Exposing Williams Anti-Missile Defense Bias

Exposing Williams Anti-Missile
Defense Bias

President Bushs decision to deploy the first ten anti-ballistic missile interceptors in Alaska prompted more network derision of the missile defense program on Tuesday. Peter Jennings typified the liberal spin, stressing the costs (a multi-billion dollar system) while disparaging its capabilities (even now it is unclear if it will work).

But when it comes to bias against a national missile defense, the new anchors wholl be taking over in the next few years could be even more biased than the old liberals theyre replacing. NBCs choice to replace Tom Brokaw in 2004, current CNBC anchor Brian Williams, has never failed to publicize an anti-missile test failure, yet never bothered to report on any of the five instances when missiles traveling at nearly 15,000 miles per hour were intercepted and destroyed. MRC analyst Ken Shepherd reviewed CNBCs The News with Brian Williams, which also aired on MSNBC until July 2002, and documented the anchormans skewed approach:

October 3, 1999: On the NBC Nightly News, Sunday anchor John Siegenthaler told viewers that the Pentagon conducted a special test overnight of a high-tech defense system which could eventually protect the United States from nuclear attack. It worked as well as the testers had hoped. Williams cable show doesnt air on Sundays, but the next night (October 4) he skipped over the successful test, although his show included a Dateline report coaching drivers how to use their anti-lock brakes.

January 19, 2000: This time, the anti-missile missed its target, and Williams pounced. A serious setback for the Pentagon to report to you tonight, he crowed on The News. A system designed to protect the U.S. from missile attack has failed. Defense officials say it could be weeks before they know just what went wrong here, and now a lot of people are questioning whether its worth it or not to move ahead with the planned $13 billion missile defense system.

Brian Williams will replace Tom Brokaw in 2004, but his record suggests NBC Nightly News will be as liberal as ever.

July 8, 2000: One of the missiles failed to separate from its booster rocket, another failure. The attempt was news on a Saturday, but Williams hit the story hard when he got back to work on Monday, July 10. He mocked a Star Wars test that failed miserably, a $100 million attempt to make one missile shoot down another literally fizzled. It was supposed to show how easy it was, it was supposed to make it much easier for the President to give the missile shield the go-ahead.

July 14, 2001: In a Saturday night test, the military successfully blew apart a missile in flight. The following Monday, however, Williams didnt utter a peep. Instead, his July 16 show focused on the search for Chandra Levy.

December 3, 2001: On the December 4 Evening News, CBSs John Roberts recounted that the Pentagons latest missile defense test succeeded. Williams was on the air that night, too, but he omitted any mention of the successful test.

March 15, 2002: The Pentagon says its proposed missile defense system has passed its most complex test yet, ABCs Elizabeth Vargas reported on the March 16 World News Tonight/Saturday. Brian Williams wasnt on duty the following Monday, but fill-in anchor Forrest Sawyer kept news of the successful test to himself.

October 14, 2002: CBSs Dan Rather reported on the fourth consecutive success on the next nights (October 15) Evening News, but Williams skipped it.

December 11, 2002: After ignoring every test since July 2000, one last Wednesday morning finally seemed to suit Williams agenda. Another disappointing test run to report for the Pentagon's hugely expensive missile defense system, he intoned that night. No anchor has a more perfect double-standard on missile defense. - Rich Noyes