While the networks largely ignored [1]
43 Catholic institutions suing the Obama administration over the
ObamaCare contraception mandate, since news broke on May 25 of the
Pope's butler leaking classified Vatican documents, those same networks
saw fit to provide 13 stories in 5 days proclaiming "another black eye for the Vatican" and supposed "corruption at some of the highest levels." [Listen to the audio [2]]
ABC News lead the charge, with a total of six reports from May 26
through 28. NBC followed close behind with five reports, one of which
was a news brief, from May 25 through 29. CBS had the lightest coverage
of the controversy, with only two reports on May 28. CBS was also the
only one of the three networks to provide any coverage of the Catholic
lawsuit, offering a 19-second news brief on the May 21 Evening News and an interview with Cardinal Timothy Dolan on the May 23 This Morning.
Having completely skipped the Church fighting for religious liberty,
ABC and NBC seemed to delight in reporting every salacious detail of the
Vatican leaks. On Tuesday's NBC Today, correspondent Michelle
Kosinski touted a nickname in Rome for the incident: "Here they're
calling it 'Vatileaks.'" During a report on Sunday's Today,
correspondent Duncan Golestani remarked that the whole affair was "like
something from a Hollywood movie," followed by a clip of the
conspiratorial anti-Catholic film Angels & Demons [3].
ABC made the Angels & Demons comparison three times in its coverage, with correspondent Jeffrey Kofman declaring on Sunday's Good Morning America:
"All of this talk of conspiracy and palace intrigues sound much like a
Dan Brown novel....There are similar scenes in his book 'Angels and
Demons.' But this is very real....Years ago, Vatican conspirators used
to poison their enemies. Today, it's a little more subtle. They leak to
the media."
All three networks used highly charged language to portray the Church as some sort of criminal enterprise. On Friday's NBC Nightly News,
correspondent Jim Maceda wrapped up his report by ominously asserting:
"...the alleged leaks by the man closest to the Pope may have lifted
another veil on the secretive and perhaps illegal activity inside the
Vatican itself."
In a report for Saturday's ABC World News, Kofman described
how the leaks,"include searing allegations of corruption and cronyism at
the Vatican Bank, a bizarre plot to kill the Pope allegedly by a
cardinal hoping to succeed him, and a nasty power struggle between
Vatican reformers and those who want nothing to change."
On Monday's CBS Evening News, correspondent Charile Daggett
explained that the butler has been "accused of leaking letters and memos
to Italian journalists that allegedly show corruption in the Church's
financial dealings with Italian businesses, including money laundering
and kickbacks."
The liberal media only seems to be interested in covering the Catholic
Church when some type scandal is involved. Not only did the networks
avoid covering the ObamaCare lawsuit, but shortly after it was filed
they enthusiastically promoted a story designed to undermine the
Church's authority.
While CBS did provide the only coverage of the lawsuit, it followed that minimal reporting with a May 24 Evening News story about "predator priests" [4] on trial in Philadelphia.
Appearing on the May 27 Fox News Sunday [5], Washington D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl commented on the stunning media double standard: "...they're focusing so much attention right now on the Pope's butler. It seems to me that somehow they've missed the boat. They've missed the story."
Here is a transcript of the May 25 NBC Nightly News report:
7:16PM ET
WILLIAMS: A new scandal, as we've said, is rocking the Vatican tonight.
It's making headlines around the world in the process. It involves
secret documents, allegations of corruption, a bombshell new book, and
today, the arrest of one of Pope Benedict's most trusted aides, his own
butler. Our details from NBC's Jim Maceda.
JIM MACEDA: Pope Benedict's personal butler, Paolo Gabriele, always
seated up front on the Pope Mobile, but today, he was arrested after
Vatican police found hundreds of confidential documents in his house.
The butler, in charge of serving meals and managing the Pope's private
apartment, allegedly leaked those documents to the media, including
investigative reporter Gianluigi Nuzzi, who's new book uncovers a web of
Vatican corruption and cronyism. 'Some small wheels in the big Vatican
machine decided, rightly or wrongly, to make public important events,
like palace plots,' he said.
The Vatican confirmed today that indeed, the butler was arrested and
called Nuzzi's book and the leaks "criminal." It's launched its own
investigation. Among the incriminating documents, letters to the Pope
from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, revealing a small network of
construction companies awarded Vatican contracts at inflated prices. But
the whistle-blower was punished and, against his wishes, packed off to
the US, where's he now the Vatican ambassador in Washington.
Other leaked documents revealed Vatican infighting over financial
transparency. On Thursday, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was fired as the
Vatican Bank's president.
PHILIO PULLELLA [VATICAN EXPERT]: Gotti Tedeschi has said himself that
he was ousted because he was the one who wanted transparency.
MACEDA: It's unclear if the Pope's butler acted alone or was taking
orders, but the alleged leaks by the man closest to the Pope may have
lifted another veil on the secretive and perhaps illegal activity inside
the Vatican itself. Jim Maceda, NBC News, London.
Here is a transcript of the May 27 ABC Good Morning America report:
8:10AM ET
DAN HARRIS: Now, now to the latest on this growing scandal at the
Vatican. As he celebrates mass this morning, the Pope is said to be,
quote, "pained" by a betrayal from his personal butler or, as Paula say,
butler.
PAULA FARIS: The butler.
HARRIS: The man who was by the Pope's side night and day now accused of
leaking embarrassing secrets. And ABC's Jeffrey Kofman is at the
Vatican this morning. Jeffrey, good morning to you.
JEFFREY KOFMAN: And what a spectacular morning it is here at the
Vatican. This being Sunday, the Pope would like Catholics to dwell on
questions of spirituality and faith. But instead, the question being
asked here now is, did the butler really do it?
KOFMAN: As the Pope celebrated mass at St. Peter's today, it was hard
not to be diverted by the scandals that continue to plague his
leadership. We are learning more about butler Paolo Gabriele, seen here
serving the Pope wine, who was under arrest, accused of leaking
confidential papal documents to the Italian media. And the Vatican
watchers here are skeptical. Do you think the butler did it?
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [VATICAN WATCHER]: I think the butler is too simple a person to do something on his own.
JEFFREY KOFMAN: You think if it happened, there are others helping him?
MAN: If it happened, there are others helping him and may be leading him.
KOFMAN: All of this talk of conspiracy and palace intrigues sound much like a Dan Brown novel.
[CLIP FROM ANGELS & DEMONS]
EWAN MCGREGOR [ACTOR]: Open the doors and tell the world the truth.
KOFMAN: There are similar scenes in his book "Angels and Demons." But
this is very real. The Pope is said to be pained that someone so close
is accused of betraying him. Years ago, Vatican conspirators used to
poison their enemies. Today, it's a little more subtle. They leak to the
media. Those leaks began in January, exposing kickbacks and money
laundering at the secretive Vatican Bank. And yet another display of
Vatican backstabbing, the man appointed by the Pope to clean up the bank
was forced out this week.
MAN: This is just the failure of Benedict XVI, that he's only a theologian, and he's not a ruler.
JEFFREY KOFMAN: What we know is that Gabriele, the butler, is being
held in the offices of the Vatican police somewhere behind papal
apartments over there, in a room that's about 12 feet square, and that
he's spending his time praying and contemplating. But we don't know if
he's actually cooperating with investigators. Some papers this morning
saying he is, others saying he is not. We're in for another interesting
week here at the Vatican.
Here is a transcript of the May 28 CBS Evening News report:
6:51PM ET
ANTHONY
MASON: A scandal that has rocked Vatican City threatened to expand
today. Pope Benedict's butler is under arrest, but few believe that he
is the sole source of the leaks that have exposed corruption and
double-dealing inside the leadership of the Catholic Church. Charlie
Daggett has more.
CHARLIE DAGGETT: At the center of the holy who-done-it is Paolo
Gabriele, the Pope's personal butler. Since he was arrested last week on
suspicion of stealing confidential documents, rumors have swirled that
he must have had some high-ranking help, perhaps as high as the
so-called princes of the Church, the cardinals. Marco Tosatti covers the
Vatican for one of Italy's biggest newspapers.
MARCO TOSATTI: If Paolo Gabriele has acted as he did, well, probably
there was somebody very important who convinced him to do it.
DAGGETT: Today, the Vatican denied that any cardinal was under
investigation, but the scandal shows no sign of slowing. The butler
pledged that he'd cooperate fully with investigators, raising the
specter that he would name others.
Gabriele, a father of three, has worked for the Pope since 2006, and is
one of the few laymen to have access to the Pope's private apartment.
He's accused of leaking letters and memos to Italian journalists that
allegedly show corruption in the Church's financial dealings with
Italian businesses, including money laundering and kickbacks.
The revelations are part of a number of embarrassing leaks that show
the Church and its inner workings in disarray. For the moment, Paolo
Gabriele is the lone arrest, and, if found guilty, he could face up to
30 years in prison. Charlie Daggett, CBS News, London.
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [6] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.