MEDIA REDISCOVER HOMELESSNESS - Press Release - February 15, 2001

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2001

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katie Wright (703) 683-5004, ext. 132

With The Return Of A Conservative President …

MEDIA REDISCOVER HOMELESSNESS

"ABC News Has Signaled The Networks Will Continue To Push An Anti-Conservative Agenda During The Bush Years"

ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- During the more conservative Reagan and Bush presidencies through the '80s and early '90s the media played up the issue of homelessness and blamed those administrations for the problem. Then, during the liberal Clinton presidency, the media pushed the issue to the back burner. Now with the return of a conservative president, barely three weeks into President George W. Bush's new administration, the media are trying to make homelessness a top issue once again. ABC News ran the first story earlier this week after eight years of a homeless hiatus. Below are contrasted the number of network news homeless stories run during the first Bush Administration and the Clinton Administration.

Bush Administration Homeless Stories
(Total for 4 years: 212 stories)

Clinton Administration Homeless Stories
(Total for 8 years: 132 stories)

1989
1990
1991
1992

44
71
54
43

1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000

35
32
9
8
10
4
20
14

"The numbers clearly demonstrate the networks have a definite anti-conservative agenda in pushing the homeless story. ABC News has signaled the networks will continue to push this anti-conservative agenda during the Bush years," said Media Research Center President Brent Bozell.

For more information on the Media Research Center or to schedule an interview with a spokesperson please contact Katie Wright at (703)-683-5004, ext. 132.