NBC to Expand from News to Education

The New York Times reports today that NBC News is developing a supplemental Web site for Advanced Placement curricula in American history, government and English. 


 “Imagine Tim Russert introducing a classroom history lesson that compares the Bill of Rights with the Articles of Confederation,” glows the Times, “or Brian Williams describing the reverberations of the Stamp Act.”


Sure, just imagine what Brian Williams might say.  Williams is the guy who compared our Founding Fathers to terrorists.  During the June 30, 2005 “newscast,” just before Independence Day, he said to NBC's Andrea Mitchell, Someone brought up today the first several U.S. presidents were certainly revolutionaries and might have been called terrorists at the time by the British Crown, after all.”


Now NBC wants to provide “supplemental” material to high school students?  The better term may be “indoctrination.” 


The Times reported that one of the reasons for creating this site is “to woo a new generation of potential viewers to NBC News.”


Adam Jones, the chief financial officer of NBC News, told the Times, “selfishly we're looking to create a long-lasting relationship with these students…” He added, “philosophically, though, we realize these are the voters and decision makers and employers of tomorrow.”


Way to go, Mr. Jones.  Inject the “voters of tomorrow” with NBC's liberal bias. 


The Times reported that the site, named iCue (Immerse Compete Understand and Excel), focuses on the most important events of the last half century.  It will feature video material pulled from the NBC archives and give students the chance to see reports of events that occurred before they were born. 


As for events that occurred before NBC existed, NBC is partnering with The Washington Post to provide articles available from its archives.  A similar partnership with the Times is in the works. 


The College Board, which oversees the A.P. program, has reportedly agreed to “provide NBC with course outlines, which NBC is seeking to align with the contents of its archives.” 


Colleen Raezler is a research assistant with the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center.