Nets Compare America to Third World, Shocked Many Come for Free Health
August 14th, 2009 2:40 PM
All three broadcast networks this week have reported on the charity Remote Area Medical's offer of free medical care at a temporary facility in Los Angeles, citing the arrival of many patients as a sign of how many Americans there are who need "free health care," and even relaying the words of program volunteers who compared the health care challenges of some Americans to problems in Third World…
CBS Silent on Clinton Comparing Bush v. Gore to Massive Corruption in
August 13th, 2009 12:50 PM
Of the three major networks, only CBS has managed, thus far, to ignore controversial comments from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that compared America’s disputed election in 2000 to political corruption in Nigeria. ABC, however, highlighted the August 12 remarks on Thursday’s Good Morning America. GMA news anchor Chris Cuomo challenged, "Now, did [the comments] cross the line?" Co-host Robin…
ABC’s Kate Snow Shifts Course; Notes GOP Opposition in Story on End
August 11th, 2009 1:02 PM
ABC’s Kate Snow, who early on Monday couldn’t find time to show any Republican opposition to a controversial provision in the health care plan relating to end-of-life care, reversed course on World News and briefly highlighted a GOP voice. Congressman Thaddeus McCotter appeared and asserted, "And there should never be any doubt as to whether your end-of-life decisions are influenced by its effect…
Nets Disparage Protests: Getting 'Ugly' and 'Unruly,' Scold Limbaugh B
August 9th, 2009 6:08 PM
The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts in near-unison on Friday night disparaged the anti-ObamaCare protests at town meetings held by Members of Congress as “unruly,” “nasty” and “getting ugly,” while CBS and NBC targeted Rush Limbaugh -- NBC's Kelly O'Donnell charged “some anger...gets stoked by the provocative megaphone of Rush Limbaugh, who went so far as accusing Democrats of wanting the…
Nets Take Turns Failing to ID Convicted Democrat William Jefferson
August 6th, 2009 12:23 PM
On Thursday, all three network morning news programs reported the conviction of former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson on bribery charges, but only NBC’s Today identified him as a Democrat. CBS’s Early Show and ABC’s Good Morning America simply referred to him as a "former congressman."In contrast, Wednesday’s NBC Nightly News did not provide a Democratic label for Jefferson, while ABC’s…
ABC: Town Hall Wrath at ObamaCare 'Appears to Be Orchestrated
August 5th, 2009 12:53 AM
ABC framed its Tuesday night story, on citizens using town hall forums held by Members of Congress to express opposition to ObamaCare, around undermining their credibility by asserting the reaction “appears to be orchestrated” and “organized” and thus is forcing the victimized “White House to push back” by “fighting Internet fire with fire.” After anchor Charles Gibson insisted “some of that…
Year Ago GDP Jump 'Disappointing'; This Year Negative GDP: 'Whole Lot
July 31st, 2009 8:50 PM
A year ago, when the government reported second quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubled from the first quarter to 1.9 percent, the CBS Evening News centered a story around what Katie Couric described as “disappointing” news while ABC and NBC didn't utter a syllable about the GDP jump. But Friday night, with a different President in office, Couric crowed a one percent decline in the 2009…
ABC and NBC Jump to Herald Obama's Presidential Medal of Freedom Picks
July 30th, 2009 9:08 PM
When Obama does it, it's news. ABC and NBC on Thursday night made time to highlight who President Barack Obama will bestow with a Presidential Medal of Freedom in two weeks -- on Wednesday, August 12. Both started with Senator Ted Kennedy. On ABC's World News, which never touted President George W. Bush's picks in advance, fill-in anchor Elizabeth Vargas trumpeted: The White House announced that…
ABC Obsessed with Alternative Sexual Lifestyles
July 29th, 2009 9:36 AM
Youngsters' curiosity about sex used to be sated by late night, soft-core flicks on premium cable channels. Now, they simply have to tune into ABC. ABC news programs have featured 76 segments about sexual activity in the last six months. The majority of these reports were related to political sex scandals or crime cases that contained a sexual element, but 11 promoted alternative sexual…
Nets Advance Taxing Big Soda to Pay for ObamaCare
July 28th, 2009 12:23 AM
In highlighting a new study which found $147 billion a year is spent on obesity-related health care and obese people spend $1,400 more a year for health services, ABC and CBS on Monday night couldn't resist interjecting a plug for imposing a tax on soda to bring in revenue to pay for ObamaCare. ABC's Sharyn Alfonsi asserted “health officials seem to like the idea of a federal soda tax” since “…
ABC Champions 'Liberal Lion' as Inspiration for Obama Heath Care Takeo
July 27th, 2009 9:18 AM
A week after ABC anchor Dan Harris hailed how “Senator Ted Kennedy is using his own battle against brain cancer to make an emotional pitch for health care reform. Writing in Newsweek, Kennedy called it 'the cause of my life,'” Sunday's World News devoted a full story to Kennedy's cause as Harris' tease framed Kennedy's big government agenda in the most-benign light: “In the game. An ailing Ted…
Nets Fail to ID Party of Pols Arrested in NJ; CNN Misleads Its Viewers
July 23rd, 2009 11:13 PM
Continuing a well-established pattern, the broadcast network evening newscasts all failed to point out the party affiliation of the major New Jersey office-holders amongst the 44 people the FBI arrested Thursday for corruption. As the AP pointed out, all but one are Democrats: “Among the 44 people arrested were the mayors of Hoboken, Ridgefield and Secaucus, Jersey City's deputy mayor, and two…
Terry Moran's Big Scoop: Obama 'Prays All the Time
July 23rd, 2009 8:10 PM
Wrapping up a preview of his day with President Barack Obama for Thursday's Nightline, live from Cleveland ABC's Terry Moran informed World News anchor Charles Gibson: I also took the opportunity at this juncture to ask Mr. Obama about how the presidency is affecting and shaping his spiritual life, and he said, Charlie, that before he was elected, he had a habit of praying every night, but that…