On December 11, the continuing resolution currently funding the federal government will expire and that seemed like the perfect opportunity for the folks at National Public Radio to speculate about a possible GOP-caused government shutdown. Appearing on NPR’s Morning Edition on Monday, December 1 , Steve Inskeep and Cokie Roberts went to great lengths discussing how the Republican Party could shut down the federal government. Even though Roberts conceded that a shutdown was unlikely, the NPR correspondent did her best to repeatedly play up how the GOP wants to “to keep the option open all the time.” The discussion began... continue reading
ObamaCare has yet another problem, but one wouldn't know it from the networks. ABC and NBC on Monday ignored a new Washington Post report finding that small businesses are not embracing the President's health care law. CBS This Morning covered the story, but only for a scant 15 seconds. Anchor Charlie Rose revealed, " The Washington Post says small businesses are showing little interest in ObamaCare." He added, "The Small Business Health Option program's web page had 200,000 hits in its first week. One and a half million people visited healthcare.gov for individuals." Despite the combined six hours of run... continue reading
During his MSNBC show on Wednesday night, Ed Schultz and guest Mike Papantonio devoted five minutes to promoting, among other things, their beliefs that Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson “crafted his answers” to the grand jury and in his interview with ABC News “to match the law” and that Fox News, the tea party, and conservatives will soon want their “made-for-TV folk hero” in Wilson to run for Congress and appear on Dancing with the Stars . Following a series of clips from Wilson’s interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Schultz welcomed in Papantonio and felt it was crucial to warn... continue reading
In speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, New York’s senior Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer expressed regret over how Democrats handled their large majorities following the 2008 election in passing ObamaCare when they should have focused first on economic issues to address the recession. Since then, the remarks have received no coverage from any of the “big three” -- ABC, CBS, and NBC -- on either their respective morning or evening newscasts in a situation that undoubtedly would not be the case if a Republican Senator had expressed doubts about an initiative passed and carried out by a Republican-controlled... continue reading
Someone at CBS News is obsessed with pot. This Morning on Wednesday again touted the wonder of legalized marijuana in Colorado. Co-host Jeff Glor enthused, "...Shoppers are already hearing about Green Friday bargains. The green is for marijuana." A CBS graphic promoted, "Merry Marijuana: Pot Merchants Cash in on Christmas Cannabis." With no hint of controversy, reporter Manuel Bojorquez promoted the marijuana industry's alternative to Black Friday discounts. Sounding like a PR flack, he hyped, "At the Dixie Elixir Marijuana Company here in Denver, workers are busy preparing a special holiday edible." [MP3 audio here .] Bojorquez continued, "And Denver's... continue reading
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency is set to issue new regulations on ozone emissions by factories which could cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost economic growth. Despite the potential harm these regulations could have to the U.S. economy, ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today ignored the story altogether on their Wednesday morning broadcasts. CBS This Morning provided a 17 second news brief but failed to mention the economic harm associated with the agency’s action. From CBS This Morning co-anchor Charlie Rose: The Washington Post says the Environmental Protection Agency announces new proposals today to reduce... continue reading
During their Tuesday evening newscasts, CBS and NBC squeezed in a few moments each to promote the newest health-related regulation set to affect Americans under ObamaCare next year in the form of additional requirements regarding the listing of calories for food and drinks at public eating establishments, vending machines, and movie theaters. Both networks pointed out that the move was announced and will be overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but failed to present any opposition to these changes with NBC neglecting to even mention that the regulations derived from the President’s health care law. [MP3 audio here... continue reading
The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley used the conclusion of its Tuesday night broadcast to lament and highlight the instances in which President Barack Obama has commented on the issue of race and how the events in Ferguson, Missouri have “tested once more” the President who has “willingly shouldered the burden of a nation fractured along racial lines” despite his “unrealistic expectations of healing” these divisions. The report by CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett included numerous clips of Obama commenting on race, beginning with his speech in March 2008 as a presidential candidate on race following... continue reading
On Monday night, a grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri found no probable cause to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown. Following the grand jury’s ruling, the “big three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) all broke from their regular prime time programming to announce the decision. Unlike ABC and CBS, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams failed to mention any of the actual facts of the case or legal rationale for the grand jury’s decision when he expressed his dissatisfaction with the case’s outcome. Williams led a 10:08 PM EST special report with how “the... continue reading
Two CNN anchors channeled the supporters of Michael Brown's family on Tuesday's Early Start , as they played up how St. Louis County, Missouri Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch presented the Brown case to a grand jury, instead of pursuing charges himself. Chris Cuomo, reporting live from Ferguson, asserted that " the grand jury itself is a dinosaur ," and pointed out that " the prosecutor could still bring charges even after the grand jury ." [MP3 audio available here ; video below ] Cuomo added that "one of the major complaints from sober minds here in Ferguson was that...if this... continue reading