Bill O’Reilly Illustrates How Media Have Expanded Love for Obama to Hillary Clinton
“Is Hillary Clinton the new Barack Obama in the eyes of the national media?” Bill O’Reilly asked in his Friday night “Talking Points Memo,” using the same examples as highlighted in the BiasAlert post on coverage of her Wednesday Benghazi testimony: “Networks Swoon for Hillary’s ‘Indignation’ and ‘Tears,’ Champion ‘Riveting’ Testimony from ‘Political Pro.’”
O’Reilly set up the clips on the January 25 O’Reilly Factor:
It is widely believed that Hillary Clinton will run for President after Mr. Obama leaves office in 2016. It is also believed in conservative circles that she will receive very favorable press coverage. This week she testified in front of Congress about the massive screw-up in Libya that led to the assassination of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. Now you would think that press coverage of the testimony would have been tough – you would think.
Viewers then saw clips of how anchor Brian Williams introduced the NBC Nightly News story, followed by excerpts from Diane Sawyer and Martha Raddatz on ABC’s World News.
Williams led his January 23 newscast by reciting Hillary Clinton’s achievements and popularity:
After four years in office, roughly a million miles flown, 112 nations visited, in the past few weeks alone, she has fought illness and injury, including hospitalization. She leaves her post as the most admired woman in the world in the Gallup poll, for the 11th year in a row. Well today, Hillary Clinton was under fire, and at times fired back.
“The indignation. And then, the tears in her eyes,” Sawyer announced before trumpeting: “It was a valedictory that showed her indignation and emotion.” Raddatz trumpeted: “America’s top diplomat, came to the Hill ready for a fight.”
-- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Brent Baker on Twitter.
