NBC's Lauer Advances WaPo Angle That Sotomayor Won't Be 'Reflexively L
May 26th, 2009 4:18 PM
While NBC's Matt Lauer, Pete Williams and Chuck Todd all appropriately applied the liberal label to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, on Tuesday's "Today" show, Lauer did try to sell the concept, advanced by the Washington Post, that Sotomayor wouldn't be "reflexively liberal." MATT LAUER: Right, however in the Washington Post, back in May Pete, when writing about her judicial philosophy…
Broadcast Networks 'Hail' Obama Auto Fuel Efficiency Standard
May 22nd, 2009 11:39 PM
After 120 days of the new presidency, the automobile industry provides some of the best evidence of an administration that favors the heavy hand of government meddling in the private sector. And as is the case with mostcoverage of President Obama and his policies, criticism of his automotive tinkering has been sparse. On May 19, Obama announced a 30-percent increase in Corporate Average Fuel…
Media Let Culture Wars Cloud 'American Idol' Win
May 21st, 2009 3:47 PM
After the winner of "American Idol" is crowned, the appropriate action is to congratulate the newly crowned Idol on his success. Yet on May 21 media focus was clearly elsewhere. That day, reports on all three networks' morning broadcasts, marveled at how Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert and gave unusual attention to contestants who did not win, but are still successful, leaving little doubt that…
Brokaw Calls for 'Economic Justice,' 'Mother Earth Taken Turn for the
May 21st, 2009 3:05 PM
During his Saturday, May 16, commencement speech at Fordham University, former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw fretted that the "vital signs" of "Mother Earth" have "taken a turn for the worse," as he cited global warming as a problem this year's graduating class would need to help solve. He also used the term "economic justice," a term commonly invoked by the Left, as he called on graduates to "…
NBC's 'Today': Not Fair to Pit Deeply Disliked Cheney Against Popular
May 21st, 2009 12:17 PM
"Today" reporter Chuck Todd on Thursday spun the dueling speeches of President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney as not "a fair fight." Speaking of the two May 21 addresses on the subject of terrorism, the NBC correspondent proclaimed, "Our latest poll indicates it's the most popular member of the Democratic Party facing off against one of the most unpopular members of the…
NBC Contradicts Itself on New Bill to Protect Consumer; May Hurt Stude
May 20th, 2009 5:42 PM
NBC's coverage of a new bill that restricts credit card companies has been riddled with contradictions - first attacking companies for taking advantage of young people, then admitting students need to build credit. On May 14 "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams said, "graduates enter the world with awful credit card debt" and then reporter Lisa Myers demonized credit card companies for…
GE's Jeff Immelt: Global Warming 'Compelling'; Cap-and-Trade Most 'Eff
May 20th, 2009 3:17 PM
General Electric (NYSE:GE) is the parent company of the major media conglomerate NBC Universal, which owns media outlets NBC, MSNBC and CNBC. At times that has led to the lines between corporate advocacy and journalism being blurred. That was certainly the case when GE's CEO Jeff Immelt appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box" May 20 to discuss the White House meeting of President Barack Obama's 16-…
Big 3 Nets' Evening Newscast Audiences Continue HIstoric Current-Year
May 20th, 2009 1:53 PM
Each of the Big 3 networks' evening news broadcasts is pulling an historically low audience, or close to it -- and it isn't even summertime yet. While they continue to pretend that Obamamania is as alive and well as it allegedly was in January, they have seen 25% of their viewers go elsewhere, including one-third of the 25-54 demographic. Year over year, they're down a collective 6% overall, and…
'Today' Turns to Leftist and a Moderate for Advice on GOP Comeback
May 20th, 2009 12:36 PM
When NBC's "Today" show, on Wednesday, devoted an entire segment asking the question "How Should the GOP Battle Back?" who did they turn to, to offer strategic advice? Leftist Nation editor/publisher Katrina Vanden Heuvel and self-described "moderate" radio talk show host Michael Smerconish. What? Was Meghan McCain not available? Not surprisingly neither guest suggested the Republican Party…
Matt, Meredith and Al 'Dazzled' by Michelle Obama's Night Out at the M
May 19th, 2009 1:35 PM
NBC's Matt Lauer and Al Roker, on Tuesday's "Today" show, revealed they enjoyed a "nice" evening at the theater last night, in the presence of Michelle Obama, as she "dazzled New York City for a second time," when she visited the Metropolitan Opera House. After an Amy Robach piece that celebrated Mrs. Obama's return to the Big Apple, Roker and Lauer bragged that they too were in attendance at the…
Networks Lead the Cheer for Obama’s Notre Dame Address
May 18th, 2009 5:02 PM
Since its announcement in March, the University of Notre Dame's decision to invite President Barack Obama to give this year's commencement address and receive an honorary doctorate in law has been a big story for American Catholics. Pro-life Catholics were outraged and more than 366,000 people signed a petition urging Notre Dame to rescind the invitation. Somehow, though, the controversy didn't…
After Three Weeks, Pelosi’s Anti-CIA Rant Finally Pushes Nets to Act
May 15th, 2009 6:23 PM
After three weeks of virtual silence, all three broadcast networks provided full reports last night (Thursday) about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s shifting story about what she knew about the interrogation methods used against al Qaeda terrorists, methods that liberals have decried as criminal torture. This morning (Friday), NBC and CBS also provided full reports, but ABC’s Good Morning America…
'The Early Show' Focus: 'Is America Ready for a Gay Supreme Court Just
May 14th, 2009 4:38 PM
Gender and sexual orientation matter more than judicial philosophy and experience, at least according to the CBS "Early Show" on May 14. The morning news program focused its discussion of only two of the potential Supreme Court nominees - two openly gay women. Co-anchor Julie Chen announced the story saying, "Washington is all a buzz over the two openly gay women under consideration."…
Omission Watch: ABC, CBS and NBC Ignore Pelosi’s Torture Hypocrisy
May 13th, 2009 5:56 PM
For the past three weeks, controversy has swirled around Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has called for a “truth commission” to expose the supposed war crimes of the Bush administration but who herself was briefed years ago on the use of waterboarding and the other enhanced interrogation techniques that are now drawing howls of outrage.ABC, CBS and NBC have said nothing about the…