Networks Hype 'Bombshell:' Christie 'Thrown Under Bus'; Spotlight Call

January 31st, 2014 10:58 PM
The Big Three networks' evening newscasts on Friday jumped on the latest development in the traffic scandal surrounding Chris Christie. NBC and CBS both led with the accusation from the former Christie appointee, who claims that the New Jersey governor knew more about the lane closures than he previously asserted. CBS's Scott Pelley trumpeted how "Chris Christie just got thrown under the bus in…

NBC Edits Democratic Atlanta Mayor Out of Snowstorm Controversy, Blame

January 31st, 2014 4:26 PM
At the top of Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams proclaimed that "the [Republican] governor of Georgia [Nathan Deal] chose to fall on his snow shovel" over how Tuesday's rare southern snowstorm "was handled, or better yet, mishandled" in the state. However, the coverage that followed failed to mention Atlanta's Democratic Mayor Kasim Reed by name even once. [Listen to the audio…

Pro-Life Leaders Slam Nets on March for Life Coverage

January 31st, 2014 2:10 PM
One week later, and the networks have long forgotten about their scant coverage of the March for Life – after all, they have a whole year before they have to ignore it again. The pro-life movement, however, has forgotten neither the March nor the unserious and insulting way the broadcast networks reported on it – or didn’t.  As CMI reported last week, ABC and NBC gave just 46 seconds of air…

Andrea Mitchell Urges NBC 'Journalist' Maria Shriver to 'Take a Bow' f

January 31st, 2014 10:57 AM
On her Thursday 1 p.m. ET MSNBC show, host Andrea Mitchell gushed over NBC News special anchor Maria Shriver's political activism as "the force behind the influential Shriver Report about women and poverty in America": "Maria, my God, what you have started, what you have launched here....Equal pay for women...you went and you talked to the President about before his State of the Union, when he…

NBC Won't Label Retiring Waxman a 'Liberal,' But CBS Does

January 30th, 2014 7:50 PM
On Thursday evening's news casts, both CBS and NBC announced the retirement of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) but only CBS labeled him a liberal. ABC ignored the news. "Democrat Henry Waxman in California, now in his 20th term, was elected with the post-Watergate class of 1974. He became one of the leading liberals in the House," reported CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley. In contrast, NBC…

McConnell Speaks Out Against New IRS Regulations, Big Three Nets Ignor

January 30th, 2014 3:57 PM
The Minority Leader of the United States Senate appeared on The Kelly File, Wednesday night, to announce a push back against the IRS’s latest attempt, via new rules, to silence conservative groups. Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) network reaction? Silence. Not a single network morning show, on Thursday, reported on the latest charges from Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Appearing on…

As CBS and ABC Move On, NBC Continues to Hype GOP Congressman's Tussle

January 30th, 2014 1:10 PM
NBC's Today on Thursday decided to make Republican Congressman Michael Grimm's verbal attack on a reporter after Tuesday's State of the Union a two-day story, with fill-in co-host Tamron Hall proclaiming: "Well, there's more fallout this morning from an ugly scene following the President's State of the Union address." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump] The additional "…

Don't Know the Party of a Politician Caught in a Scandal? He's Probabl

January 30th, 2014 9:05 AM
Within the span of 40 seconds, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams reported on two politicians caught in scandals, one a Republican the other a Democrat, but he gave the party affiliation of only one of the troubled politicians. Can you guess which one?   On the January 27 Nightly News, Williams reported that “Florida Republican Congressman Trey Radel has resigned effective tonight. He…

Networks Ignore GOP Response to SOTU, But Publicize GOP Congressman Th

January 29th, 2014 10:20 PM
On Wednesday evening's news casts, the networks all hyped GOP congressman Michael Grimm (N.Y.) threatening a reporter after Tuesday's State of the Union address while skipping the Republican response to the address entirely. Of Grimm's outburst, ABC's Jeff Zeleny quipped, "It was not the State of the Union response Republicans had in mind." It was the response that the networks chose to…

Networks Boost Obama's Push for Minimum Wage Increase, Ignore GOP Oppo

January 29th, 2014 9:09 PM
The networks played right into President Obama's hand Wednesday evening as they touted his push for a minimum wage increase while giving barely any voice to his Republican opposition. "[T]he President was out there hitting that 'give America a raise' theme hard today in campaign-style events both in Pennsylvania and in Maryland," noted ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl. "Does…

All Three Networks Avoid Fact Checking Obama Speech, But Include Biden

January 29th, 2014 4:00 PM
  ABC, NBC and CBS's morning shows on Wednesday failed to fact check Barack Obama's State of the Union address. These same networks, however, made time to feature Vice President Joe Biden (who was in full cheerleader mode). It's not as though fact checks weren't available. The Washington Post and the Associated Press both produced such critical analysis. During his speech, Obama touted "the…

NBC Host Cheers Obama's Call for Women's Equal Pay: 'Let's Make This H

January 29th, 2014 3:59 PM
On Wednesday's NBC Today, 9 a.m. ET hour co-host Natalie Morales touted one of the "great moments" from President Obama's Tuesday night State of the Union: "I think one of the moments that a lot of people were talking about was when he made reference to the gender inequality issue. He said, 'You know, we are no longer in a Mad Men era'....33,000 tweets, I believe, so something that I think a…

NBC: GOP Inviting 'Duck Dynasty' Star to SOTU Not 'Dignified'; 'Trying

January 29th, 2014 12:55 PM
During NBC's live State of the Union coverage Tuesday night, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd sneered at Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson being a Republican guest at the event: "...after the shooting with Gabby Giffords and for a couple of State of the Unions in a row....There was more of a dignified feeling about the guests that you would invite. Boy, you can tell things are a lot…

All Three Networks Fret Over Obama Not Getting 'Credit' for 'Better' E

January 29th, 2014 11:07 AM
Minutes before the President began his State of the Union address Tuesday night, hosts on ABC, NBC, and CBS all worried that Obama was not getting the "credit" he deserved for how well the economy was supposedly doing. [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump] Talking to former Obama advisor David Plouffe during ABC's live coverage of the speech, Good Morning America host…