Juanita And Anita: A Tale Of Two Allegations...

Networks That Went Ballistic Over Anita Hill Ignoring Broaddrick Rape Charges
"Sensational Charges Are Not News When Levied Against A Liberal, No Matter How Grave Those Charges Are"

ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- The just released edition of MediaWatch carries a devastating study contrasting the media coverage of Juanita Broaddrick's 20-year-old rape allegations against President Clinton and Anita Hill's 10-year-old allegations of sexual harassment against then Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. The findings reveal an absurd double-standard, as the media went ballistic over the Anita Hill story while ignoring the Juanita Broaddrick story.

"Credible rape charges are not news when levied against a liberal president, no matter how grave those charges are. But totally uncorroborated charges of off-color language against a conservative Supreme Court nominee totally dominated the news for a solid week. The national media's double-standard has descended from the merely awful to the absurd," said Media Research Center Chairman Brent Bozell.

ANITA HILL, OCTOBER 1991: In the first five days of the story (October 6-11, 1991) the network evening news shows on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and PBS aired a total of 67 stories. The network morning shows aired an additional 66 news stories and 18 interview segments over the same period for a total of 84 stories. Total morning and evening stories on Anita Hill: 151

JUANITA BROADDRICK, FEBRUARY 1999: In the first five days of the story (February 19-23) the evening news shows aired just 2 stories. NBC Nightly News has yet to even mention the scoop its own news division secured and agonized over. The morning shows have ignored Broaddrick even more, giving her story just 18 seconds on NBC's Today and a brief mention on Good Morning America. Total morning and evening stories on Juanita Broaddrick: 4

MEDIA OUTLET BREAKDOWN FOR BROADDRICK COVERAGE

ABC News: ABC's World News Tonight has aired nothing. Nightline has aired nothing. Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts did ask a couple of their guests some questions about Broaddrick on the February 28the edition of This Week.

CBS News: John Roberts's story 1-minute, 51-second story on Broaddrick which ran Saturday, February 20th is the only story CBS News has aired. CBS This Morning has run nothing, nor has the story been the subject of any questions on Face the Nation.

CNN: The World Today featured three pieces. On the 20th, Bob Franken filed a three minute plus report. On the 26th CNN's Bruce Morton checked the debate over feminist reaction. Two days later Gene Randall looked at calls for Clinton to address the charge. While they aired 20 segments on Hillary's Senate bid, Inside Politics, has aired just four Broaddrick segments: part of a Howard Kurtz interview on the 25th; the Bruce Morton report, an interview with feminist Eleanor Smeal and conservative Betsy Hart on February 26th, and an interview on a CNN poll pollsters Mark Mellman and Kellyanne Fitzpatrick.

NBC News: There has been nothing on NBC Nightly News, despite the network's scoop and despite the network's promotion of ABC's interview with Monica Lewinsky (two stories which aired March 2nd.) On February 28th, most of Meet the Press focused on the Broaddrick story.

PBS and NPR: The NewsHour has aired just one discussion segment between Jim Lehrer and Terrence Smith. While NPR's Nina Totenberg broke the Anita Hill story into the mainstream press, NPR has aired just one story on Broaddrick - that being on Morning Edition on February 25th, the day after the Dateline interview. NPR's All Things Considered - and Totenberg - have not filed a single story on Broaddrick.

TIME: A one-page story by Adam Cohen reviewed Broaddrick's charges and concluded "the story seems unlikely to have much traction." The same issue gave Hillary Clinton's possible New York Senate run nine pages. 

NEWSWEEK: Mrs. Clinton also got nine pages in the March 1st issue, while Jonathan Alter dismissed everyone associated with the Broaddrick charges in a one-pager in the March 8th issue. The March 1st "Conventional Wisdom" column mentioned Broaddrick.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT: The March 1st issue had nothing but the March 8th issue carried a story by Angie Cannon and Marianne Lavelle noting it "had all the makings of a bombshell."

"What is also truly nonsensical about the coverage is this notion in the media that 'it's time to move on.' Juanita Broaddrick is believed by a clear majority of the public, if her charges are true we are talking about a brutal, vicious rape. It is absurd to insinuate that we should move on without covering this," Bozell said.

Media Interviews
To schedule an interview with Mr. Bozell, MRC Director of Media Analysis Tim Graham, or another MRC spokesman, contact Bob Adams or Keith Appell at (703)-683-5004 ext 130.