MediaWatch: December 1992
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: December 1992
- Networks Select One "Year of the Woman" Over Another
- NewsBites: Clinton Tilt
- Revolving Door: Too Randy
- Post-Election Economic Numbers Embarrass Negative Media
- Post-Election Gushing
- Martin's Money
- Herbert's Hunger Hype
- Janet Cooke Award: Gumbel Consults Only Far-Left TransAfrica
Herbert's Hunger Hype
Network reporters are still presenting statistically unsupported scare stories on hunger. On the November 26 NBC Nightly News, reporter Bob Herbert compared the current economic time to those of the Great Depression: "Hunger in America was supposed to be a thing of the past. Soup kitchens. Bread lines. Modern times brought great prosperity, but something curious happened. Hunger never took the hint. It never went away....Hunger driven by hard economic times is once again on the march in America. Millions go hungry every day."
After providing testimony from Rep. Tony Hall (D-Ohio) and J. Larry Brown of the liberal Center on Hunger Policy, Herbert continued: "Hunger is hitting millions of Americans who once thought they were solidly middle class," concluding that "during the presidential campaign, Bill Clinton described hunger in America as a terrible crisis. He was right."
Did Herbert base his report upon a startling new study? No. In fact, Herbert failed to cite any hard numbers. Heritage Foundation analyst Robert Rector told MediaWatch that Americans in the lowest one-fifth of the income ladder are eating better now than that group did in the 1950s. He added that there is "virtually no difference" in the average food consumption of poor children and that of middle class children.
Rector added that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture studies, the United States leads the other major industrialized countries in consumption of meat and the daily recommended allowance of vitamins and minerals. Indeed, being overweight is the number one dietary problem of both rich and poor Americans.
Simon Says
Weekend Today co-anchor Scott Simon responded to the November MediaWatch article "Simon's Sermons," writing: "In an otherwise accurate excerpt of my Columbus Day commentary you do not place an end quotation after the words, "...many people have been asking, 'What's to commemorate in that?'" The sentence that follows -- "Of course race found its way into the discussion:" is not mine. The sentence after that should have the open quotation preceding the words, "He sailed just as Jews and Muslims were being expelled from Spain." Simon is correct.
The letter continued: "This small error does not misrepresent the commentary, but may cause some confusion." Simon added that "The essays are introduced as my own personal opinion, and I hope and believe none of them impair my ability to function as a fair journalist. I do not see them as hewing to any particular political line; several have been quite critical of liberals and Democrats, while admiring of Republicans, conservatives, and people and opinions of all stripes." A review by MediaWatch of all of Simon's commentaries since he joined NBC in August, found just one positive reference to a Republican, Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld.
By the way, Simon closed the letter, "I enjoy reading MediaWatch, and hope some day to find myself quoted on the On the Bright Side section." We'll be watching for something that qualifies.
