BiasAlerts

Good Morning America's Bill Weir and Reuters editor Chrystia Freeland on Saturday gushed over Obama administration talking points on the new unemployment numbers. After Weir talked about a White House-created graphic showing job losses slowing, Freeland unselfconsciously rhapsodized, "Well, I was going to say, what I think that first tells you is that [presidential adviser David] Axelrod is a really smart guy, because that is a beautiful graphic." Continuing to tout how useful the show was being to the Obama administration, she added, " And I'm sure he's really, really happy to see it on TV ." Perhaps wanting to... continue reading

On CBS's Sunday Morning, host Charles Osgood marked Easter Sunday by proclaiming: "For many Roman Catholics, the joy of this Easter is mixed with sadness over continuing charges of child abuse and of cover-ups within the Church's hierarchy." In a report that followed, correspondent Dean Reynolds declared that the scandal was "like a heavy blow to the soul." Reynolds went on to cite the latest accusations of abuse by a Milwaukee priest in the 1960s as mounting evidence: "damming stacks of court exhibits, documenting the abuse of predator priests ...Documents, the victims say, leave a long and shameful trail." A... continue reading

Talk about tossing a softball. NBC's Ann Curry, on Monday's Today, quoted the New York Times' Frank Rich, essentially comparing Barack Obama to Superman to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. After citing Rich claiming "Not since Clark Kent changed in a phone booth has there been an instant image makeover to match Barack Obama's, in the aftermath of his health care victory" Curry asked Maddow how Obama will use his new found "momentum?" To which Maddow responded he'll push for Wall Street reform because "It boxes Republicans in, makes them take the side of the big Wall Street banks and insurance companies... continue reading

Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Monday played up GOP divisions over Michael Steele and even touted a "poll of insiders" that showed party leaders think the Republican National Committee Chairman (RNC) should resign. Stephanopoulos also prompted Steele to blame recent struggles on race. The former Democratic operative turned journalist related, "The National Journal magazine, respected magazine, did a poll of insiders showing that 71 percent believe you're a liability to the party. Only 20 percent believe you're an asset." He then breathlessly relayed, "And listen to this. This is from one of those that thought you were a liability:... continue reading

Invoking the name of objectivist/libertarian writer-philosopher Ayn Rand , hardly a common citation in television news, ABC's Jake Tapper, on Sunday's This Week, confronted former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan with how he recognized a "flaw" in his perspective as he had conceded "markets cannot necessarily be trusted to completely police themselves." Tapper wondered: But isn't it more than a flaw? Isn't it an indictment of Ayn Rand and the view that laissez-faire capitalism can be expected to function properly, that markets can be trusted to police themselves? Of course, "laissez-faire capitalism" was not allowed to police itself by letting... continue reading

Time magazine Managing Editor Richard Stengel, who was part of the roundtable on Sunday's Meet the Press , wrote in a new book released on Tuesday: "It is impossible to write about Nelson Mandela these days and not compare him to another potentially transformational black leader, Barack Obama. The parallels are many." In the introduction to ' Mandela's Way: Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage ,' Stengel, who in 1999 took a brief detour from liberal advocacy inside of journalism to more directly advancing a liberal cause as senior adviser and chief speechwriter for failed Democratic presidential candidate Bill... continue reading

ABC anchor Diane Sawyer, who in February demanded to know who will "keep insurance companies from jacking up premiums while making huge profits?", on Friday found her champion in the Superintendent of Maine's Bureau of Insurance, hailing Mila Kofman as a "super-cop" and a "gladiator" for rejecting a rate hike requested by Anthem Blue Cross. Kofman proclaimed "we are the super-cops on the street. I take that responsibility as an insurance regulator very seriously," a self-promotional description Sawyer adopted in her introduction, touting "a woman in Maine who is acting as a super-cop, and telling the insurance companies 'no.'" Reporter... continue reading

Touting how "the Democratic National Committee has turned a lemon into lemonade," MSNBC's Chris Matthews on Friday afternoon proudly held up a DNC-produced T-shirt which picks up on Joe Biden's comment that passage of health reform is a "big f***ing deal." Matthews exclaimed: "Just $25 for a piece of delightfully unscripted history!" The Hardball host reported "the shirts have temporarily sold out, but," he boasted as he held up one in front of him, "I've got my own right here. If you had to ask, extra large. There it is. 'Health care reform, BFD.' There it is." He then plugged... continue reading

In addition to the softball interview CBS's Harry Smith conducted with President Obama on Thursday, the Early Show co-host also played some one-on-one with the commander in chief on the White House basketball court, declaring on Friday's show: "it's not just talk, there's a little action too, as we bring in Clark Kellogg of CBS Sports to check out the President's basketball skills." [Audio available here ] In honor of Good Friday, at the top of show, Smith used some religious language to describe where the game took place: "This is the sanctum sanctorum....I'm not sure anybody has ever really... continue reading