MediaWatch: September 1997

ABC Morning Anchor Leaves a Legacy of Cheerleading for Socialism and Feminism Joan

Joan Lunden: Not Molinari’s Role Model

After waking up Americans for the past 17 years as co-host of ABC’s Good Morning America, Joan Lunden decided to move on to prime time with her final appearance on September 5. Her final show was no more than a video collage of her tenure on the morning news show, with goodbyes from former Presidents and celebrities, but a MediaWatch review of her work over several years found Lunden taking a liberal view on many issues and rarely challenging the positions of her liberal guests.

The European Example. When American reporters travel to Europe, they often report on the benefits of "free" day care and other government-funded programs. This was definitely the case when GMA traveled to Scandinavia in May of this year. In Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 12, Lunden started the week with a celebration of socialism: "Yes, Scandinavia has a very unique approach to life, and at the center of it all is an extremely progressive set of social systems, and I think people would be surprised at just how much they provide."

The next day in Bergen, Norway, Lunden kept right on going as she interviewed former Labour Party Prime Minister and Socialist International member Gro Harlem Brundtland: "Scandinavia has really been known, all these countries, for their innovative and their progressive social systems. But when it comes to protecting women’s rights and children’s rights, Norway could really teach most other countries a thing or two. They are the top priorities here."

After gushing about one year of paid maternity leave the government provides to new mothers, Lunden concluded the interview: "And they also have the lowest crime rate in the world. This is a very, very interesting country that we could learn a little bit from. Hopefully, we can get some of these programs instituted in America. Thank you for having us here."

But Lunden’s love of government-funded social programs didn’t come recently. On June 21, 1994, Lunden talked about family leave with Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute. Once again, Lunden dreamed of Europe: "We’re only kind of at the tip of the iceberg. We have a long way to go before we match up to European countries, don’t we?

Day Care. Lunden’s desire for taxpayer-subsidized day care on this side of the Atlantic was apparent in July 1989, when GMA brought four proponents on for an hour-long look at the liberal Act for Better Child Care (ABC) bill. Perpetuating the liberal claim of a day care crisis, Lunden stated: I don’t know if [Americans] truly understand what a national crisis it is. Let’s talk about what are the dangers if things just stay status quo and we don’t do something.

Lunden complained: "The opinion polls show that, I think it’s by three to one, people want some kind of regulations to come in and try to solve this problems and yet we still don’t have any kind of policy." Lunden concluded the interview with the standard liberal line: "Of course, its something where the federal government is going to have to become involved. Where is the ABC bill at this point?

Child Welfare. When GMA traveled to Philadelphia at the end of April for the volunteer summit, they didn’t leave their liberal ideas in New York City. Lunden used it as an opportunity to grill politicians, mostly from the left, about how the new welfare reform bill makes necessary the call for more volunteerism. Interviewing Colin Powell on April 28, Lunden asked: "Some of the things though have to also be done by the government. I mean, you know the criticism, it’s the cutbacks in government programs that’s now bringing this big call for volunteerism about. Are there some areas where the government really has to do more?"

On June 1, 1996, the liberal Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) held its Stand for Children march in Washington. Lunden was already gearing up for the march when she interviewed CDF chief Marian Wright Edelman on May 30. Speaking like the public relations coordinator for the march, Lunden opined: "But it seems like there’s more money being spent for the environment, or for the gun lobby, there are a lot of different groups together, not always in agreement. The federal government’s talking about turning over a lot of the social programs to the states. What kind of programs, what do you think is the best way to approach this?" After challenging none of Edelman’s claims, Lunden ended the interview by glowing: "Gotta get the message out there and get people to rally around one of our most important problems."

Gun Control. Lunden is a fan of gun control. On August 19, 1994, in an interview with then-gun control lobbyist Carolyn McCarthy on the crime bill, Lunden was not interested in challenging her guest: "Nice to have you here. Hopefully we’ll see that crime bill passed."

After McCarthy was elected to the House in 1996, Lunden interviewed her on the November 6 GMA. Lunden enthusiastically welcomed the anti-gun guest: "McCarthy turned her rage over the availability of assault weapons into political activism and last night this ultimate outsider, a former nurse and homemaker, defeated incumbent Daniel Frisa and Carolyn McCarthy joins me now. Good morning. Congratulations! What are your thoughts as you sit there? I mean, a little fear, excitement? Hopes? What are your thoughts?"

At the end of the interview, Lunden encouraged McCarthy’s gun- control crusade: Well, we wish you the very, very best of luck and congratulations to you."

Feminist Sisterhood. Lunden has also been a supporter of feminist causes. When the National Organization for Women (NOW) celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1992, Lunden interviewed NOW President Patricia Ireland and liberal columnist Ellen Goodman on the January 7 GMA.

Not only did Lunden fail to bring on any critics, she failed to challenge her guests, lobbing softballs such as, "Where do you see the greatest accomplishments?" Responding to Ireland’s comments, Lunden endorsed some of her approaches: "Interesting. You almost have to take the role of bad girl, so that you can make the noise, so you can open up that door so the more moderate ones can go through."

A couple of months later, Lunden interviewed radical feminists Gloria Steinem and Susan Faludi, the then-Wall Street Journal reporter who had just written Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women. Like the NOW interview, Lunden agreed with her guests rather than challenge them: "Isn’t it nice to have something to just blame all these things on...From reading Susan’s things, I mean, I really feel you feel there is a very strong backlash. Do you agree?"

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