MSNBC's graphics department on Monday provided some visually obnoxious examples
of media bias, fretting about "unhinged" conservatives and "health care
hysteria." Throughout the morning, the left-leaning cable network featured
on-screen texts promoting the Democratic agenda. At 11:35am, MSNBC News Live
host Carlos Watson anchored a piece urging liberals to get tough in supporting
universal health care. The graphic screamed, "Are Liberals Being Too
Weak?"
At the beginning of the 12pm show Dr. Nancy, Nancy Snyderman discussed
whether or not conservatives such as Sarah Palin are frightening the elderly
over health care. This time, the on-screen visual spun, "Health Care Fight:
Scaring Seniors?"
At 11:15am, anchor Watson presided over a similar segment and was paired with
a graphic that hyperbolically suggested, "Conservatives Coming Unhinged?"
Watson asked Peter Roff of U.S. News and World Reports, "You and I have, kind
of, talked on and off over the several days about whether there's a conservative
revitalization going on or whether [sic] conservative movement, frankly,
between the birthers and Sarah Palin's comments and some of the other things,
whether they've become unhinged. Your thoughts?"
At 9:18, during the Morning Meeting
program, host Dylan Ratigan looked into the health care town hall meetings and
the conservatives who have been loudly speaking up. Providing no objectivity at
all, the MSNBC visual attacked the "Health Care Hysteria" that
the cable network clearly believes is disrupting the President's agenda.
At 9:56, Ratigan teased yet more coverage of the health care debate and
condescendingly lectured, "Subsidized abortion, one of the rumors inside this
health care debate. Advocating euthanasia. Another nice nightmare to try to
get people worked up. We will separate fact from fiction on the health care
debate."
He dismissively announced that MSNBC
would see "if we can actually create a conversation as opposed to a bunch of
hooting and hollering." Perhaps Mr. Ratigan should read the AP [1],
because that news outlet explained on August 5 that abortion coverage
is in the health care bill:
Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue.
Federal funds for abortions are now restricted to cases involving rape, incest or danger to the life of the mother. Abortion opponents say those restrictions should carry over to any health insurance sold through a new marketplace envisioned under the legislation, an exchange where people would choose private coverage or the public plan.
-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.