NBC's Curry Rams Global Warming Bias Into Three Straight News Briefs
December 1st, 2010 3:55 PM
On Wednesday's Today show NBC's Ann Curry managed to thread the theme of global warming through three different news stories, during her 9am news update. The co-anchor began by notifying viewers about the "wild weather" of record rainfall and tornadoes in the South to snow in the Midwest and then told her audience that "unusual weather seems to be a growing trend" as she delivered the latest…
NBC's Vieira to Robert Gibbs on Tax Hikes: What Happened to Obama the
December 1st, 2010 12:04 PM
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared on all three major morning shows, on Wednesday, and was pressed by ABC, CBS and NBC's anchors about whether or not the President would fold and compromise with the Republicans on keeping the Bush era tax cuts in place - but it was the Today show's Meredith Vieira that hit him the strongest question from the left as she asked Gibbs what kind of "…
Today Show Portrays Wiki Leaker as a 'Teased' and 'Harassed' Victim of
November 30th, 2010 11:59 AM
Instead of leading with how Army Private First Class Bradley Manning may have jeopardized national security with his document dump to WikiLeaks, NBC's chief Pentagon correspondent Jim Miklaszewski, in his profile of Manning on Tuesday's Today show, told viewers he was the "most unlikely suspect, with a youthful smile" and portrayed him as an abused victim of the military. Miklaszewski used the…
On Today: Matt Lauer Fails to Convince Republican to Go Obama's Way an
November 30th, 2010 11:13 AM
NBC's Matt Lauer, on Tuesday's Today show, invited on soon to be House Majority Leader Eric Cantor to discuss today's meeting of Republican congressional leaders with Barack Obama, and in the process tried to force Cantor to move in the President's direction on raising taxes. The Today co-anchor opened the conversation by wondering if Cantor was going into the meeting in the mood for "…
NBC's Lauer: WikiLeaks is Merely a 'Messenger' For Classified Material
November 29th, 2010 3:43 PM
On Monday's Today show, NBC's Matt Lauer downplayed the criminal factor in the release of hundreds of thousands of classified diplomatic communiques by WikiLeaks, twice labeling the website as only a "messenger" for the documents. Both Lauer and NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell insisted the State Department "crossed a line" by ordering diplomats to spy on foreign diplomats at the United…
Lauer Just Can't Seem To Recall Couric at Parade
November 25th, 2010 9:14 AM
A painful period he'd rather forget?
Asked to name the person who preceded Meredith Vieira as his Today sidekick, Matt Lauer declined to mention Katie Couric, claiming "there was no one ever. No one came before Meredith."
Matt's convenient case of amnesia came in response to a question from Robin Hall, who is celebrating his 10th and last year as executive producer of Macy's…
NBC's O'Donnell: Palin 'Rips the Heart Out of Her Opponents' in New Bo
November 23rd, 2010 3:44 PM
NBC correspondent Norah O'Donnell hyped Sarah Palin's criticism of her liberal opponents on Tuesday's Today show, stating that the former governor "rips the heart out of some of her opponents" in her new book. O'Donnell stated that Palin, "in very personal terms, also questions the President's [Obama's] patriotism, concluding he has 'a stark lack of faith in the American people.'"
The…
CNN Misinterprets Pope's Condom Remarks; NBC Offers Accurate Coverage
November 22nd, 2010 8:04 PM
On Monday's Newsroom, CNN's Kyra Phillips gave a false impression of Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments about condoms. While the Pope stated that condom use "can be a first step...on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed," Phillips stated that the pontiff "says condoms are okay sometimes." Refreshingly, Monday's Today show on NBC accurately covered Benedict's…
Networks Hype GOP Division Over Palin, Claim She's 'On the Verge of Ov
November 22nd, 2010 1:20 PM
On Monday, all three network morning show's eagerly highlighted former First Lady Barbara Bush voicing opposition to a Sarah Palin presidential run while suggesting the former Alaska governor has spent too much time in the public eye. As Harry Smith proclaimed at the top of CBS's Early Show: "It's all Palin all the time. But could the most famous family from Alaska be on the verge of…
Network Double Standard: Obama’s TSA Gropers vs. Bush’s NSA Eavesd
November 22nd, 2010 1:08 PM
While the broadcast networks have generally empathized with the distress of airline passengers over the TSA’s new and intrusive airport searches, they have not — thus far, at least — gone so far as to impugn the Obama administration as launching a war against Americans’ civil liberties.
Indeed, NBC’s Matt Lauer on Monday even sympathized with TSA Administrator John Pistole: “I hate to even…
NBC Offers Soft Spin on Invasive TSA Screenings, ABC, CBS Highlight 'O
November 22nd, 2010 12:22 PM
NBC's Today on on Monday offered the most sympathetic take on the growing outrage over invasive pat downs being conducted at airports by the Transportation Security Administration. While ABC highlighted "outrage" and CBS observed how some find the procedures "violating," Today host Matt Lauer worried about the government "caving" on the policy.
All three morning shows interviewed TSA…
David Gregory to Hillary Clinton: Might GOP Hurt U.S. Prestige and Oba
November 21st, 2010 5:20 PM
David Gregory is clearly concerned that if Republicans don't vote in favor of the START treaty with Russia, President Obama's international image, as well as American prestige abroad, will be damaged.
On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Gregory asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "Is this going to potentially be a problem with the president not being able to get what he wants on the world…
Bush Yucks It Up With Jay Leno
November 19th, 2010 9:17 AM
Former President George W. Bush went on the "Tonight Show" Thursday, and had a marvelous time swapping jokes with Jay Leno.
As most folks are like him and go to bed before this airs, here's the entire segment for your entertainment pleasure:
Lauer to Lisa Murkowski: Will You Stand Up to Republicans Who Want Oba
November 18th, 2010 12:55 PM
NBC's Matt Lauer, on Thursday's Today show, invited on Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski to applaud her presumptive write-in ballot win over Republican candidate Joe Miller and asked if she would now "stand up against" Republicans "who may feel that the only way for them to succeed" is for Barack Obama to fail. After Lauer went through the perfunctory congratulations, he asked the candidate who…