Media Research Center -- Press Release -- June 18, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2002

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

FIERCE LIBERAL LOYALIST
NOW HAS A NETWORK PERCH TO HIMSELF

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Media Research Center President Brent Bozell condemned ABC News for anointing former top Clinton spinner George Stephanopoulos as the sole host of the Sunday morning public affairs program This Week. He will replace long time ABC News fixtures Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts.

“At least Sam and Cokie were journalists. Now ABC News has unabashedly put an unapologetically liberal activist at the helm of what was an outstanding news show under David Brinkley. There is no longer even any pretense of balance on this ABC News show,” Bozell said. “Nor should ABC News pretend there is.”

Bozell noted that Stephanopoulos served a useful role on This Week as a liberal commentator, opposite conservative commentators George Will and William Kristol. But, as Stephanopoulos outlined in his recent book, All Too Human, he is a liberal ideologue:

On Tuesday ABC News chose former Clinton spin doctor George Stephanopoulos to be the lone host of its This Week program this fall.

“Of course, I still wanted Clinton to win. … Four more years in the White House would mean more Democratic judges on the federal bench, perhaps another seat on the Supreme Court. It would mean more of our people would be managing the government for more time, making the day-to-day decisions that add up to meaningful change.” – All Too Human, page 411.

“Those who claim Stephanopoulos’s personal politics will not influence his reporting would do well to recall his analysis of the first Bush-Gore presidential debate,” Bozell said. “Stephanopoulos stood alone among media analysts in crowning Gore the victor of a debate he clearly lost, brazenly telling Nightline viewers that ‘Gore dominated the debate.’ His partisan prism will not serve ABC News viewers well,” Bozell predicted.

• Also see the June 12 Media Reality Check