NBC Ignored Nuclear Data Transfer; Nets Avoid Implicating Clinton 1) NBC News considers hurricanes more threatening than potential nuclear annihilation by China. Not a word on NBC Nightly News about the New York Times bombshell about nuclear data transfer. 2) Clinton falsely denied spying took place on his watch and the New York Times revealed Justice delayed the search of Wen Ho Lee's home, but the networks refused to implicate the Clinton team. 3) Scientists at one of the national labs, with their identities hidden, told CBS News about lax security since the early 1990s. 4) Today agreed to a... continue reading
Chung Delayed; ABC Showed Cassie Bernall's Faith; Koppel Lauded Hillary 1) Justice Dept. delays have forced a postponement of Johnny Chung's scheduled appearance this week before a House committee. A MRC Special Report documents how the broadcast nets haven't cared much about the China scandal, ignoring Chung's latest disclosure. 2) Monday night CBS focused on how three of the guns used were bought at "totally unregulated" gun shows. NBC claimed "the Internet teaches kids about hate and violence." 3) "At Cassie Bernall's funeral friends and family celebrated the strength of one young girl's faith," ABC's Peggy Wehmeyer observed in a... continue reading
Media Consider Cultural Culpability; NRA's "Cruel Reminder" 1) If Cassie Bernall and friends "had been walking through that school carrying Bibles and saying 'Hail the Prince of Peace, King of Kings,'" they would've been chastised, suggested Bill Bennett. 2) Except Face the Nation, the broadcast network Sunday shows gave more time to holding the culture than the gun industry culpable. Bob Schieffer castigated Dan Quayle: "No offense Mr. Quayle, but this ought to be an excuse" to enact new gun control laws. 3) CBS News: A NRA "billboard is a cruel reminder for those still grieving over the events in... continue reading
Gun as Deterrent Derided; "Fatheads" Urge Prayer; Fired by Energy 1) ABC's World News Tonight derided Charlton Heston's point about the benefit of an armed officer in a school. CNN's Judy Woodruff demanded a Senator admit the problem is "gun availability." 2) GMA and Today prompted guests to tell how tougher gun control would help, but a Today guest uniquely noted how the killers broke several existing gun laws. 3) Peter Jennings actually praised talk radio; CBS blamed the "failure of adult supervision;" and NBC discovered court officers had praised the killers as "likely to succeed" in life. 4) A... continue reading
Shooting Prompted Gun Control Talk; ABC Hyped Hillary & French Day Care 1) NBC didn't hesitate to promote a Jonesboro mother's view that the Colorado school shooting shows the need for gun control. MSNBC's Brian Williams argued that "if we stopped giving guns as Christmas gifts...this wouldn't be as pervasive a problem." CNN's Wolf Blitzer contended school shootings are an "epidemic." 2) CBS viewers were told Tuesday night that Milosevic is "slowly losing his war against NATO" while NBC viewers heard that "Milosevic and his regime...remain firmly in power." 3) Today featured Geraldo Rivera's recounting of his travels with the... continue reading
Cox Told Fox Energy Delaying Report; Arnett Axed?; ABC's Abortion Swing 1) Ken Starr blaming the independent counsel law "for his sorry record," Al Hunt claimed, is "like Madonna assailing promiscuity." 2) Chris Cox told Fox News Sunday that Clinton's Energy Dept. is delaying the release of his report by citing concerns which "are not proper in this circumstance." 3) A media rarity: Cokie Roberts approached a Republican from the right, demanding Elizabeth Dole respond to conservatives who say "that the ultimate violation of human rights is abortion." 4) Friday night, of the broadcast networks, only ABC told viewers how... continue reading
Clinton Spy Cover-Up Skipped; Editors Applaud Clinton Retort of Talk Radio 1) Energy officials conceded on Thursday that the agency withheld from Congress crucial spying information, but only FNC found it newsworthy. 2) Sympathizing with President Clinton about how talk radio reminds him of "the right-wing conspiracy," a newspaper editor asked Clinton to respond to a "drumbeat" that he lacks "the moral authority to be commander-in-chief." Only CNN showed this q & a, but skipped how the media audience applauded Clinton's retort. 3) The broadcast networks all led with NATO's concession that it bombed refugees, but NBC uniquely reported how... continue reading
CBS & NBC Blame U.S. in Kosovo; Starr's Stands; ABC: Benefits of Taxes 1) Blame America First. Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw compliantly relayed, over gory video, Serb claims that NATO bombs killed Kosovo refugees. Only ABC considered how Serbs may have done it. 2) Geraldo encouraged Susan McDougal, who charged: "I confronted Hickman Ewing at my trial and told him I consider him a murderer." 3) Today gave McDougal's lawyer an unencumbered platform to blast Ken Starr and Katie Couric found McDougal to be "funny." 4) Appearing on CNN's Larry King Live, Ken Starr assessed the dress, defended Linda... continue reading
More on Fire Than Contempt; DOE Official Charged Cover-Up, Only CBS Cares 1) ABC and NBC gave more time Monday night to the man rescued from a fire than to Clinton's contempt. "This is a legal tangle that simply will not die," lamented Tom Brokaw. On McDougal, CBS relayed how her lawyer charged "Starr used Hitler-style tactics." 2) McDougal's attorney thanked Geraldo Rivera for his help: "You were...early money in this case." Rivera celebrated "Susan's sweet victory" before denouncing Ken Starr as a "legal terrorist." 3) The Energy Dept. official who uncovered the Chinese espionage and identified a potential spy... continue reading
Busy Beavers Interest NBC, Not Clinton Scandal; Shunting Chinagate 1) Today gave more than four times as much time to beavers as to China. GMA allocated 30 seconds to China but a whole interview segment to "C-Day." Zilch on CBS. None touched fundraising. 2) This isn't the first time the networks have decided to skip key developments on the Chinese donations front. The MRC's Media Reality Check documented six other instances. 1 Friday's morning shows, the morning after the joint Zhu-Clinton press conference and the morning of a day when Zhu is scheduled to meet with Vice President Al Gore,... continue reading