Bush's Unpopular Tax Cut; FOB Kaplan Forced Out By CNN; Mayor Rivera?; Letterman Caught NY Times Bias 1) CBS focused Wednesday night on how Bush's "$1.3 trillion tax... hasn't caught fire like the campaign expected." CBS failed to note how the rich get the smallest cut, passing along the usual canard about how most of the benefit goes to high income households. 2) Rick Kaplan forced out of CNN. He had a history of helping Clinton and liberals. This year he stayed overnight at the White House, last year he denounced Ken Starr's "obsession." He produced a special on fundraising... continue reading
Nets Jumped on ADL Complaint; Lieberman Double Standard Conceded; Gore Attacks Energized NBC; Survivor to Save Early Show? 1) The networks jumped on the ADL's criticism of Joe Lieberman for mixing religion and politics, but only ABC's Peggy Wehmeyer reminded viewers how Gore and Bush "toned down" their religious rhetoric "as a result of press criticism" and suggested "Lieberman can get away with it because he's Jewish and a Democrat." 2) Time and USA Today reporters conceded a media double standard on religion and politics: "If a conservative Republican were saying these things it would, people would be going nuts."... continue reading
Car Dealer Gun Giveaway Denounced; Ray Awaiting Rather Apology; Bush Tax Cut Will Hurt "Health and Education" 1) Matt Lauer pounded away at a Tennessee car dealer who planned to giveaway a gun to anyone who bought a car: "If you give someone a CD player, they can't go out and kill someone with it." On giving water pistols to kids, Lauer complained: "Some people say that's just going too far." 2) Independent Counsel Robert Ray is still waiting for an apology from Dan Rather for linking the "Republican-backed" prosecutor to the leak about how Ray had empaneled a new... continue reading
Networks Suppressed Ad Content; Lauer Defended Bush on Miscues; Cheney v. Lieberman Descriptions 1) The networks all picked up how the Bush campaign cancelled a planned RNC ad showing Gore in a 1994 interview denying Bill Clinton had ever lied. But in buying the spin that it was misleading since viewers would assume the denial came post-Monica, the networks failed to point out how Clinton had lied by 1994. 2) The CBS Evening News stressed how Bush's verbal miscues could be a boon for "Al Gore's fact-laden campaign," but Today's Matt Lauer suggested the media are overreacting: "He's probably had... continue reading
Bush's Tax Plan Assaulted; Gore's Spending Ignored; FCC Hit CBS Over Kilborn 1) Janet Reno's decision to not name a special counsel to probe Al Gore earned full stories on CBS and NBC but only a brief item on ABC. CBS's John Roberts lamented the "burden" on Reno since "she takes the heat for refusing to appoint a special counsel." 2) ABC jumped Wednesday night on how the Bush campaign is now "playing defense" while the Gore team is "riding high playing offense," because of George Bush's admission that he needs to do a better job of explaining his tax... continue reading
Big Bounce Trumpeted; Clancy Hit as "Simplistically Conservative"; Gore's Kiss Celebrated 1) "Al Gore has not just pulled even in the presidential race, our poll says he is ahead," ABC trumpeted Monday night. Tuesday night NBC ignored the campaign while CBS reporter David Martin supported the military readiness claims of both Bush and Gore. 2) Today's Matt Lauer hit Tom Clancy with a review: "Clancy insists on subjecting readers to a simplistically conservative political philosophy, whether or not they want it. For long stretches in this book it reads like the transcript of a Rush Limbaugh talkathon." Lauer followed up:... continue reading
Bush's "Harsh Words"; Networks Wrong on Who Leaked; Ad-Packed CBS Hit Ratings Low 1) Best Quip of the Weekend: Jack Germond on how Al Gore "thought it would be inappropriate to have a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion," yet "he almost gave us an X-rated kiss on the podium." 2) ABC's World News Tonight called Bush's rhetoric, but not Gore's, "harsh." Plus, Michel Martin felt guilty about her free shrimp and argued the convention money could have been better spent on the homeless. 3) Washington Post headlines two weeks apart: "Bush, Cheney Speeches Take Great Liberties" versus "In L.A., Truth-Stretching... continue reading
Conventions 2000: Media Reality Check, Friday AM Edition -- Visit Convention 2000 Media Bias ( More ) -- 1) Gore's Speech Satisfied Network Analysts: "Al Gore Tonight Rose to the Occasion" & "He Hit a Home Run" 2) Not All Thrilled With Gore's Speech; Sam Donaldson: "The Vice President Was on Speed Tonight" so viewers may have missed Gore's best stuff. 3) CBS Suggested GOP Dirty Tricks: Dan Rather's Mantra: "The Republican-Backed Special Prosecutor." Gloria Borger warned Democrats will fight back by "tying George W. Bush to Kenneth Starr." 4) CBS Hit Bush's Policy Failures & Inconsistencies from the Left;... continue reading
Conventions 2000: Media Reality Check, Thursday PM Edition -- Visit Convention 2000 Media Bias ( More ) -- 1) Russert Impressed By Senator "Regular Joe" Matt Lauer: Gore Was "Very Successful" as Vice President 2) Today Shows Off Tipper's Photo Album; Laura Bush Was Quizzed About Husband's Wild Side 3) ABC's Gibson Played Gore's "Home Movies": "Made By a Professional Movie Director, But They Seem Candid" 4) Stuck on Celebrities. Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and Tommy Lee Jones probed for political insight. 5) Quote of the Morning: For the third straight day Bryant Gumbel worried Democrats might be going to... continue reading
Conventions 2000: Media Reality Check, Thursday AM Edition -- Visit Convention 2000 Media Bias ( More ) -- 1) Lieberman "Tapped Into a Spirit in the Hall"; Unlike Cheney, Speech Not Described as Delivering "Red Meat" 2) Pro-Abortion Position Okay with Brokaw: MSNBC Acceded to Democratic Base; But Denounced GOP Base in Philadelphia 3) Screenwriter Avoids Responsibility: "Hollywood Has Caused Violence. We Have Unleashed Charlton Heston" 4) Bush & Lieberman Pushed Left by ABC: Lieberman's Shifts Left Painted as Positive Move to Reassure Base. ABC's Linda Douglass reported Lieberman is "trying to reassure hard-core Democrats that he is not as... continue reading