Morning Shows Ignore
Vote to Keep Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling
The same media outlets covered the
anti-business push to investigate and punish price gouging.
By Ken Shepherd
Business & Media Institute
May 19, 2006
This spring, broadcast media outlets have complained of
rising energy prices, including record oil and gas prices that are
inflicting pain at the pump. The networks reporting raised the
specter of price gouging and reported calls for investigations of
gas pricing. Yet on May 19, the morning after the House of
Representatives rejected a proposal that might increase U.S. oil
supply and lower prices, the network morning shows were silent.
Despite talk of an energy crisis and the need for
independence from foreign oil, Congress seems to be in no mood to
open more of the countrys coastal waters to energy development,
Associated Press writer
H. Josef Hebert [1]opened his May 19 article.
Congressmen rejected an attempt to end the
quarter-century ban on oil and natural gas drilling that has been in
effect for 85 percent of the country's coastal waters from Alaska to
New England despite arguments that new supplies are needed to lower
energy costs, Hebert added. He noted that opposition fell largely
along geographic, not partisan lines with politicians of both
parties from coastal states opposed [to] lifting the drilling
restrictions. The amendment failed by a 279-141 vote.
But for all the controversy, the fact that the
legislation did not split along party lines, and as Hebert put it,
talk of an energy crisis, the issue received no attention from
ABC, CBS, or NBC on the May 19 morning news programs.
By contrast, on May 4, the same morning shows jumped on
House-approved legislation to punish price gouging.
After reporting the price of oil and the nationwide gas
price average, Today show news anchor Ann Curry reported that on
May 3 the House approved a measure that would give jail sentences
and up to $150 million in fines against any oil company found guilty
of price gouging.
Gas gougers beware, Rene Syler cautioned on CBS the
same morning. Amid an outcry over high gas prices, House lawmakers
passed a new anti-gouging bill.
ABCs Robin Roberts similarly found trouble for oil
companies. A new measure passed by the House would hit the
companies with fines up to $150 million and could send executives to
jail, she reported on the May 4 Good Morning America.
While most of the media have attacked high gas prices,
some reporters have embraced high gas prices as part of a
liberal agenda [2].