Networks Push a Silly Rumor - Tell the Truth! 2004 - The Weekly Worst -- Media Research Center

The Weekly Worst

Networks Push a Silly Rumor;
"Wedge" = Not on Liberals' Agenda

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

The so-called mainstream media never admit their liberal tilt, so the news analysts at the Media Research Center tirelessly document the media's bias and expose their left-wing agenda. The "awards" for last week's lowlights:

» Networks Push a Silly Rumor. Showing once again how the networks mindlessly adopt the news priorities of the liberal New York Times, the cable networks spent all day Thursday buzzing about Elisabeth Bumiller's front-page gossip suggesting Dick Cheney might be dumped as Vice President. Even though Bumiller's story admitted the idea was "far-fetched" and "privately advanced" by Democratic partisans, CBS and NBC chose to include the silliness in their evening newscast. NBC's Tim Russert was forced to tell Nightly News anchor Brian Williams that the premise was preposterous: "Dick Cheney will be on the ticket, period."

For more, see the July 16 CyberAlert.

Also, see TimesWatch.org: The New York Times puts "rumors" on its front page

» "Wedge" = Any Issue Not on the Liberal Agenda. When gay activists were crusading to impose their agenda on the rest of society, the networks generally covered same-sex marriages as a sign of "progress." But now that changing the Constitution may be the only way left to protect traditional marriage, network reporters are casting pro-marriage conservatives as calculating and divisive. On July 13, Nightly News anchor Brian Williams wanted viewers to think conservatives were exploiting the issue, not standing for principle: "Gay marriage: Is it being used as a political club in the race for the White House?"

In his story, reporter Chip Reid portrayed the President, not gay activists, as the divisive force: "In Marquette, Michigan today, President Bush firing up his base on same-sex marriage, an issue that has become political red meat for conservatives." He ended by assuming the defense of marriage was far more political than principled: "For now, the gay marriage amendment is all but dead, but if conservative Republicans have their way, as a political issue, its life has barely begun."

NBC cast conservatives opposed to "gay marriage" as divisive and calculating.

For more, see the July 14 CyberAlert.