1. Perturbed Reid Scolds ABC's Tapper for Questioning Withdrawal
ABC's Jake Tapper on Thursday night raised the prediction "genocide" will result after a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, a forecast Tapper put to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol Hill news conference: "Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?" Reid didn't respond to the point, leading Tapper to retort in the exchange played on World News: "You didn't answer my question." A perturbed Reid, presumably not used to challenging questions from the Washington press corps, chastised Tapper: "This isn't a debate. We're answering questions." Tapper then repeated his question -- "Will the Iraqis be safer?" -- but Reid ignored him and moved on: "Anyone else have a question?" Tapper's story ran a night after Wednesday's World News featured a report from Terry McCarthy in Iraq on how General David Petraeus, commander of all multi-national forces in Iraq, "is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time."

2. CNN Highlights Small Left-Wing 'Stop Racism' Immigration Protest
It doesn't seem to matter how small it is, a left-wing protest can always draw a national network TV camera. On CNN's Newsroom program on Wednesday morning, the network founded by Ted "Call No One Foreign" Turner presented a northern Virginia controversy over illegal immigrants through a familiar lens -- highlighting a few hundred protesters charging racism in the supposedly outrageous demand that government officials have the right to inquire into the immigration status of potential illegal aliens in police custody.

3. Today Show Urges Viewers to Donate to Band's Global Warming Cause
The donations to the global warming cause keep coming in from NBC, which on Saturday devoted its entire prime time to Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts. On Thursday's Today show, the band Maroon 5 came on to tease their upcoming performance on the show but couldn't leave without the Today show cast urging them to plug their partnership with a liberal environmentalist organization that gets $1 from every Maroon 5 ticket sold. Matt Lauer lauded them: "You guys are going on tour and, and a lot of groups, these days, are talking about green tours and you guys are taking it very seriously, carbon neutral tours. How do you accomplish something like that?" When the band's lead singer, Adam Levine, urged viewers to buy tickets for their tour, Today co-host Ann Curry mentioned viewers could see the band for free at their August 17th performance on the Rockefeller Center Plaza. However Today's weatherman, Al Roker, quickly rectified Curry's inadvertent undercutting of the cause, as he reminded viewers: "But buy a ticket because a dollar goes to Global Cool."

4. Sawyer: "Everybody Laughed" at Notion Journalists Are Truthful
Thursday's edition of Good Morning America featured a Diane Sawyer anecdote that revealed the low opinion Americans have of journalists. After wrapping up a 7:30am segment on people who avoid jury duty, the ABC co-host laughingly recounted the "hurtful" experience she had in a courtroom: "You know, I wanted to sit on a jury once and I was taken off the jury. And the judge said to me, 'Can, you know, can you tell the truth and be fair?' And I said, 'That's what journalists do.' And everybody in the courtroom laughed. It was the most hurtful moment I think I've ever had."

Perturbed Reid Scolds ABC's Tapper for
Questioning Withdrawal

     ABC's Jake Tapper on Thursday night raised the prediction "genocide" will result after a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, a forecast Tapper put to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at a Capitol Hill news conference: "Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?" Reid didn't respond to the point, leading Tapper to retort in the exchange played on World News: "You didn't answer my question." A perturbed Reid, presumably not used to challenging questions from the Washington press corps, chastised Tapper: "This isn't a debate. We're answering questions." Tapper then repeated his question -- "Will the Iraqis be safer?" -- but Reid ignored him and moved on: "Anyone else have a question?"

     Tapper's story ran a night after Wednesday's World News featured a report from Terry McCarthy in Iraq on how General David Petraeus, commander of all multi-national forces in Iraq, "is still very optimistic about the military battle, if the politicians give him enough time." See the July 11 CyberAlert: www.mediaresearch.org

     [This item was posted, with video, Thursday night on the MRC's blog. The video will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media video, or listen to the MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]

     On his "Political Punch" blog, Tapper posted a transcript of the entire exchange with Reid: blogs.abcnews.com

     Tapper's July 12 World News story was pegged to the House passage of a resolution calling on troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within four months, a measure to be taken up next week by the Senate. Following a pro and a con soundbite on the resolution, Tapper showed his exchange with Reid:

     JAKE TAPPER: Some foreign policy experts predict that such a U.S. withdrawal could unleash genocide against innocent Iraqis. It's a subject Democrats do not want to discuss.
     TAPPER TO REID AT PRESS CONFERENCE: Do you think the Iraqi people will be safer with U.S. troops out?
     REID: It is clear that the Iraqi people don't want us there. It is clear that there is now a state of chaos in Iraq. And it is up to the Iraqi people to make themselves safe.
     [Edit jump]
     TAPPER: With all due respect, Senator, you didn't answer my question.
     REID: This isn't a debate. We're answering questions.
     TAPPER: Will the Iraqis be safer?
     REID: Anyone else have a question?
     TAPPER: This week's renewed push to withdraw troops, two months before General Petraeus reports to Congress on the progress of the surge strategy, has Republicans saying these votes are more about politics than national security....

CNN Highlights Small Left-Wing 'Stop
Racism' Immigration Protest

     It doesn't seem to matter how small it is, a left-wing protest can always draw a national network TV camera. On CNN's Newsroom program on Wednesday morning, the network founded by Ted "Call No One Foreign" Turner presented a northern Virginia controversy over illegal immigrants through a familiar lens -- highlighting a few hundred protesters charging racism in the supposedly outrageous demand that government officials have the right to inquire into the immigration status of potential illegal aliens in police custody.

     A Republican proposal before the Prince William County Board, modified and softened after consulting with county police and legal counsel, was approved unanimously on Tuesday night -- but mysteriously, the story by Brian Todd on Wednesday morning was never updated (it also ran late Tuesday). The Washington Post story from Nick Miroff on Wednesday is here: www.washingtonpost.com

     While CNN focused on the small group of protesters, it typically ignored how county supervisors voted unanimously with what they believed the majority of their constituents -- not a minority chanting for TV cameras -- wanted.

     Todd wanted a quick look-at-the-racists story, but he didn't look deeper into how illegal immigration is swelling the county's public service costs. In Thursday's Post story, Miroff reported that the percentage of Hispanic students -- including many legal ones -- has nearly quadrupled in the past decade in the county, from 6.6 to 24.2 percent: www.washingtonpost.com

     [This item, by Tim Graham, was posted Thursday morning on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     Todd didn't notice that the county also hosts a consulate for the government of El Salvador, where many local residents are demanding the right to vote in El Salvador -- as well as in the United States.

     National reporters only want to tell the story as white bigots uncomfortable with a creeping tide of Latinos -- not as a story where American taxpayers might have outrage at the notion that people can sneak into the country and demand a full array of benefits and subsidies out of their pocketbooks. This story was relatively easy for CNN's Washington bureau to get, since it's about a half-hour drive from downtown to Prince William County government headquarters in Woodbridge. Here's how it unfolded:

     TONY HARRIS: A new attempt to crack down on illegal immigration to tell you about now drawing loud protests in one community. CNN's Brian Todd takes a look.

     BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hundreds of protesters converge on a government building in Prince William County, Virginia, channeling their wrath toward one man. The crowd, mostly Hispanic, accuses county supervisor John Stirrup of racism, harassment. Stirrup's trying to pass a new law which would turn police into de facto immigration agents.
     UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (CHANTING IN SPANISH)
     JOHN STIRRUP, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY SUPERVISOR: When they encounter an individual involved in a violation of a crime or an ordinance, to ask that question among other questions that they ask during a typical preliminary interrogation. Ask that question of their immigration status.
     TODD: That may apply even to routine traffic stops. Then the police would send that information to federal agencies with the idea of getting that person deported. But Stirrup is not stopping there. He eventually wants people applying to send their kids to local schools to be asked the same questions about their immigration status, as well as people using fire and rescue and other emergency services.

     This is where the CNN story needed an update. The proposal was modified from allowing (not mandating) inquiries into immigration status only when suspects were in police custody. In fact, the entire county policy is still in flux, with many guidelines about how to go about screening public services for illegal aliens still to be determined.

     TODD: Under federal law, the county cannot deny anyone these services, but Stirrup wants to use the services to flag any illegal immigrants. He says he's doing this because he got numerous calls from constituents complaining that illegal immigrants were overpopulating neighborhoods, trashing the streets, causing crime to skyrocket, and draining resources. But these protesters and other immigrant advocates say Stirrup's proposed solution is nothing short of profiling.
     RICARDO JUAREZ, MEXICANOS SIN FRONTERAS: Why they would ask that to us, to the brown people, to the Latino people. So I don't know if under this law the white officials or the white workers on the county will request the same questions to white persons.
     TODD: The county police are also against the proposal. They say it will add too much to the officers' workload and turn the immigrant community against them. Brian Todd, CNN, Woodbridge, Virginia.

     CNN only questioned the motives of opponents of illegal immigration. Why can't they ask a man with a group with "no frontiers" in the name what kind of public policy it is to wipe out the notion of a border? And why don't the Mexicans have that policy? Why do the protesters get all of the sympathy and none of the hard questions?

Today Show Urges Viewers to Donate to
Band's Global Warming Cause

     The donations to the global warming cause keep coming in from NBC, which on Saturday devoted its entire prime time to Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts. On Thursday's Today show, the band Maroon 5 came on to tease their upcoming performance on the show but couldn't leave without the Today show cast urging them to plug their partnership with a liberal environmentalist organization that gets $1 from every Maroon 5 ticket sold. Matt Lauer lauded them: "You guys are going on tour and, and a lot of groups, these days, are talking about green tours and you guys are taking it very seriously, carbon neutral tours. How do you accomplish something like that?"

     When the band's lead singer, Adam Levine, urged viewers to buy tickets for their tour, Today co-host Ann Curry mentioned viewers could see the band for free at their August 17th performance on the Rockefeller Center Plaza. However Today's weatherman, Al Roker, quickly rectified Curry's inadvertent undercutting of the cause, as he reminded viewers: "But buy a ticket because a dollar goes to Global Cool." ( www.globalcool.org )

     [This item, by Geoffrey Dickens, was posted Thursday on the MRC's blog, NewsBusters.org: newsbusters.org ]

     The following exchange occurred during the 8:30am half hour of the July 12 Today show and the Today crew stood outdoors:

     Al Roker: "And as promised we've got a couple of the guys from Maroon 5 here, Adam Levine and James Valentine. Good morning guys."
     Adam Levine: "Good morning."
     James Valentine: "Good morning."
     Roker: "So the sophomore album already platinum. So you guys are off to a good start."
     Ann Curry: "Congratulations."
     Levine: "Pretty incredible, yeah. We're extremely excited about that."
     Valentine: "Yes."
     Lauer: "And, and I have to say, also, you guys are going on tour and, and a lot of groups, these days, are talking about green tours and you guys are taking it very seriously, carbon neutral tours. How do you accomplish something like that?"
     Levine: "Yes. Use a lot of bio-diesel fuel hopefully and recycle goods and organic food are just all of the things we want, you know, that we've always wanted to do."
     Valentine: "Yeah and, and a dollar from each ticket sale is going to go to an organization called Global Cool. Global-Cool.com, everybody can go check out. It's a great organization-"
     Levine: "Yeah."
     Valentine: "-trying to reduce CO2 emissions."
     Roker: "And you guys are gonna be coming back here in August for a concert, right?"
     Levine: "Yeah. We're gonna play Madison Square Garden which is gonna be incredible, we're so excited about that."
     Valentine: "No, a concert here!"
     Roker: "Here, here, here on the plaza, August 17th! Yeah, yeah, no the Garden is just a warm-up for this."
     Matt Lauer: "Yeah."
     Levine: "We're coming to the Today show, yeah, eventually also playing Madison Square Garden as well."
     Roker: "That's right. And all five of you will be here?"
     Levine: "Yes and all five of us will be here. And I'm supposed to say, before I get in trouble, that tickets go on sale for our tour, July 14th."
     Roker: "Okay."
     Curry: "Although it's free if you come down here..."
     Lauer: "Exactly right, although standing room only."
     Curry: "Congratulations."
     Roker: "But buy a ticket because a dollar goes to Global Cool."
     Curry: "That's right, that's right!"

Sawyer: "Everybody Laughed" at Notion
Journalists Are Truthful

     Thursday's edition of Good Morning America featured a Diane Sawyer anecdote that revealed the low opinion Americans have of journalists. After wrapping up a 7:30am segment on people who avoid jury duty, the ABC co-host laughingly recounted the "hurtful" experience she had in a courtroom: "You know, I wanted to sit on a jury once and I was taken off the jury. And the judge said to me, 'Can, you know, can you tell the truth and be fair?' And I said, 'That's what journalists do.' And everybody in the courtroom laughed. It was the most hurtful moment I think I've ever had."

     [This item by Scott Whitlock was posted, with video, Thursday on the MRC's blog. The video will be added to the posted version of this CyberAlert, but in the meantime, to watch the Real or Windows Media video, or listen to the MP3 audio, go to: newsbusters.org ]

     Before closing the July 12 piece on Americans who evade jury duty, GMA reporter John Berman divulged another fact about Sawyer. She's the individual who explains the rules to New York jurors:

     John Berman: "For those who do show up, in New York at least, there are some treats."
     Diane Sawyer, on a New York instructional video for jurors: "Hi, I'm Diane Sawyer and I'm going to take you through the way it really is, what you can expect when you sit on a jury."

-- Brent Baker

---

Sign up for CyberAlerts:      Keep track of the latest instances of media bias and alerts to stories the major media are ignoring. Sign up to receive CyberAlerts via e-mail. Subscribe! Enter your email to join MRC CyberAlert today!   questions and comments about CyberAlert subscription      You can also learn what has been posted each day on the MRC’s Web site by subscribing to the “MRC Web Site News” distributed every weekday afternoon. To subscribe, go to: http://www.mrc.org/cybersub.asp#webnews

 

---

Home | News Division | Bozell Columns | CyberAlerts 
Media Reality Check | Notable Quotables | Contact the MRC | Subscribe