Alexandria, VA–The network news media are
aggressively promoting the Mark Foley scandal to keep the issue
alive as the November elections approach. ABC reporter Jake Tapper
says, “This is the scandal that will not go away.”
The issue will not go away because, as a new Media Research Center
report documents, the morning and evening news shows on ABC, CBS,
and NBC have, over the last 12 days, aired more than 150
stories on Foley. Yet when Democratic Rep. Mel Reynolds had
sexual relations with a 16-year-old campaign worker, conspired to
have sex with the worker’s 15-year-old friend, solicited child
pornography, and was convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault and
obstruction of justice, the networks ran a total of only 19
stories over the course of an entire year.
In reaction to this undeniable double standard in coverage, MRC
President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:
“The numbers are clear and shocking: one hundred fifty-two
stories on Mark Foley over 12 days, yet only 19 stories on Mel
Reynolds over an entire year. This double standard reeks of
political partisanship and proves how far the liberal media will go
to downplay the sexual degeneracy of a liberal Democrat and trumpet
the sexual degeneracy of a Republican.
“The Republican is accused of repugnant behavior, via e-mail
primarily, toward minors. The Democrat was charged, prosecuted,
convicted and sentenced to prison for very real sexual assault
toward a minor along with obstruction of justice. The same networks
that gave absolute minimal coverage to the Democrat are now flooding
the airwaves with stories about the Republican, on the eve of the
elections. If this isn’t evidence of a liberal media agenda, nothing
ever will be.”
To read the complete MRC report, “Foley Feeding
Frenzy: Networks Air 150+ Stories,” go to
www.MRC.org.
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