MediaWatch: February 1996
Table of Contents:
- MediaWatch: February 1996
- A Social Problem Blamed on Reaganomics Fades Away in Clinton-Era Media Coverage
- NewsBites: Tricky Dick's Tax Break
- CBS Reporter Bernard Goldberg Charges Colleague
- Networks Scared of Flat Tax
- Global Warming Shtick Returns The Heat Is Off
- Transportation's Travel Bill
- Knowledgeable Limbaugh Dittoheads
- Janet Cooke Award: The Evangelical Right Wing That Wasn't
Transportation's Travel Bill
The national news media are usually more than happy to support increases in government spending. On the January 31 NBC Nightly News, however, correspondent Robert Hager exposed frivolous spending on travel by Department of Transportation (DOT) officials. Tom Brokaw introduced the Fleecing of America report: "This time the excess appears to be by officials of the Federal Transportation Department. They like to travel in style, it turns out. This as other members of the Clinton cabinet are coming under scrutiny for their travel habits."
Hager looked at trips that top DOT officials had taken in the past year. He noted: "The Paris Air Show. A 17-day trip to the Orient by Secretary Pena. A trade mission to Rio. Just three of the 700 trips taken by senior officials of the Department of Transportation last year, at a cost to taxpayers of $600,000." Hager went on to explain that many of Clinton's DOT officials spent in excess of 100 days traveling out of the country, many to areas with nothing related to their relevant concerns. Hager offered an illustration: "South Africa, the head of the Transit Administration spent 10 days there at government expense for a transit conference. He's the official who oversees subways in the U.S. -- there are no subways in South Africa."
Nightline Finds Whitewater
In 1995, ABC's Nightline dedicated only three programs to the Whitewater story, with host Ted Koppel and his colleagues largely failing to explore Republican charges of a coverup. But what a difference a month makes.
Since missing Whitewater billing records surfaced on January 8, Nightline has dedicated five programs in the 30 subsequent days. The shows examined who could have moved the billing records and contradictions in Hillary Clinton's statements about work related to shady Arkansas land deals.
ABC realized not all the press were so attentive. In a Jan. 19 review of reaction to Mrs. Clinton during her book tour, Koppel posited to Chris Bury: "When she says...`after the week I've had,' you would think that she had just been battered and bruised all week long and in point of fact journalists seem to have been very, very docile." Bury agreed: "The press was surprisingly meek," as interviews with her were "deferential."
