Networks Air 152 Foley Scandal Stories in 12 Days But Aired Only 19 Mel Reynolds Scandal Stories Over Entire Year

Alexandria, VAThe network news media are aggressively promoting the Mark Foley scandal to keep the issue alive as the November elections approach. ABC reporter Jake Tapper says, This is the scandal that will not go away.

The issue will not go away because, as a new Media Research Center report documents, the morning and evening news shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC have, over the last 12 days, aired more than 150 stories on Foley. Yet when Democratic Rep. Mel Reynolds had sexual relations with a 16-year-old campaign worker, conspired to have sex with the workers 15-year-old friend, solicited child pornography, and was convicted on 12 counts of sexual assault and obstruction of justice, the networks ran a total of only 19 stories over the course of an entire year.

In reaction to this undeniable double standard in coverage, MRC President Brent Bozell issued the following statement:

The numbers are clear and shocking: one hundred fifty-two stories on Mark Foley over 12 days, yet only 19 stories on Mel Reynolds over an entire year. This double standard reeks of political partisanship and proves how far the liberal media will go to downplay the sexual degeneracy of a liberal Democrat and trumpet the sexual degeneracy of a Republican.

The Republican is accused of repugnant behavior, via e-mail primarily, toward minors. The Democrat was charged, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison for very real sexual assault toward a minor along with obstruction of justice. The same networks that gave absolute minimal coverage to the Democrat are now flooding the airwaves with stories about the Republican, on the eve of the elections. If this isnt evidence of a liberal media agenda, nothing ever will be.

To read the complete MRC report, Foley Feeding Frenzy: Networks Air 150+ Stories, go to www.MRC.org.