NBC's Today: Patrick Kennedy, the First Democrat to "Misbehave
May 5th, 2006 4:43 PM
Is it possible that Tim Russert hasn’t been paying attention? The host of Meet the Press appeared on the May 5 edition of NBC’s Today show to discuss President Bush and the midterm elections. Anchor Matt Lauer also asked him about the political fallout from Representative Patrick Kennedy’s car crash: Russert: "Republicans obviously are watching this very carefully because they want to suggest to…
Stoking the Outraged: Networks Showcase Consumers Feeling 'Pain at the
May 5th, 2006 11:55 AM
Anyone with a working TV set knows that the broadcast networks have hyped the high gas price story (“Pain at the Pump”) to ridiculous levels. A new MRC study of the ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening news shows found a whopping 183 stories in just three weeks, an avalanche of TV coverage that (helpfully to Democrats planning their midterm election strategy) has buried far more important good…
On NBC, Katie Couric, Ann Curry Swoon Over Helen Reddy And "I Am Woman
May 4th, 2006 5:44 PM
Feminist anthems still draw rave reviews. On Thursday morning's "Today," singer Helen Reddy was scheduled for an interview on her new memoir. As "I Am Woman" played in the background, Katie Couric explained how she knew every word of the song and it "shaped me in a lot of ways." News anchor Ann Curry interviewed Reddy and echoed the swooning: "Oh, that song still gives me the chills."Coming into…
CBS and NBC Stick With Gas Pains, Ignore Wednesday’s Huge Price Decl
May 4th, 2006 2:44 PM
The wholesale price of oil and gasoline took a huge drop on the commodities markets Wednesday. But, you never would have known it from watching the broadcast networks’ evening news programs. In fact, the pain at the pump mantra continued in earnest at CBS and NBC without even the slightest mention of a greater than $2 decline in oil prices and an almost 9 cent decline in gasoline prices on the…
NBC’s Today: Bush’s “Dismal” Poll Numbers Are “Plummeting
April 28th, 2006 5:38 PM
Nobody would argue that President Bush is overly popular at the moment. The media, however, seem determined to keep it that way. The April 28 edition of Today made this point extremely clear. Katie Couric opened the NBC program with this tease of a Brian Williams presidential interview: Couric: "President Bush on those skyrocketing gas prices, his plummeting poll numbers and whether New Orleans…
Networks Ignore How Big Government Rakes In More than Big Oil
April 27th, 2006 2:30 PM
All three network morning shows played the envy card Thursday morning, as they hyped the “record high profits” and “corporate greed” of American oil companies. High on their agenda: ExxonMobil’s announcement of $8.4 billion in profits, which the networks implied was scandalous given the high price of oil.But unstated in the network coverage was the fact that the U.S. government took in more than…
