FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2004 |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Katie Wright at (703) 683-5004 ext. 132 |
Bozell Blasts CBS
Evening News for Spiking
a CBS Poll Showing Bush Ahead of Kerry
ALEXANDRIA, Va. --- Media Research Center President
Brent Bozell today blasted CBS News, and CBS
Evening News Anchor Dan Rather, for spiking a CBS poll which showed President Bush leading Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Previous CBS polls showing Kerry ahead of Bush were reported faithfully by the
Evening News broadcast.
“If the CBS
Evening News cannot report in a fair and balanced fashion about this election they need to get out of the news business. The network’s own web site carried the results of the poll with the headline ‘Bush Moves Ahead of Kerry,’ but the CBS Evening News’s refusal to report these findings show the network has already chosen sides in this election and is not credible,” Bozell said.
The latest CBS
News/New York Times poll showed Bush pulling ahead of Kerry – as the CBS News web site correctly noted – by 46% to 43% after two previous polls had showed Kerry leading Bush. Two weeks ago, the CBS
Evening News emphasized how Bush's approval rating had fallen below 50 percent, but the new poll found his approval rating back above 50 percent – but that too went unmentioned Monday night.
“Given the total debacle that was CBS News’s election coverage in the 2000 election, CBS has an even greater burden – and obligation – to be fair and balanced in this year’s election coverage. Spiking their own poll to favor one candidate over another reveals that CBS has not learned the lessons of four years ago, and four years later it continues to mislead and misinform the American people,” Bozell said.
To schedule an interview with a spokesperson from the Media Research Center
please contact Katie Wright at 703.683.5004 ext. 132.
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