Larry King's Clinton Spin; Washington Post Labeling 1. ABC finds that Clinton knows how to fill the need for sympathy; Whitewater grand jury extended but viewers have no idea why. 2. Larry King interviews James McDougal, but spends much of show spinning for Clinton. King insists: "The President had nothing to do with illegalities here." 3. In The Washington Post conservatives are "conservative," but liberals don't require any labeling. 4. April MediaNomics and MediaWatch now on the MRC Web site. A complete list of story topics. 1) Tuesday was a quiet day on the political news front, but ABC's World... continue reading
Hubbell Yawn; PBS Fights for Food Stamps 1. Newspapers uncover more White House meetings with Hubbell, but the networks yawn at the news. 2. Ken Bode of PBS asks: "Why isn't the public concerned?" about campaign finance scandals. Maybe because the most damaging revelations aren't getting reported by the TV networks. 3. The PBS NewsHour focuses a story on "fears the food stamps cutbacks will make things even worse." > 1) The broadcast networks have aired virtually nothing during the past week -- since Janet Reno's decision not to name an independent counsel and McDougall's sentencing -- on any Clinton... continue reading
Posting Bail for Newt; Liberal Bias Has Passed 1. Network analysts claim the Gingrich-Dole deal looks bad. Newsweek's Evan Thomas says Dole has become "an influence peddler so he can post bail for Newt Gingrich." 2. Clinton nominates for a plumb ambassadorial post the mother of a network star who claimed Gingrich got a special deal. 3. Post mistakenly reports that incivility in the House increased after the GOP takeover, but it really shot up in 1993. 4. Nixonites dominate the media and Murdoch "owns pretty much every newspaper in the country." Ludicrous assertions on ABC. 1) Newt Gingrich admitted... continue reading
CBS Cites Newt-Dole Tobacco Connection; Latest NQ 1. CBS twice raises issue of "tobacco connection to the Gingrich- Dole loan deal," but the "connection" is more Democratic. 2. You can't even escape liberal bias on old news re-cap shows as MSNBC offers a little historic revisionism on Reaganomics. 3. April 21 edition of Notable Quotables: Bashing Burton, hailing Hubbell and praising very un-Limbaugh talk radio. 1) All the networks featured stories Thursday night (April 17) on the Dole loan to Gingrich to pay the Speaker's $300,000 penalty, but only the CBS Evening News led with the development. In his story... continue reading
Letting Clinton Blow Smoke; More Fundraising Rules 1. More evidence of White House misstatements on Hubbell and an allegation that a top aide misused her office. Two of the days three revelations that the networks ignored. 2. ABC and CBS showcase Clinton's "concern" about teenage smoking but fail to note that Democrats solicited and then hid tobacco dollars. But they find time to discuss Gingrich's "fine." 3. "If you really care" about illegal fundraising, a reporter tells Gingrich, then you must demand more rules and bureaucracy. 4. Newsweek's Evan Thomas inadvertently concedes that the media will follow the White House... continue reading
Time's Labeling; Ginsberg's Reality; Firing Back at Newt 1. Clinton fundraising stories disappear Tuesday night. 2. A philanthropist who helps conservatives is a "Conservative Agitator." A man who fights for liberal causes and says capitalism has replaced communism as the greatest threat is a "philanthropist." 3. Two Senators are insensitive to the needs of the disabled, but the networks forget to mention their party affiliation. 4. Networks praised Allen Ginsberg as "mild and thoughtful." But they missed the reality of his poetry: "Turn over spread your strong legs like a lass, I'll show you the thrill to be jived up... continue reading
McDougal the Felon; Cut F-22 But Not Welfare 1. McDougal and Reno lead all the newscasts, but CBS emphasizes McDougal's credibility problem. Dateline NBC's McDougal interview will just be that show's fifth scandal story in 27 months. 2. The White House releases another pile of documents, but only CBS airs a full story. NBC ignores their release. 3. Networks worry about wasting money on new F-22 fighter, but NBC warns of "disastrous effect" of welfare reform. 1) The three broadcast network evening newscasts all led Monday night with the sentencing of Jim McDougal and Janet Reno's decision to not appoint... continue reading
Diversion Spiked; Crackpot Burton; Women Underpaid 1. Newspaper accounts reveal the White House had reason to keep Hubbell quiet and documents show the DNC diverted money to state parties to avoid limits and publicity. ABC, CBS and NBC ignore it all. 2. Time's Margaret Carlson agrees with Hillary Clinton's UFO charge and calls Dan Burton a "crackpot." 3. Women earn just 71 percent of what men get, "which really stinks" Katie Couric declares. It's her reporting that stinks. 1) The disclosures keep coming in newspaper stories, so many that it's hard to keep track of them all. But that's not... continue reading
MRC Alert: Advocating for Arafat; Gartner's Pulitzer for Liberalism One year anniversary week. Serving America's liberal media bias needs via the Internet since April 8, 1996 1. CyberAlert now distributed via a listserve. 2. The Clinton administration improperly gave secret intelligence information to the DNC. Only one network reported it Tuesday night. 3. Arafat and the Palestinians violate the Oslo accords and incite violence, but the networks portray Israel as the bully. 4. Michael Gartner wins a Pulitzer Prize. He once wrote: "When a nation gets two leaders for the price of one -- a Franklin and Eleanor, a Bill... continue reading
One year anniversary week. Serving America's liberal media bias needs via the Internet since April 8, 1996 1. "Monitor cooperation" a White House lawyer wrote by Hubbell's name in a Whitewater memo. That's news to network viewers. 2. A former NBC News reporter offers to give Web Hubbell more money. 3. Cronkite's Crockery of the Day: Taxpayers should pay more for day care and Head Start. 4. April 7 edition of Notable Quotables. 5. A new twist on the "almost completely unreliable" reporting of Pierre Salinger. Someone at ABC News didn't get the message. 1) The evidence mounts that the... continue reading