20070911 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Tuesday September 11, 2007

1. As More Think 'Surge' Working, CBS's Interest in Its Poll Falls

On the day of the long-anticipated report from General David Petraeus on the "surge," the CBS Evening News ignored how its latest poll discovered the third straight month of an increase in the percent of Americans who believe the surge has "made things better" in Iraq.

As the percentage has gone up, CBS's interest in the result has gone down.

In July, anchor Katie Couric led with how only 19 percent thought the surge was "making things better" and a month later, in August, when that number jumped to 29 percent, CBS and Couric gave it just 12 seconds 20 minutes into the newscast.

While Monday's CBS Evening News skipped how the share crediting the surge for "making things better" rose to 35 percent in the survey conducted through Saturday, the newscast found time to highlight three other findings that stressed public opposition to the war and distrust of President Bush.

Jim Axelrod relayed how "in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll, just four percent think Iraq will become a stable democracy in the next year or two. More than half [53%] say it'll never happen. And just five percent think the Bush administration best able to make the right calls on the war."

2. ABC's Wright: 100 Percent of Anbar Iraqis Oppose Troop Surge

On Monday's Good Morning America, correspondent David Wright highlighted an ABC poll which claimed a "stunning" 100 percent of Iraqis in Anbar Province view the troop surge negatively.

Wright offered this rather amazing statistic during a dour preview of the Iraq progress report that General Petraeus gave Congress later in the day. While discussing the ABC survey of Iraqi households, Wright didn't question the fact that not one person could be found who viewed the troop surge positively.

After comparing Petraeus's testimony to that of General William Westmoreland at the height of the Vietnam War, Wright went on to discuss how the poll indicates that Iraqis believe the prospects for the future are "grim at best."

He then closed the report by stating the obvious: Unlike ABC, General Petraeus will actually mention signs of progress, in addition to discussing the struggles. "And no doubt we're going to be hearing a starkly different assessment today from this chair by General Petraeus," he concluded.

3. NY Times Worries Over Giuliani's 'Political Exploitation' of 9/11

The New York Times seems determined to limit any political gains Republican Rudy Giuliani gets for 9-11: Marc Santora's Monday "Political Memo" titled, "In Campaign Year, Invoking 9/11 Raises New Debates," suggested Giuliani is misleading voters by breaking some kind of promise not to talk about his leadership as mayor of New York City after the September 11 terrorist attacks:

"[T]here have been renewed questions about the fuzzy line between somber remembrance and political exploitation...." But did the Times show similar concern when John Kerry exploited his Vietnam service during 2004?

4. Roker Praises Liberal Actress Susan Sarandon as 'Good Role Model'

NBC's Today show co-host and weatherman Al Roker invited on Susan Sarandon to promote her latest movie, Mr. Woodcock, but couldn't get through the full interview Monday without praising her liberal activism, as he called her a "good role model," and celebrated her "great job" of combining acting and protesting.

For her part, Sarandon actually took a dig at NBC News on its own airwaves as she wistfully recalled the good old days when "news programs" showed "what was going on, not like now."

The 2,485^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996

6:25am EDT, Tuesday September 11, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 158)

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias. Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org

MRC Home | CyberAlerts | Media Reality Check | Notable Quotables | Bozell Columns

20070827 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Monday August 27, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 148)

---

1. Shields: 'Overkill' by 'Right-Wing Radio' Will Help Hillary "Overkill" from "right-wing radio," in criticizing Senator Hillary Clinton, is her "secret weapon" that will "transform her into a figure of sympathy by a majority of people" -- and presumably help elect her President -- syndicated columnist and PBS NewsHour political analyst Mark Shields contended Friday night. On Inside Washington, a weekly panel show produced by ABC's Washington, DC affiliate which airs it on Sunday mornings after it first runs Friday night at 8:30pm on DC's PBS affiliate, WETA-TV channel 26, Shields argued: "I think the secret weapon for Senator Clinton, if she is the Democratic nominee, is not simply Rudy's shortcomings, the perceived shortcomings of her opponent, I think you'll see on the part of right-wing radio -- conservative talk, however you want to call it -- such overkill that it will make her, transform her into a figure of sympathy by a majority of people." NPR's Nina Totenberg then chimed in: "That happened in her first Senate run."

2. Kristol Astounds Lauer by Rejecting Media Touting of Warner & NIE Matching the theme of NBC Nightly News from the evening before, the Today show on Friday morning portrayed Republican Senator John Warner's call for 5,000 troops to return home by Christmas as "a major defection" and "sharp rebuke" to President Bush, but to the astonishment of co-host Matt Lauer, who described Warner as "a pretty heavy domino" falling against Bush, guest Bill Kristol rejected the media's presumptions about the importance of Warner's stand. Andrea Mitchell trumpeted "a major defection from the most authoritative Republican Senator on all things military. It is a sharp rebuke to the President" from "the Senate's most influential Republican on the Armed Services Committee." When Kristol made clear he didn't think Warner's comments were such a big deal since he remains opposed to a pull-out timetable, Lauer argued: "What about the signal it sends to moderate Republicans in Congress? You know everybody talks about some sort of large scale defection. Isn't John Warner a pretty heavy domino?" Kristol countered: "No, because it hasn't fallen. He's not going to vote against the President in September, that's the more important thing." Turning to the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq, which Mitchell had described as "grim," Kristol highlighted positive findings about defeating al-Qaeda, prompting an incredulous Lauer to wonder: "Are they looking at the same country that you just saw?"

3. Newsweek's Michael Hirsh Ridicules 'Harsh' Vietnam Aftermath In a "Web-exclusive" commentary posted Thursday, Newsweek Senior Editor Michael Hirsh ridiculed President George W. Bush's warning that a precipitous pull-out from Iraq could lead to the humanitarian horrors that followed the American pull-out from Vietnam. Recalling a trip he made to Vietnam in 1991, Hirsh reported that he found a nation looking to the West and capitalism, adding that "today Vietnam remains" only "nominally communist." He then snidely asserted: "This was the 'harsh' aftermath that George W. Bush attempted to describe this week when he warned against pulling out of Iraq as we did in Vietnam." James Taranto, in his Friday "Best of the Web Today" posting for OpinionJournal.com, asked: "Could that last sentence be any more disingenuous? To Hirsh, the 'aftermath' of America's withdrawal from Vietnam didn't begin until 1991, more than 16 years after Saigon fell. About events between 1975 and 1991, he has only this to say: 'Yes, a lot of Vietnamese boat people died on the high seas; but many others have returned to visit in the ensuing years.'"

4. CBS: Mass. Health Insurance Mandate, Subsidy Don't Go Far Enough A year and a half after the CBS Evening News celebrated the then-upcoming Massachusetts mandate requiring everyone to buy health insurance and the state subsidizing it for those with lower incomes -- "Imagine this: Virtually everyone guaranteed health insurance coverage. It's happening in one state, and it could be a model for the rest" -- Friday's newscast found it has come up short. Anchor Katie Couric teased the upcoming story on how the law didn't go far enough in providing subsidies, "Universal health insurance: It is supposed to mean everyone is covered. But in the only state that has it, hundreds of thousands are not. That story next." Reporter Wyatt Andrews highlighted how state-subsidized coverage saved one man's life, trumpeting that as "the state's achievement. Out of 400,000 uninsured residents last year, around 170,000 now have insurance." But, he continued, "the gap that remains is huge. It includes some 130,000 young adults, most of them middle income men who have to pay their own premiums. They either don't want insurance or can't afford it." For expert advocacy, Andrews turned to the head of a liberal group, Health Care for All: "Health care advocate John McDonough praises the state for a good start but says that gap in affordability has to be filled."

5. CNN's 'God's Warriors' Reflects MSM's Bias Against 'Big 3' Faiths Christiane Amanpour's six-hour "God's Warriors" mini-series first aired Tuesday-Thursday nights last week on CNN reflected less of the reality of "fundamentalist" monotheists -- Jews, Muslims, and Christians -- and more of liberals' attitudes about these faiths. It is clear, given how CNN and Amanpour covered each faith, that they have sympathy towards Muslims in the U.S., "concern" with the Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and are uncomfortable towards the beliefs and practices of Christian evangelicals. Tuesday night's "God's Jewish Warriors" focused on the cause of the "right-wing" Jewish settlers. The term "right wing" was used seven times to describe the settlers and/or their supporters in Israel and in the United States, and "fundamentalist/-ism" was used three times, once in reference to Christian supporters of the settlers in the U.S. On Wednesday night's "God's Muslim Warriors," "fundamentalist/-ism" was the more prevalent term, used 11 times. "Right wing" was used twice, only to describe Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament.

6. FNC's Fox News Watch Shows MRC Home Page with CyberAlert Headline You saw it here first. FNC's Fox News Watch on Saturday set up a segment, on a Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll on how Americans distrust the media and see it as biased, by showing screen shots of the home pages of a couple of media watchdog groups, including the Thursday CyberAlert headline on the MRC's home page, "Networks: Bush's Vietnam Lesson Hypocritical & Invalid."

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,475^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
11:15am EDT, Monday August 27, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 148)

20070827 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Monday August 27, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 148)

---

1. Shields: 'Overkill' by 'Right-Wing Radio' Will Help Hillary "Overkill" from "right-wing radio," in criticizing Senator Hillary Clinton, is her "secret weapon" that will "transform her into a figure of sympathy by a majority of people" -- and presumably help elect her President -- syndicated columnist and PBS NewsHour political analyst Mark Shields contended Friday night. On Inside Washington, a weekly panel show produced by ABC's Washington, DC affiliate which airs it on Sunday mornings after it first runs Friday night at 8:30pm on DC's PBS affiliate, WETA-TV channel 26, Shields argued: "I think the secret weapon for Senator Clinton, if she is the Democratic nominee, is not simply Rudy's shortcomings, the perceived shortcomings of her opponent, I think you'll see on the part of right-wing radio -- conservative talk, however you want to call it -- such overkill that it will make her, transform her into a figure of sympathy by a majority of people." NPR's Nina Totenberg then chimed in: "That happened in her first Senate run."

2. Kristol Astounds Lauer by Rejecting Media Touting of Warner & NIE Matching the theme of NBC Nightly News from the evening before, the Today show on Friday morning portrayed Republican Senator John Warner's call for 5,000 troops to return home by Christmas as "a major defection" and "sharp rebuke" to President Bush, but to the astonishment of co-host Matt Lauer, who described Warner as "a pretty heavy domino" falling against Bush, guest Bill Kristol rejected the media's presumptions about the importance of Warner's stand. Andrea Mitchell trumpeted "a major defection from the most authoritative Republican Senator on all things military. It is a sharp rebuke to the President" from "the Senate's most influential Republican on the Armed Services Committee." When Kristol made clear he didn't think Warner's comments were such a big deal since he remains opposed to a pull-out timetable, Lauer argued: "What about the signal it sends to moderate Republicans in Congress? You know everybody talks about some sort of large scale defection. Isn't John Warner a pretty heavy domino?" Kristol countered: "No, because it hasn't fallen. He's not going to vote against the President in September, that's the more important thing." Turning to the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq, which Mitchell had described as "grim," Kristol highlighted positive findings about defeating al-Qaeda, prompting an incredulous Lauer to wonder: "Are they looking at the same country that you just saw?"

3. Newsweek's Michael Hirsh Ridicules 'Harsh' Vietnam Aftermath In a "Web-exclusive" commentary posted Thursday, Newsweek Senior Editor Michael Hirsh ridiculed President George W. Bush's warning that a precipitous pull-out from Iraq could lead to the humanitarian horrors that followed the American pull-out from Vietnam. Recalling a trip he made to Vietnam in 1991, Hirsh reported that he found a nation looking to the West and capitalism, adding that "today Vietnam remains" only "nominally communist." He then snidely asserted: "This was the 'harsh' aftermath that George W. Bush attempted to describe this week when he warned against pulling out of Iraq as we did in Vietnam." James Taranto, in his Friday "Best of the Web Today" posting for OpinionJournal.com, asked: "Could that last sentence be any more disingenuous? To Hirsh, the 'aftermath' of America's withdrawal from Vietnam didn't begin until 1991, more than 16 years after Saigon fell. About events between 1975 and 1991, he has only this to say: 'Yes, a lot of Vietnamese boat people died on the high seas; but many others have returned to visit in the ensuing years.'"

4. CBS: Mass. Health Insurance Mandate, Subsidy Don't Go Far Enough A year and a half after the CBS Evening News celebrated the then-upcoming Massachusetts mandate requiring everyone to buy health insurance and the state subsidizing it for those with lower incomes -- "Imagine this: Virtually everyone guaranteed health insurance coverage. It's happening in one state, and it could be a model for the rest" -- Friday's newscast found it has come up short. Anchor Katie Couric teased the upcoming story on how the law didn't go far enough in providing subsidies, "Universal health insurance: It is supposed to mean everyone is covered. But in the only state that has it, hundreds of thousands are not. That story next." Reporter Wyatt Andrews highlighted how state-subsidized coverage saved one man's life, trumpeting that as "the state's achievement. Out of 400,000 uninsured residents last year, around 170,000 now have insurance." But, he continued, "the gap that remains is huge. It includes some 130,000 young adults, most of them middle income men who have to pay their own premiums. They either don't want insurance or can't afford it." For expert advocacy, Andrews turned to the head of a liberal group, Health Care for All: "Health care advocate John McDonough praises the state for a good start but says that gap in affordability has to be filled."

5. CNN's 'God's Warriors' Reflects MSM's Bias Against 'Big 3' Faiths Christiane Amanpour's six-hour "God's Warriors" mini-series first aired Tuesday-Thursday nights last week on CNN reflected less of the reality of "fundamentalist" monotheists -- Jews, Muslims, and Christians -- and more of liberals' attitudes about these faiths. It is clear, given how CNN and Amanpour covered each faith, that they have sympathy towards Muslims in the U.S., "concern" with the Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and are uncomfortable towards the beliefs and practices of Christian evangelicals. Tuesday night's "God's Jewish Warriors" focused on the cause of the "right-wing" Jewish settlers. The term "right wing" was used seven times to describe the settlers and/or their supporters in Israel and in the United States, and "fundamentalist/-ism" was used three times, once in reference to Christian supporters of the settlers in the U.S. On Wednesday night's "God's Muslim Warriors," "fundamentalist/-ism" was the more prevalent term, used 11 times. "Right wing" was used twice, only to describe Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament.

6. FNC's Fox News Watch Shows MRC Home Page with CyberAlert Headline You saw it here first. FNC's Fox News Watch on Saturday set up a segment, on a Pew Research Center for the People and the Press poll on how Americans distrust the media and see it as biased, by showing screen shots of the home pages of a couple of media watchdog groups, including the Thursday CyberAlert headline on the MRC's home page, "Networks: Bush's Vietnam Lesson Hypocritical & Invalid."

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,475^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
11:15am EDT, Monday August 27, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 148)

20070814 TVNewser Daily Feed for Tuesday Aug 14 2007

TVNewser (Daily) Feed - 8/14/2007

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Tuesday, Aug 14

THE TICKER: CNN, CBS, CNBC...

The NABJ presented CNN with its "Best Practices" award during their convention in Las Vegas last weekend. The net was cited for its commitment to diversity both on and off air. >On assignment for 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper, has just returned from Africa. He and his team went to the interior of Niger: an "odyssey through primitive villages where most mothers have lost a child to malnutrition." The story will air this fall. >Want...

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FOR HEMMER, AROUND THE WORLD TO FNC

When he's not in the studio, or reporting from around the world, you might find Fox News Channel anchor Bill Hemmer in Sag Harbor, where he has a home. A reporter from The Sag Harbor Express sat down with Hemmer recently to chat about how he got his start in the biz. An internship with Cincinnati's WLWT, turned into a sports reporting job. "But by 25 or 26," while working at another Cincy station, WCPO,...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/for_hemmer_around_the_world_to_fnc_65083.asp

FNC, #7 ON CABLE LAST WEEK

The basic cable channel rankings for last week are in. Fox News Channel is the seventh most-watched network. CNN is #25. The rankings are here......

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/fnc_7_on_cable_last_week_65082.asp

EVENING NEWS RATINGS: WEEK OF AUG. 6

World News with Charles Gibson continues as the evening news leader. ABC says for the "15th Time in 16 Weeks ABC is #1 in all categories." Worth noting: the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric gained 300+ thousand viewers week to week, and went back above the 6,000,000 average for the first time in five weeks. Total viewers: ABC: 7,810,000 / NBC: 7,490,000 / CBS: 6,020,00025-54 demo: ABC: 2,390,000 / NBC: 2,260,000 / CBS: 1,790,00025-54...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/evening_news_ratings/evening_news_ratings_week_of_aug_6_65065.asp

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Tuesday, Aug 14

BILL PLANTE ON HIS FAMOUS QUESTION

CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante speaks out today, on CBS's Public Eye, about the much-discussed "If he's so smart, why did you lose Congress?" question he directed at President Bush after Karl Rove's departure announcement yesterday. Plante says, "There was no time to frame that question because the event [that] morning was a statement, not a news conference. So I asked a more direct one. I thought it unlikely that they would answer,...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs/bill_plante_on_his_famous_question_65073.asp

WHEN FIRST IS REALLY SECOND

Oh, those games cable networks play. This morning, at 10:42am ET CNN interviewed Matell CEO Bob Eckert about their toy recall. The net branded it a "first on CNN" interview. Only problem: Eckert was a guest on CNBC 18 minutes earlier at 10:24am ET....

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/when_first_is_really_second_65067.asp

TODAY'S FOURTH HOUR: "SPONTANEOUS, INFORMATIVE, DYNAMIC"

With just weeks until its launch, NBC has officially taken the wrapping paper off the plans for the fourth hour of the Today show. As previously reported Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb will host, with a roster including Amy Robach, David Gregory, Giada DeLaurentiis, Jenna Wolfe, Nancy Snyderman and Tiki Barber making "regular appearances as co-anchors." Says Steve Capus, President of NBC News: "We never anticipated when we launched the third hour that...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/todays_fourth_hour_spontaneous_informative_dynamic__65063.asp

"I-CAUGHT": THE NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW

Today's New York Times reviews ABC News' "i-Caught", hosted by Bill Weir. Times writer Mike Hale asks, "Do enough people care about the stories behind viral videos to make this a viable prime-time television concept? Maybe - the premiere drew a tolerable number of viewers for a summer fill-in." "And there are signs," Hale continues, "that ABC News is willing to flex some reportorial muscle on the show's behalf: tonight's episode is scheduled to include...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/abc/icaught_the_new_york_times_review_65060.asp

Tuesday, Aug 14

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN & SPIKE LEE TELL KATRINA STORIES, THROUGH TEENS' EYES

With the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaching, CNN has teamed up "with 11 New Orleans-area teenagers for a documentary that captures what their lives have been like since the storm." The special was filmed almost entirely by the teens with handheld digital video cameras. "The teens discuss loss, depression, inspiration and redemption in their own words, diary-style." Children of the Storm premieres Wednesday, August 29, at 8pmET. The full press release is after the...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/soledad_obrien_spike_lee_tell_katrina_stories_through_teens_eyes_65059.asp

IF I DID IT, READY FOR THE PRESS(ES)

The controversial book about the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, will be coming to a book store near you, after all. Last month, Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father won the rights to the controversial O.J. Simpson project. A publisher for the repackaged book will be announced today. TVNewser contributor Diane Clehane, talked with "O.J. aficionado," CNN's Jeffrey Toobin about the project earlier this month. Public outrage led News Corp. to cancel...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/court_cases/if_i_did_it_ready_for_the_presses_65053.asp

DON KING'S THING FOR LIZ CLAMAN

We know Chris Matthews likes his business babes, but who knew Don King has it for former CNBCer Liz Claman. According to the NYDaily News Claman was having lunch with Ameritrade CEO Joe Moglia, when "Don King came barreling across the Michelangelo bar shouting how much he loved 'the most beautiful anchorwoman in America,' and offered Claman a job on the spot." The job? "co-hosting a country-music special with him, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnbc/don_kings_thing_for_liz_claman_65040.asp

OF KOOL-AID & CHOREOGRAPHERS

The NYPost follows up on Friday's story about a thriller of an afternoon at the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric....

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs/of_koolaid_choreographers_65039.asp

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20070806 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Monday August 6, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 133)

---

1. At Debate, GOP 'Dogma Against Taxes' Obstacle to Fixing Bridges

As a questioner, along with George Stephanopoulos, of Republican presidential candidates at the Sunday debate in Iowa carried on ABC's This Week, veteran Des Moines Register political reporter and current columnist David Yepsen pressed the candidates to raise taxes.

For the last question in the first hour of the 90 minute session from Drake University, Yepsen urged Mike Huckabee: "Is it time we raise the federal gas tax to start fixing up our nation's bridges and roads?" After Huckabee answered it was a matter of budget priorities, Yepsen turned to Rudy Giuliani: "In Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty, who vetoed an increase in his state gas tax, said now he may consider one. Is this Republican dogma against taxes now precluding the ability of you and your party to come up with the revenues that the country needs to fix its bridges?"

Giuliani suggested Yepsen's formulation presumed a "Democratic liberal assumption: I need money, I raise taxes."

2. CBS: 'Cash-Starved' Governments Must 'Collect...More Tax Dollars'

A night after CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric presumed taxes must be hiked to pay for infrastructure repair, CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson ludicrously described federal and state governments as "cash-starved" as she relayed the expert view of just one person, a Democratic Congressman, whom she said blames the lack of courage to "collect" more taxes.

A nice euphemism for raising taxes.

Attkisson noted that out "of the $2.7 trillion federal budget, it's estimated only around $50 billion a year goes for infrastructure" while "experts say what's needed is $210 billion a year for five years."

After citing a couple of examples of misguided pork barrel spending for road projects when repair work goes wanting, Attkisson pointed out how "Congress only funds about 25 percent of the nation's infrastructure."

She then absurdly asserted that states and local governments which "pick up the rest of the tab" are "cash-starved too."

For her only expert assessment, Attkisson turned to Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar, Chairman of the very committee which funnels the pork spending, described as "Congress's leading authority on infrastructure" who "says both Congress and the White House have traditionally had trouble making the tough decision to collect and spend more tax dollars on infrastructure."

3. Regret Lack of 'Will' to Hike Taxes as '$4K/Minute' Spent in Iraq

Time magazine veteran Margaret Carlson, now with Bloomberg News and The Week magazine, used the Minnesota bridge collapse tragedy as a fresh excuse to tout how the public really wants a tax hike while she regretted the lack of political "will" to raise taxes and that the government can't find more money for infrastructure but can afford "$4,000 a minute on the Iraq war."

Citing a poll conducted a decade ago when Democrat Ed Rendell was Mayor of Philadelphia, on Friday's Inside Washington aired on the DC PBS station, WETA-TV channel 26, Carlson claimed that "nearly 70 percent of people polled would pay more in taxes to actually know that they could cross the 14th Street bridge safely," a reference to a bridge between Washington, DC and Virginia.

"But," she fretted, "you can't get the will to do it. I mean, we certainly had the wake-up call in Katrina, everyone knows the situation, but can you really get it done when there's, by the way, very little money left?"

4. Olbermann Hails 'Sane, Reasoned' Discussions About Raising Taxes

On Friday's Countdown, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann charged that the "endless war and endless spending" had "crippled our ability to repair or just check our infrastructure," as he hosted Air America's Rachel Maddow in a discussion blaming the Minneapolis bridge collapse on Iraq war spending and unwillingness by conservatives to raise taxes.

Olbermann quoted Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar's charge of "messed up priorities" and New York Democratic Congresswoman Louise Slaughter's labeling of bridge collapse victims as "almost victims of war" because "perpetual war depletes the funds available to maintain our infrastructure."

Complaining that Republicans have "demonized" taxes, he saw a glimmer of light in how the Governor of Minnesota may agree to raise the gas tax: "Does the Governor's reversal tonight suggest maybe somebody is going to start having sane, reasoned discussions about taxes and when they're needed?" Maddow charged that America is "paying this incredible deadly price for a brand of American conservatism that hates and demeans government."

5. Newsweek Touts 'Gay Love' for Hillary with No Labels, Unlike GOP

Newsweek political reporter Jonathan Darman provided a preview of sorts to the August 9 Democratic debate on the gay Logo cable channel with an article on Democrats seeking votes on the gay left, playfully titled: "Show 'Em Whatcha Got: Conscious of their community's financial clout, gay activists want action on equality issues, not just talk."

Nowhere in Darman's story in this week's new issue is there a single ideological label that would place gay supporters of the Democrats on the left. But a June story on the state of the Republican presidential race after Jerry Falwell's funeral was studded with 12 uses of "conservative" or shifting "rightward" or "religious right."

6. WSJ Decline Blamed on 'Vitriolic Right-Wing Attack Editorials'

The decline of the Wall Street Journal, which allowed Rupert Murdoch's purchase of it, can be blamed in part on how advertisers "perhaps weren't enthralled" with the newspaper's "vitriolic right-wing attack editorials," Washington Post op-ed writer David Ignatius contended in a Thursday column.

In "The Path That Led to Murdoch," Ignatius, a former Wall Street Journal reporter who has held a variety of top positions at the Post since 1986, asserted that during the 1990s "the Journal's editorial page increasingly did its own reporting, with equal portions of journalistic hustle and ideological spin, and it often overshadowed the news side. I suspect that helped undermine the franchise. Advertisers, in the end, perhaps weren't enthralled with a newspaper distinguished by vitriolic right-wing attack editorials."

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The 2,460^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
8:35am EDT, Monday August 6, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 133)

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias. Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org

20070705 CyberAlert

20070705 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

9:35 am EDT, Thursday July 5, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 114)

---

1. Panic Over Possible Pardon, ABC Contrasts Libby to Cocaine Dealer

Broadcast network anchors and reporters on Tuesday night seemed to be in a near panic over the possibility President Bush might yet pardon Lewis "Scooter" Libby, while ABC's Martha Raddatz illustrated special treatment for Libby by highlighting a man sentenced to 20 years for selling cocaine, whose commutation request Bush rejected, and Martha Stewart who served five months for violations similar to Libby's.

With "Libby PARDON?" on screen, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams warned that Bush is "not ruling out the possibility of a full pardon."

Bush remarked on Tuesday that "as to the future, I'm, you know, rule nothing in and nothing out." CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric made that her hook, citing "a lot more fireworks today...sparked by what the President said he may or may not do in the future." Bill Plante began: "A day after he commuted Lewis Libby's prison sentence, President Bush raised the ante by leaving the door open to an eventual pardon." ABC anchor Charles Gibson teased World News: "Angry reaction to President Bush sparing Scooter Libby jail time while the President doesn't rule out granting Libby a full pardon."

2. Olbermann Calls on Bush and Cheney to Resign, Congress to Impeach

On Tuesday's Countdown, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann used his latest "Special Comment" to demand President Bush and Vice President Cheney resign because of the commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence, contending that President Bush is only President of a "rabid and irresponsible corner of the Republican Party."

Olbermann further accused Cheney of being "without conscience" and compared the two to a "ventriloquist" and "dummy." After calling on Congress to "pressure, negotiate, impeach," Olbermann concluded: "Display just that iota of patriotism which Richard Nixon showed, on August 9, 1974. Resign. And give us someone, anyone, about whom all of us might yet be able to quote John Wayne, and say, 'I didn't vote for him, but he's my President, and I hope he does a good job.' Good night and good luck."

3. Vieira Plugs NBC's Al Gore-athon for the Earth with Singer Nutini

NBC invited aboard singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini to perform on Tuesday's Today show, but Meredith Vieira didn't let the artist get away without using his spot, in Saturday's Live Earth concert, as an excuse to plug NBC Universal's sweeping coverage of the Al Gore musical marathon which she trumpeted as "a worldwide event to save the planet."

After Nutini gushed about how "Al Gore, himself, has been, for 16 years, been fighting to, to be heard. And for this to be made, in such and an event like this to happen," Vieira enthused: "And hopefully this will affect people and impact on people's desire to, to help save the environment." Vieira helpfully informed viewers: "We want to remind the audience, too, that you can see all the concerts this Saturday, July 7th, on the networks of NBC Universal at 8/7 Central....We're also gonna have live coverage from the U.S. concert at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, all right here on NBC."

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias. Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,441^st CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996

20070629 MediaBistro Daily TVNewser Feed for Fri Je 29 2007

20070629 MediaBistro Daily TVNewser Feed for Fri Je 29 2007

Friday, Jun 29

MOYERS SAYS FNC "HUFFS & PUFFS," BUT "DOES LITTLE SERIOUS ORIGINAL REPORTING"

Bill Moyers' essay about Rupert Murdoch, airing tonight on PBS, is already on YouTube and The Huffington Post. Here's what Moyers says about FNC: "His worst offense with FOX News is not even its baldly partisan agenda. Far worse is the travesty he's made of its journalism. FOX News huffs and puffs, pontificates and proclaims, but does little serious original reporting. His tabloids sell babes and breasts, gossip and celebrities. Now he's about to bring under...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/moyers_says_fnc_huffs_puffs_but_does_little_serious_original_reporting_62126.asp

MSNBC GOING TO TAPE ON SATURDAY P.M.

MSNBC is pulling the plug on its Saturday afternoon newscasts."The network had originally added the 12-4pm shift with Contessa Brewer back at the end of 2005. The network dropped its Sunday 12-4 newscast due to ratings last December," ICN says.MSNBC Live will now run from 8am to noon. "As we do on Sunday, we will break into the afternoon programming for breaking news," a network rep says......

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/msnbc_going_to_tape_on_saturday_pm_62127.asp

NEW ON FOXNEWS.COM: "DOTCOM DAILY"

FOXNews.com is testing a new web video: "Dotcom Daily," hosted by Courtney Friel, the web site's entertainment correspondent.She already hosts the gossip webcast Lips and Ears. Since Monday, she's been reading headlines on the two-minute videos, accessible through AOL Video.Is this a new web product from FNC, similar to the business videos Cheryl Casone hosts for Yahoo?......
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/new_on_foxnewscom_dotcom_daily_62045.asp

DEBATES: MSNBC SPONSORING TWO IN FLORIDA

Several Florida groups are hoping to attract presidential candidates to two debates next January. Today MSNBC signed on as a national broadcast sponsor for the debates, scheduled to take place Jan. 23 and 25. Also, "most of the NBC affiliates in Florida have already committed to broadcast the debates live." NBC special events EP Phil Alongi says "NBC News is pleased to join the Decision 2008: Before You Vote partnership, and we are looking forward...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/debates_msnbc_sponsoring_two_in_florida_62120.asp

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Friday, Jun 29

ZUCKER THINKS WE SHOULD "BACK OFF" COURIC & "GIVE HER A BREAK"

Jeff Zucker, Katie Couric's former boss, thinks some of the scrutiny directed toward her has been "unfair and sexist in tone." In a FT.com video interview, Zucker said: "Frankly, I think everybody should just back off, give her a break, and let her do her job, and see how it goes. But I think the amount of attention attended to this has been wholely unfair, and I do think there is a degree of sexism...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/couric_watch/zucker_thinks_we_should_back_off_couric_give_her_a_break_62101.asp

TERROR PLOT FOILED: COVERAGE NOTES

> Look at the message CBS News found on a jihadist Internet forum: "Today I say: Rejoice, by Allah, London shall be bombed." It was posted hours before the scare... > Today's scare "comes just three weeks after what was described as an al Qaeda graduation ceremony of suicide bomb teams to be dispatched to Europe and the United States," ABC's Brian Ross notes... > Good Morning America covered the plot with three correspondents:...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/top_stories/terror_plot_foiled_coverage_notes_62100.asp

WATCH: BYSTANDER GRABS INGLE'S MIC ON FNC

A bystander interfered with Laura Ingle's iPhone live shot on FNC this morning, grabbing her microphone and running away before being tackled. Here's the must-see video. Ingle was interviewing Newsweek's Steven Levy, who was holding a coveted iPhone. "I thought it was interesting that the guy tried to grab your microphone and not the iPhone!," Megyn Kelly said......

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/watch_bystander_grabs_ingles_mic_on_fnc_62095.asp

TERROR PLOT FOILED: LAUER'S GOOD TIMING

Nice timing: Matt Lauer was in London to tease Sunday's Diana concert when this morning's bomb scare news broke."Just about three miles from where I'm standing here at Kensington Palace this morning, police diffused or made safe what they're describing as a potentially viable explosive device," Lauer said at the top.Then he spent a couple minutes teasing his Diana coverage before introducing a correspondent's package and interviewing an ITV News political editor... > Update: 10:51am:...
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/terror_plot_foiled_lauers_good_timing_62093.asp

Friday, Jun 29

TERROR PLOT FOILED: MSNBC IGNORES IT

While CNN and Fox News Channel were in breaking news mode early this morning, broadcasting continuous live coverage of the London bomb scare, MSNBC was acting like nothing had happened. MSNBC's First Look, live at 5am and repeated at 5:30am, barely made mention of the developing story. The top story was yesterday's immigration defeat in Congress. Anchor Joel Connable was finally forced to mention the terror plot once, when tossing to CNBC Europe for a market...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/terror_plot_foiled_msnbc_ignores_it_62091.asp

TERROR PLOT FOILED: CNN SIMULCASTS INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE, FNC AIRS SKY NEWS

E-mailer coverage notes: > "FNC broke the news with Suzanne Sena giving live updates at 3 a.m., 3:30 a.m., and then interrupting a repeat of Special Report to simulcast a live feed from Sky News from 3:40 a.m. for about 7 minutes," an e-mailer says. > FNC started simulcasting Sky News at 4am, with brief breaks for commercials. The live coverage continued until Fox & Friends started at 6am. > CNN interrupted the 3am replay...

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/top_stories/terror_plot_foiled_cnn_simulcasts_international_coverage_fnc_airs_sky_news_62089.asp

TERROR PLOT FOILED: CNN'S "GOOD FORTUNE" TO HAVE AMANPOUR ON SET

American Morning co-hosts John Roberts and Kiran Chetry were lucky to have Christiane Amanpour on hand this morning -- and they knew it.Amanpour was on set in New York all morning."We woke her up. She has raced into the studio," Roberts said.Before signing off, Chetry added later: "It was certainly good fortune for us."Amanpour's special, "The War Within," will re-air Saturday and Sunday at 8pm.....

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cnn/terror_plot_foiled_cnns_good_fortune_to_have_amanpour_on_set_62087.asp

Watch: Check out the iPhone stunt gone wrong on Today."Steve Jobs is counting on us!," Meredith Vieira joked as she tried to get her phone to work......

mediabistro.com's DAILY TVNEWSER FEED

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20070612 CBS Chief Calls Rather Comments sexist

In a battle of the moonbats…

TV: CBS Chief Calls Rather Comments `sexist'

By SETH SUTEL, The Associated Press 2007-06-12

NEW YORK - CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves shot back at former CBS news anchor Dan Rather on Tuesday, saying remarks Rather made about his successor, Katie Couric, were "sexist."

Rather, speaking on MSNBC by phone on Monday, said CBS had made the mistake of taking the evening news broadcast and "dumbing it down, tarting it up," and playing up topics such as celebrities over war coverage. The comments appeared in blogs and in a story published Tuesday in the New York Daily News.

While referring to Couric as a "nice person," Rather said "the mistake was to try to bring the 'Today' show ethos to the 'Evening News,' and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience."

Moonves, asked about the remarks at an appearance in New York sponsored by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, called the remarks "sexist" and said he was surprised at the amount of negative coverage Couric was receiving. Couric, the first solo female news anchor, has been struggling in the ratings.

"She's been on the air for nine months," Moonves said. "Let's give her a break."

More

####

20070522 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,413^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996

12:25 pm EDT, Tuesday May 22, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 86)

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1. NBC Impugns Limbaugh Over 'Barack the Magic Negro' Parody Song On Monday, NBC's Today allowed itself to be used as a publicity machine for a left-wing attempt to whip up an Imus-style campaign against conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for daring to air the parody song "Barack the Magic Negro" -- a parody inspired by a black writer who used that term in March in a Los Angeles Times op-ed about Obama -- in which an Al Sharpton impersonator sings about how Barack Obama isn't an authentic black. The song has been around for two months, but NBC acted like they just found out about it. Co-host Matt Lauer charged: "Rush Limbaugh airing a racially-charged parody about presidential candidate Barack Obama. Is the radio talk show host getting a free pass? We'll have more on that in our next half-hour." The on-screen graphic also asked: "Obama Parody, Is Limbaugh Getting A Free Pass?" The story by NBC reporter Michael Okwu presumed Limbaugh guilty of some great offense, and suggested his conservative audience is also culpable: "Media watch dogs say there's no hue and cry to stop Limbaugh because he speaks to a niche audience who either expects this or is willing to let him slide." Okwu ominously wondered: "Legitimate satire, or something darker?"

2. Stephanopoulos Marvels with Pelosi About First Female President Catching up with George Stephanopoulos' interview on Sunday's This Week with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Stephanopoulos took the opportunity to banter with Pelosi about the possibility of a woman President in front of her on the podium at the next State of the Union. Over video of Congressman John Boehner back in January handing the gavel to Pelosi, Stephanopoulos, one once toiled for the administration of the only woman candidate, marveled: "Seeing you up at the podium, first female Speaker of the House. Do you ever think what it would be like to be standing at that podium as the first female President of the United States comes up to give the State of the Union?" A giggling Pelosi exclaimed: "Wouldn't that be exciting to have the woman as the President and woman as the Speaker of the House? It'd be pretty exciting..." When Pelosi soon contended that "it's harder to become Speaker of the House than President of the United States for a woman," Stephanopoulos empathized with how "you had to prove you were tough enough."

3. After a Week of False Reports of 'Record High' Gas, Reality Noted After a week of inaccurate reports about the "record high" price for gas when, adjusted for inflation, the price was still below the cost in March of 1981, on Monday night ABC, CBS, and NBC again touted a "record high" price, but at least NBC acknowledged it simply matched the real 1981 price, while CBS alluded to a 1981 comparison. With "Record Prices" on screen, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reported that "gas is up another 12 cents in just the past week to a nationwide average tonight of $3.22 a gallon. Adjusting for inflation, that beats the all-time high set more than a quarter century ago at the start of the Iran-Iraq war." In fact, it does not beat it but only "matches" it, as NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams relayed: "For the second week in a row gas prices have hit a record high. The feds say the average price for unleaded regular soared eleven-and-a-half cents over the last week to a new record of $3.22 a gallon. That matches the peak price reached during 1981 during the Iran-Iraq war when the figures are adjusted for inflation." ABC anchor Charles Gibson, however, continued to deliver distorted reporting in which he refused to adjust for inflation.

4. GMA and Early Show Tout Immigration Bill Deal as 'Historic Day' On Friday, both CBS and ABC skewed their coverage of the Senate's immigration bill to the left. Neither network featured a conservative talking head that opposed the legislation, instead The Early Show and Good Morning America simply referred to the "critics" who believe the bill would amount to amnesty for those who came to the country illegally. However, while both networks also interviewed Senator Ted Kennedy, ABC anchor Diane Sawyer actually pressed the liberal legislator with several conservative points. GMA used flowery language to discuss the Senate's action, describing the legislation as "landmark." Co-host Sawyer asserted, "It was a historic day to see Republicans and Democrats coming forward on something together." ABC even queried illegal aliens as to what they think of the Senate's action: "Everyone taking sides. But sometimes it's good to hear the voices from the people who are at the center of the debate. And some of these illegal 12 million have been phoning in to Talk Back, which is our Web site..."

5. Couric Celebrates Cronkite for Opposing 'Another Unpopular War' Friday's CBS Evening News plugged its prime time special on Walter Cronkite with a story, as introduced by Katie Couric, about a "journalist who stood up to the Commander-in-Chief" during a time of "another unpopular war," as Couric was transitioning from a story about the debate over Iraq war funding. Couric was referring to Cronkite's decision in February 1968 to declare on the air that America would have to negotiate without victory to end the Vietnam war.

6. O'Donnell:'655,000 Iraqi Civilians Dead. Who Are the Terrorists?' On last Thursday's The View, Rosie equated the United States with terrorism, strongly implying U.S. soldiers have committed terrorist acts: "I just want to say something. 655,000 Iraqi civilians are dead. Who are the terrorists?" An appalled Elisabeth Hasselbeck demanded: "Wait, who are you calling terrorists now? Americans?" O'Donnell stood her ground: "I'm saying if you were in Iraq, and the other country, the United States, the richest in the world, invaded your country and killed 655,000 of your citizens, what would you call us?" Then on Monday's show, O'Donnell responded to the fallout from her moral equivalency rant as she claimed some cable news outlets "twisted" her words, and then got personal with token non-liberal Hasselbeck, calling her critics the "crappy shows" that "Elisabeth watches."

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias.

Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org