It
is well-established that the broadcasts networks covered rising gas
prices different under President George W. Bush’s administration than
they did President Barack Obama, in tone and even the amount of coverage [1].
In
addition to fueling discontent with many gas price reports, one of the
networks’ frequent suggestions for lowering gas prices during the Bush
years was for the federal government to release oil from the U.S.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), a 727 million barrel emergency supply
of oil stored in salt caverns in the Gulf states. These same media
outlets have been much less insistent about Obama releasing oil from the
SPR, and were quicker to praise him when he did.
The
morning and evening news shows of ABC, CBS and NBC called for Bush to
release oil from the SPR 37 times between 2004 and 2008. These same
shows called for Obama to release oil only 11 times, fewer than 3 times
as often as they pressured Bush. CBS pressured Bush to open the SPR,
calling $2.11-a-gallon gasoline a “financial and economic disaster” on
May 4, 2004. But on Feb. 23, 2012, when gas was $3.61-a-gallon, the
networks noted that tapping the SPR was an option, but that it probably
wouldn’t make much of a difference.
However,
when it came to praise for releasing oil from the SPR, the networks
acknowledged Obama 13 times, as opposed to just 10 times for Bush.
Networks treat Bush, Obama differently on SPR release
According to the U.S. Department of Energy [2], the SPR [3]
was opened six times during the Bush years, and two so far during
Obama’s presidency. When Obama did it (such as in June 2011) the networks
spoke positively.
“This
morning, worldwide oil prices may keep dropping now that the U.S. is
using some of its emergency reserves. 30 million barrels of oil is being
released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve into the market. The move
could bring gas prices down 15 cents or more over the next month,” CBS
News anchor Betty Nguyen said on CBS’s “The Early Show” on June 24,
2011. Gas was $3.60 at that time. Other outlets made much larger predictions [4] of prices dropping 50 cents a gallon.
On
Aug. 18, 2012, “Good Morning America” found a female motorist who said
tapping the SPR “would make me happy. I could buy more things for my
kids.”
However, when Bush released oil from the SPR, ABC and CBS suggested it could be politically motivated.
Senior business and economics correspondent Anthony Mason reported a gas price “conspiracy theory” [5]
on CBS “Evening News” on Oct. 16, 2006. Gas had gone down to
$2.22-a-gallon from just over three dollars when Mason reported that “a
recent poll found 42 percent of people actually believe the Bush
administration has deliberately manipulated the price of gas to affect
the election.” Mason went on to say that there was “an uncanny
connection between President Bush’s popularity and the price at the
pump.”
Back then NBC and CNN also reported conspiratorial claims that Bush was manipulating gas prices [6] for political gain.
Much
more recently, Obama has accused Republicans of wanting gas prices to
rise. “Last week, the lead story in one newspaper said, gasoline prices
are on the rise and Republicans are licking their chops. Only in
politics do they greet bad news so enthusiastically,” Obama said on Feb.
23, 2012, referring to a Politico [7] article.
Network coverage of gas prices reveals double standard
How
network news media cover the consumer issue seems to have a lot to do
with who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. NBC News is a perfect
example of the inconsistency. They covered rapidly rising prices in 2008
three times more than far higher prices in 2013.
The Business and Media Institute found that when comparing gas price coverage in February 2008 to February 2013 there was a stark difference in coverage [1].
During that time, NBC news programs “Nightly News” and “Today” spent a
whopping 22 minutes 36 seconds talking about gas prices, from
interviewing people struggling between food or fuel, to warning
consumers about potential rip offs at the pump. Gas prices climbed from
$2.988 to $3.164 that month, but NBC warned that prices were a problem
that “could get a lot worse.”
In
February 2013 gas prices were at record highs for the time of year, but
got far less coverage on the network. Prices also started out much
higher ($3.462 on Feb. 1, to $3.771 by March 1) than February 2008 and
rose further, but NBC devoted only 6 minutes and 43 seconds. That means
there was more than three times as much coverage in the 2008 study
window on that network.
2008 was a year of pumped up predictions, as BMI noted in a Special Report that year. [8]Network
reports continually said there was no relief in sight and prices would
only get worse. They predicted $5 or $6-a-gallon. Those predictions were
wildly incorrect, and gas prices actually peaked at $4.11 nationally.
In
February 2008, CBS also portrayed Bush as out of touch, showing press
conference video of the president unaware of predictions about
$4-a-gallon gas.
In contrast, Obama practically promised rising energy prices. In a January 2008 interview [9]
he promised bankruptcy to anyone foolish enough to build coal power
plants, under his cap-and-trade plan. But the media virtually ignored
it.
Although
Obama did not succeed with cap-and-trade, he has cracked down on energy
production through the Environmental Protection Agency. He also
instituted a moratorium on oil drilling permits following the Deepwater
Horizon disaster.
Under
his administration, the national average for gasoline has more than
doubled since his inauguration in 2009 and the nation has experienced
sustained high gas prices, but that has gotten little criticism from the
network news media. BMI found that when comparing a month of coverage
in 2008 to 2012, the networks had hyped the rising gas prices 4 times more for Bush than Obama [10].
During
Bush’s tenure, gas prices were a huge economic threat and cause of
suffering. The networks also used the high gas prices to attack the
administration. In 2012, the networks aired mostly matter-of-fact
stories on the rising gas prices, and worried primarily that they would
hinder the economic recovery, not that they are making people suffer.
Methodology
For
this analysis, BMI tallied news stories from the morning and evening
shows of ABC, CBS and NBC from 2004 to 2008 for stories related to the
Bush presidency, and from 2009 to the present for stories during the
Obama presidency.
There
were 11 more stories insisting that Bush release oil from the SPR from
between 2001 and 2003, which have been omitted for a more accurate
comparison. An additional 10 stories called for Bush to stop adding to
the reserve during 2004, 2006 and 2008. These were also not counted in
BMI’s tally. The networks also covered rising gas prices more during the
Bush years, prices which were the motivation behind the pressure to
release oil from the SPR.
