Over the two hours of Thursday's Good Morning America, there was not one mention of the Obama administration's decision to reject the Keystone oil pipeline, costing at least 20,000 jobs. Yet, Jake Tapper and ABC found time to promote both the administration's plan to create a "small world full of tourists who want to spend their money" and Disney World, parent company of ABC.
The segment, which featured clips of Beauty and the Beast and It's a Small World, included Robin Roberts gushing, "But, now, a big announcement about jobs from President Obama today." (She wasn't referring to Keystone, of course.) An excited Tapper enthused, "The President will announce this afternoon that he wants to make the United States the number one tourist destination in the world." [MP3 audio here.]
An ABC graphic fawned, "
Be Our Guest: President's Going to Disney World: New Plan to Boost Tourism." Again, ABC is owned by Disney.
Tapper began the segment by informing, "We should, of course, disclose that Disney is the parent company of ABC News."
The entire tone of the segment was light-hearted and breezy. Tapper closed the piece by joking, "Of course, some bad news is that Malia and Sasha will not be here today. They will not be able to accompany their father, the President, when he comes to Cinderella castle, Robin."
Co-host Roberts lauded GMA's corporate bosses: "Thanks so much and have a magical day there at the kingdom!" The two networks not owned by Disney, CBS (
The Early Show) and NBC (
Today), didn't cover Disney and the Obama administration's moves until the 8am and 9am hours, respectively.
The number of jobs Keystone would create is in dispute.
CBS News reported that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims 250,000. Others say 20,000. Either way, it's amazing that a segment highlighting "a big announcement about jobs from President Obama" could ignore Keystone.
Tapper did cover the pipeline on Wednesday's
World News. Anchor Diane Sawyer explained, "And today, a lightning bolt from the White House. Calling an end to the Keystone Pipeline, first proposed under the Bush Administration. It would be 1,700 miles, snaking through six states, from Canada to Texas, carrying oil, creating a lot of jobs."
A transcript of the January 19 segment, which aired at 7:13am EST, follows:
ROBIN ROBERTS; But, now, a big announcement about jobs from President Obama today. He's on his way to Florida, where he will reveal his plan for boosting tourism here in the U.S. The number of jobs at stake is high. And ABC's Jack- Jake Tapper- why is it always- we-
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: It's very hard to say. You guys make fun of me. It's hard to say.
ROBERTS: It is. On the road with the president right now. Good morning, Jake.
JAKE TAPPER: Good morning, Robin. We should, of course, disclose that Disney is the parent company of ABC News. But what President Obama intends to do here this morning is not goofy, shall we say. He's talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue and potentially more than one million new American jobs. The President will announce this afternoon that he wants to make the United States the number one tourist destination in the world.
ABC GRAPHIC: Be Our Guest: President's Going to Disney World: New Plan to Boost Tourism
[Clip from "Beauty and the Beast."]
TAPPER: Be our guest, indeed. International tourism brings in big bucks. And whether they come here to Disney World to meat Mickie and Minnie or they go elsewhere, tourists from emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil are their own mini-stimulus packages. Dropping up to $6,000 per tourist. But for the last decade, they've been increasingly spending that money elsewhere. Largely because of post 9/11 security procedures that have made getting a tourist visa an arduous process. It's cost the U.S. $606 billion and 467,000 jobs over the last decade.
GEOFF FREEMAN (U.S. Travel Association): Every 35 visitors to the U.S. creates one job. We were losing between four and 500,000 jobs a year because of our inability to keep pace with global travel trends.
TAPPER: So, today, here at the Magic Kingdom, President Obama will announce plans to turn that around with steps such as simplifying the tourist visa process. And countries like Brazil, when girls turn 15, they get to have a big party or have a big trip.
PRISCILLA PRADO (Visiting Disney World from Brazil) [Broken English and hard to understand accent.] To come here to Disney and see Cinderella's castle and be herself the princess.
TAPPER: The U.S. has been missing out on thousands of these would-be princesses, so now the President wants the wait time for U.S. visas to be significantly reduced and many of these girls will no longer have to give interviews to apply. As they say-
[Cut to "It's a Small World" song.]
TAPPER: A small world full of tourists who want to spend their money here, after all. Of course, some bad news is that Malia and Sasha will not be here today. They will not be able to accompany their father, the President, when he comes to Cinderella castle, Robin.
ROBERTS: Okay, Jake. Thanks so much and have a magical day there at the kingdom!
— Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
