Democratic National Convention Coverage

Media Research Center analysts monitored ABC, CBS, CNN, FNC, MSNBC and NBC coverage of the 2004 Democratic convention around the clock. Here are MRC's twice-daily reports documenting the positive coverage the Democrats received. MRC will track those same networks' coverage of the Republican convention at the end of August.

Friday, July 30 Afternoon Edition
"Turning Toward Enemy Fire"
On Friday morning, ABC continued its praise of John Kerry's Thursday night convention speech. George Stephanopoulos was the most over the top: "John Kerry went out there and he went right into the teeth of Republican issues. I mean, it was the political equivalent of turning toward enemy fire and charging the hill."
PM Edition: Full details, plus 2 more Convention Watch stories.

Friday, July 30 Morning Edition
Kerry’s "Best Speech Ever"
Rave reviews for John Kerry’s Thursday night convention speech. "The best speech I've ever seen John Kerry deliver, by a mile," asserted ABC’s Mark Halperin. An awed Tom Brokaw opined: "He opened his remarks by saluting this crowd and saying ‘John Kerry, reporting for duty.’ And on this occasion he fulfilled his duties."
AM Edition: Full details, plus 7 more Convention Watch stories.

Thursday, July 29 Afternoon Edition
The Wonderful Mr. Kerry
On Thursday's Early Show on CBS, reporter Byron Pitts narrated a profile of John Kerry that could easily pass for a Democratic campaign commercial. "Tonight's acceptance of the Democratic nomination is more than merely a day" for Kerry, Pitts dramatically intoned. "It's his destiny."
PM Edition: Full details, plus 7 more Convention Watch stories.

Thursday, July 29 Morning Edition
Up Next: Kerry Gives Party "Soul"
After John Edwards’ Wednesday night speech, CBS’s Byron Pitts anticipated that "if John Edwards put the face on the Democratic Party, youthful and hopeful, it will be Senator John Kerry's job tomorrow night to give it its soul." Plus, on MSNBC, the Editor of Newsweek compared Edwards to Reagan.
AM Edition: Full details, plus 8 more Convention Watch stories.

Wednesday, July 28 Afternoon Edition
"The First Black President"
This morning, the networks focused their praise on Democratic keynoter Barack Obama, not Teresa Heinz Kerry. CBS’s Cynthia Bowers called Obama’s speech "the night’s most electrifying moment," while ABC’s Charles Gibson gushed that Obama had "brought down the house." NBC's Tim Russert noted how some were already wondering if Obama could be "the first black President." Why not? After all, he's already got the liberal media on his side.
PM Edition: Full details, plus 5 more Convention Watch stories.

Wednesday, July 28 Morning Edition
Lionize "Rock Star" Obama
MSNBC’s crew lionized Barack Obama, though CNN’s Jeff Greenfield ("one of the really great keynote speeches of the last quarter century") also praised his performance. "He is the best argument for the American dream that’s around in politics," oozed Newsweek’s Howard Fineman before Andrea Mitchell celebrated how "Obama is a rock star!" Chris Matthews insisted that he’d "just seen the first black President."
AM Edition: Full details, plus 8 more Convention Watch stories.

Tuesday, July 27 Afternoon Edition
Bill and Hillary Excite the Media
Gushing about the "rock star" quality of Bill and Hillary Clinton, network reporters declared the first night of the Democratic convention a success. "People were juiced like I don't think I've seen at a convention ever before," enthused ABC's Charles Gibson.
PM Edition: Full details, plus 4 more Convention Watch stories.

Tuesday, July 27 Morning Edition
"Very Clever" Clinton Speech Delights NBC
Tom Brokaw and Tim Russert were enthralled by Bill Clinton’s address. Brokaw enthused on NBC about how Clinton talked "about the Bush tax cuts and what they cost America," while Russert soon paraphrased how Clinton said: "I’m the recipient of the tax cut and I also avoided going to Vietnam." Russert admired how, "by using those own personal weaknesses, if you will, he only re-enforced the uniqueness of John Kerry. Very clever speech."
AM Edition: Full details, plus 5 more Convention Watch stories.

Monday, July 26 Afternoon Edition
Teddy, "Grand Marshal" of the Democratic Convention
Liberal Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and his niece Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg made the rounds on (almost) all the network morning shows this morning, with ABC's Good Morning America rewarding them with a treacly tribute to the Kennedy dynasty. Like the Kennedys, Hillary Rodham Clinton skipped FNC's Fox & Friends, with ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC reporters all worried that she may not get to run for President herself someday.
PM Edition: Full details, plus 3 more Convention Watch stories.

Monday, July 26 Morning Edition
The "Moderate" Democratic Delegates
Even though a CBS poll of the delegates at this week's Democratic convention found them to be extremely liberal on issues such as tax cuts, abortion and big government, reporter John Roberts on Sunday seized on the fact that just over half claimed to be "moderates" to insist that "liberals will again take a back seat here in Boston." Earlier, on Friday's CBS Evening News, reporter Byron Pitts cast President Bush as a phony while touting John Kerry: "No one doubts his bravery or his smarts."
AM Edition: Full details, plus 6 more Convention Watch stories.