BiasAlerts

Only CBS Notes IRS Official’s Leave, Yet ABC and NBC Have Time to Show Obama’s Prom Photo with ‘Foxy’ Friend

brent.baker — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:01:43 +0000

Brent Baker

Already moving on from the IRS scandal? On Thursday night, only the CBS Evening News of the broadcast network evening newscasts bothered to note how Lois Lerner, the IRS official in charge of the division which processes tax-exempt applications, was put on administrative leave after she took the Fifth and refused to answer questions at a House hearing the day before. Anchor Scott Pelley squeezed in 20 seconds on it.

Yet, ABC World News and the NBC Nightly News made room to highlight a photo of a 17-year-old Barack Obama and his prom date along with a friend and his date.

Andrea Mitchell: 'More Than Any of Its Predecessors,' Obama Administration Has Targeted Journalists

scott.whitlock — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:19:20 +0000

Scott Whitlock

Longtime MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell on Thursday lashed out at the Obama administration, complaining that "more than any of its predecessors in recent years [they have], gone after journalists." The usually Obama-friendly journalist complained that the White House "has not" challenged journalists in a restrained way, but "has done it in a very broad, sweeping way as we saw with the Associated Press and also with Fox News." [MP3 audio here.]

MSNBC's O'Donnell Slams 'Vicious' Attempt to Ban Violent Criminals from Welfare

brad.wilmouth — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:07:22 +0000

Brad Wilmouth

On the Wednesday, May 22, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell show on MSNBC, host O'Donnell called for the defeat of a "vicious" Senate amendment pushed by Louisiana Republican Senator David Vitter which would bar people convicted of some violent crimes from receiving welfare benefits.

No Mention of IRS Scandal on NBC's 'Today,' But Plenty of Time for Obama Prom Photo

kyle.drennen — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:37:50 +0000

Kyle Drennen

While Thursday's NBC Today completely ignored Wednesday's dramatic congressional hearing on the growing IRS scandal, the network morning show did manage to find time to gush over Barack Obama's 1979 prom picture, with fill-in news reader Tamron Hall exclaiming: "Well, now thanks to Time magazine, we have proof that even the commander-in-chief once donned the white dinner jacket.

CBS Spotlights 'Firestorm' Over 'Obama's War on Journalism'; ABC Punts

matthew.balan — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:22:06 +0000

Matthew Balan

The Big Three networks coverage so far of the Justice Department's questionable investigation of Fox News' James Rosen has followed a similar pattern to that of their coverage of the Kermit Gosnell case.

Networks Tout Obama's 'Renewed Focus on Transparency' in War on Terror; No Mention of Benghazi

kyle.drennen — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:12:09 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Gayle King to Tom Coburn: Deficit-Neutral Disaster Relief Risks 'Alienating Your Constituents'

matthew.balan — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:13:51 +0000

Matthew Balan

On Wednesday's CBS This Morning, open Obama supporter Gayle King strongly hinted to Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn that he would face voter backlash for seeking cuts in the federal budget to pay for tornado disaster relief: "You voted against relief plans for Hurricane Sandy, and it sou

Chris Matthews Rails Against 'Profiling' By IRS: It's Like Targeting Innocent Arabs

scott.whitlock — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:31:22 +0000

Scott Whitlock

If Barack Obama is losing Chris Matthews, he might be in serious trouble. The MSNBC host on Wednesday declared that the Tea Party is the victim of "profiling" by the Internal Revenue Service that is on the level of targeting innocent Muslims as terrorists.

Another Controversy for the Obama Admin, But CNN Has Barely Reported This One

matt.hadro — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:34:04 +0000

Matt Hadro

Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services has come under major scrutiny for bypassing Congress and soliciting donations from health executives to help support ObamaCare, yet CNN has barely mentioned the story.

Jake Tapper Slams Obama Admin for Treatment of Fox News Reporter

matt.hadro — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:26:28 +0000

Matt Hadro

CNN's Jake Tapper took Obama's Justice Department to task on his Wednesday afternoon show, sounding alarm over the "precedent" that the administration's investigation of Fox News reporter James Rosen would set.

Tapper directly challenged liberal defenders of President Obama: "But even if you side with this President over those of us in the media who challenge him in his administration, it is important to remember the precedent these actions set going forward. Perhaps when it's not your guy in the White House."

MSNBC's Hayes Sees 'Invented Scandal Mad Libs' in Critique of Obama Scandals

brad.wilmouth — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:42:45 +0000

Brad Wilmouth

On the Tuesday, May 21, All In with Chris Hayes show on MSNBC, host Hayes mocked House Speaker John Boehner for calling for the American people "to know what the truth is" about recent Obama scandals, as the MSNBC host referred to the Ohio Republican's speech as "a little invented scandal Mad Libs."

NBC's Lauer Uses Oklahoma Tornado to Bash GOP Over Sandy Relief

kyle.drennen — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:13:35 +0000

Kyle Drennen

In an interview with Congressman Tom Cole on Wednesday's NBC Today about the tornado that devastated his hometown of Moore, Oklahoma, co-host Matt Lauer saw an opportunity to hit congressional Republicans for daring to oppose pork barrel spending shoved into the Hurricane Sandy relief bill: "Back in January, you did something that a lot of your Republican colleagues did not do.

Maddow Freaked Out by 'Very, Very, Very, Very, Very, Very, Very, Very Conservative' GOP Candidates

geoff.dickens — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:51:28 +0000

Geoffrey Dickens

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow warned her very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very liberal audience that the Virginia Republican Party just picked a slate of "very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very conservative" candidates to run for office this fall.

Networks Play Promotional Video of 'Comeback Kid' Anthony Weiner Fighting for a 'Second Chance'

scott.whitlock — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:04:10 +0000

Scott Whitlock

All three networks on Wednesday played a promotional video of Anthony Weiner, hyping the mayoral run of the "comeback kid." On Good Morning America, former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos showed an extended clip of the campaign video. [MP3 audio here.] But Stephanopoulos (who in his previous career defended Bill Clinton's against sexual scandals) didn't get into much detail over the Weiner's failings.

Juan Williams: The Obama Administration Has Criminalized Journalism

kyle.drennen — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:07 +0000

Nathan Roush

On Tuesday's Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Juan Williams accused the Obama Justice Department of having "criminalized journalism" by investigating Fox News correspondent James Rosen. Williams claimed that such probing by the administration “makes it difficult for journalists to do business” and posed the question, “How do you do journalism if you are treated as a criminal for asking for information?” [Listen to the audio]