 2013 7:43 PM
Chris Matthews asked a question Sunday that should truly offend people on both sides of the aisle.
During the syndicated program bearing his name, Matthews asked his panel, "Has President Obama put himself at political risk if the big cuts do not wreak havoc?" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Leno: Maxine Waters 170 Million Job Loss Stupidity Explains 'Why We're
March 2nd, 2013 12:39 PM
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) this week made another in a series of absurd comments actually claiming that 170 million people would lose their jobs if the budget sequester was enacted.
NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno actually began his show with Waters’ claim Friday saying that it explains "why we’re in this situation in the first place" (video follows with transcribed highlights and…
NBC's Gregory: Obama Doesn't Like Washington Press Corps, Feeling is
March 1st, 2013 5:28 PM
Reacting to the contentious exchange between the Obama White House and the Washington Post's Bob Woodward, on Friday's NBC Today, Meet the Press moderator David Gregory saw the conflict as part of a "larger issue": "...the President does not particularly like the Washington press corps. And I think that feeling is mutual in a lot of respects....there's not a great relationship between that…
Bashing Benedict Cont.: Scandalous Coverage Of Pope’s Retirement Day
March 1st, 2013 3:33 PM
The final count is in. From the day of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation announcement to the day of his retirement, the networks unabashedly attacked the pope and the Catholic Church, adding to a pope resignation coverage tally of referencing the church as troubled 157 times and using the world “scandal” 105 times in 118 reports.
A previous Culture and Media Institute tally noted the frequency…
Leno’s White House Sequester Ad: ‘Girl Scouts Will Be Forced To Se
March 1st, 2013 1:59 PM
It’s certainly clear to Jay Leno that the Obama administration is fearmongering the budget sequester.
On NBC’s Tonight Show Thursday, Leno played a mock White House ad claiming among other things that if sequestration occurs, “Girl Scouts will be forced to sell meth" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
'Writing the Words That Made History': NBC's Puff Piece on Obama's Dep
March 1st, 2013 1:03 PM
One week after Politico declared President Obama to be a "puppet master" for his ability to manipulate media coverage, on Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Willie Geist was a willing participant in the string pulling as he conducted a fawning interview with outgoing White House speechwriter Jon Favreau: "[Obama] calls Favreau his mind reader....the departing speechwriter takes us inside his life as…
NBC's Lauer Dismisses Woodward: 'I'm A Little Surprised You've Gone Pu
March 1st, 2013 11:40 AM
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post's Bob Woodward on Friday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer belittled the veteran journalist for daring to reveal a contentious exchange with White House adviser Gene Sperling: "I'm a little surprised you've gone public with this. I mean, these kinds of high-energy, high-octane, high-emotion conversations and debates happen all the time between…
Jay Leno Presents 'Les Miserables' Style Sequester Negotiations
February 28th, 2013 3:16 PM
NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno presented a great interpretation of the sequester negotiations Wednesday.
In a mock video, many of our political leaders sang their views as if characters in the hit musical "Les Miserables."
NBC Allows 16 Seconds to White House Battle With Bob Woodward, Avoids
February 28th, 2013 12:10 PM
The Today show on Thursday allowed a scant 16 seconds, out of a possible four hours, to the claim by veteran journalist Bob Woodward that the Obama White House is trying to intimidate him and attack his coverage of the sequester cuts. The NBC program also avoided using the word "threat."
ABC's Good Morning America gave the most coverage to the battle, offering a full report and a news brief…
Bashing Benedict: Networks Make Pope Butt of Jokes, Center of Scandal
February 28th, 2013 10:15 AM
A frail, ailing 85-year-old man announces he doesn’t have the strength to continue as the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion people. With the humility of one whose entire life has been in service to God and his Church, he says he will retire to quietly live out his remaining years.
Cue the laugh track and gin up the scandal rumors. It was three weeks full of journalistic contempt for the Pope…
Leno On Obama Realizing First Term Mistakes: 'Apparently He Does Watch
February 28th, 2013 9:04 AM
Jay Leno took a marvelous swipe at the Obama-loving media Wednesday.
During the opening monologue of NBC's Tonight Show, the host commented on the President's claim about realizing his mistakes after being in office for four years saying, "So apparently he does watch Fox News" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
NBC: 'Knives Came Out' When Pope Announced Abdication, Church in 'Holy
February 27th, 2013 5:40 PM
Keeping up NBC's barrage of attacks against the Catholic Church in the days leading up to Pope Benedict XVI's abdication, on Wednesday's Today, correspondent Anne Thompson made this nasty declaration: "...as one observer said, the stiletto knives came out as the battle for control of this institution begins, that some say is a holy mess....reports of infighting, back stabbing, and political…
NBC Touts Michelle Obama's Oscar Appearance as 'Part of a Carefully Cr
February 27th, 2013 12:08 PM
In a report on Tuesday's NBC Today that only briefly mentioned criticism of First Lady Michelle Obama's appearance during Sunday's Academy Awards, White House correspondent Kristen Welker gushed that people were "still buzzing" over the "Oscar finale that no one saw coming."
Welker described Obama's recent "media blitz": "The First Lady has been popping up all over the place lately, on Jimmy…