Bozell On NBC, CBS, And ABC:

"The Networks Have Moved Beyond 'Ignoring' China/Clinton Connection, They're Trying to Bury It."
On NBC's Today Show, 'Beavergate' Trumps Chinagate

     ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- Media Research Center Chairman Brent Bozell heightened his criticism of the networks today, a day after the New York Times' startling revelations that Chinese spies stole secrets from a U.S. nuclear lab to improve Beijing's neutron bomb during President Clinton's watch. He accused them of no longer ignoring the story but of outright burying it.

     "The China/Clinton connection has come full circle," Bozell said. "The Clinton Administration tried to cover up this theft by Chinese spies at the same time they were receiving illegal foreign contributions from the chief of Chinese intelligence. By not mentioning these revelations, it appears as if the big networks are trying to bury it."

     Monday, Mr. Bozell chastised the national news networks for ignoring the Los Angeles Times news bombshell of this past Sunday, that the chief of Chinese military intelligence tried to give the Democratic Party $300,000 - the most direct link yet between the communist Chinese government and the Clinton-Gore re-election campaign.

     In an explosive front-page story yesterday, The New York Times' new revelations appear to contradict earlier White House statements that sensitive nuclear materials had not been stolen by Chinese spies during the Clinton Administration, but rather during previous administrations.

     While the networks began their nightly broadcasts with Kosovo-related stories, here is a quick sample of how incomplete their reports were on the breaking China/Clinton connection story ...

• CBS Evening News has not mentioned the fundraising scandal since it broke Sunday, nor did its broadcast last night mention the New York Times story. 
  
  
• Without mentioning the New York Times, NBC Nightly News reported it had "confirmed" that the White House learned two years ago a Chinese spy passed along neutron bomb information, played a soundbite of President Clinton's denials (uncontested), and concluded its segment with the White House's denial. 
  
  
• ABC's World News Tonight briefly mentioned both the nuclear secret theft and the fundraising scandal, but fell well short of providing comprehensive coverage. 
  
  
• Fox News Channel ran the most comprehensive coverage. Its report tied together some of the best-known names in the fundraising scandal and linked current revelations about Chinese intelligence.

Friday Morning News Shows -- 'Beavergate' Trumps Chinagate

• CBS's This Morning did not even mention China. 
  
  
• NBC's Today Show did not mention illegal Chinese contributions at all and only briefing mentioned the Chinese spying issue, how Chinese Premier Zhu denied the spying charge and how he faces more questions on human rights. Today did ran a full story lasting 2:43 on the beavers eating the cherry trees in DC, devoting more than four times as much time to the beavers as to the China story. 
  
  
• ABC's Good Morning America ran only two brief items during 7am and 8am news updates on how President Clinton and Premier Zhu had dinner last night and failed to reach any trade deal. Its broadcast did not mention illegal Chinese contributions or Chinese theft of nuclear secrets.

Media Interviews
To schedule an interview with Mr. Bozell, or MRC Director of 
Media Analysis Tim Graham, contact Bill Shapard at (703)-683-5004, ext. 106.