Network Somalia Coverage Update: ABC, NBC Spend Only 21% on Minnesota Fraud

In an update to a study we first brought to you on Friday afternoon, ABC and NBC have only spent a combined 17 minutes and 16 seconds through Monday morning on their flagship morning and evening newscasts and Sunday political talk shows covering the latest out of the Somali community in Minneapolis, but only 21 percent (or three minutes and 35 seconds) of that was spent on the rampant welfare fraud scheme, which was the entire impetus for the headlines.

The rest? It was spent demonizing President Trump’s comments excoriating those who came here and broke our laws.

Overall, ABC, CBS, and NBC have now spent 36 minutes and 41 seconds on the Twin Cities, but only 31 percent of that (11:28) explained the years-long scheme that stole over $1 billion from taxpayers and led to dozens of convictions.

This new Media Research Center tally marked an increase of just over 14 minutes from our first total representing November 30 through December 5 and a slight increase of percentage from fraud coverage from 28 percent (27.7%).

ABC did not a single second to its tally from Friday, leaving it at a mere six minutes (6:02) on the Somalis, but only 7 percent (6.9 percent, or 25 seconds) was on the fraud.

NBC added a little over two minutes to its overall number — which now stands at 11 minutes and 14 seconds — while its fraud remained the same (2:10) and thus dropped the percentage to 19 percent (from 24 percent last week).

The added time came from NBC’s Meet the Press with moderator Kristen Welker lobbing a softball to Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) (click “expand”):

WELKER: [L]et me kind of push this conversation forward a little bit and have you respond to some of the rhetoric at least that we are hearing. This week, President Trump referred to people in the Somalian community as, quote, unquote, "garbage," even singling out Congressman Ilhan Omar. This, of course, a part of his broader crackdown on illegal immigration, but what do you make of the rhetoric that we heard this week from President Trump?

CLYBURN: It is incredible. And of course, once again, it is not new. The number – seventh guy on this list of eight, Thomas Miller, was referred to as a canary. And number eight on that list, George Washington Murray, was nicknamed "the Black Crow." This kind of nicknaming that took place after the Civil War trying to discredit the people of color is exactly what we’re seeing now. People see all these nicknames denigrating people, devaluing their existence. That is not the kind of stuff of which our country has been made. We got over that after the 1954 Supreme Court decision. Why should we start back in that direction? And so when you look at the Somalians out in Minnesota, Ilhan Omar, she is one incredible young lady who has withstood a lot in her life. And I have defended her and her Somalian brethrens. And I do believe that’s what this country is all about. It is what made us a great country. And what we’ve got to do is continue that trek toward a more perfect union. We’ll never be perfect, but we should always be in pursuit of perfection. And we don’t do that by turning back the clock and having a future for our children and grandchildren much like the past was for my parents and grandparents. That’s not the American way.

Not to be left out was CBS and its three newscasts of CBS Mornings, the CBS Evening News, and Face the Nation.

Along with fraud-less Minneapolis coverage on CBS Saturday Morning and Saturday’s Weekend News, an interview with Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) on Face the Nation added over 11 minutes and five minutes and 16 seconds of welfare fraud discussion.

But, as our Jorge Bonilla wrote, host Margaret Brennan gave Omar “a tour-de-force in media coddling” and “a kid-gloves interview that cast her as the victim of unfortunate events beyond her control.”

Bonilla noted Brennan merely would set up the questions with a rough retelling of her ties to this fraud ring and then allowing her free reign to knock it down:

 

This interview sent CBS’s sum to 19 minutes and 25 seconds, far ahead of ABC and CBS combined. However, the percentage spent telling viewers the truth about the Twin Cities uproar fell below 50 percent to roughly 46 percent (45.75 percent).