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Alexandria, VABrent Bozell, President of the Media Research Center, today blasted the major liberal news media for refusing to cover the Air America radio network scandal. Air America, launched in 2004 with much media fanfare as a liberal alternative to conservative talk radio received $875,000 in loans from financially-strapped kids charities, which are now bankrupt. Yet now the same liberal media arent saying much of anything, even though the scandal broke three weeks ago. Highlights of this media double standard include the following:
- Two-and-a-half weeks after the story broke, the New York Times published one bland story, inside the local news section with a lead that focused on the troubled charity, not Air Americas scandalous participation. Thats still better than nothing, which was what the Times national edition carried nothing.
- Newsweek did three pages on the launch featuring a Bush-mocking "photo illustration" of Franken standing on an aircraft carrier in a flight suit. Scandal coverage? Nada.
- ABC gave the Air America debut a morning news story, an evening news story, and an entire broadcast of "Nightline." Coverage of the scandal? None.
- NBC highlighted the launch with a Franken interview in the morning, and an evening news story? Scandal coverage? Nothing.
- CNN aired Air America start-up stories in heavy rotation on the weekend before the network debut, as well as promotional stories across their prime-time lineup on Debut Day. A few days after the scandal broke, CNNs blog reporter noted that bloggers Brian Maloney and Michelle Malkin were pushing this story. But CNN has had no story of its own.
"Air America is no small
potato in the eyes of mainstream media outlets. After all, when
the network launched last year with its six paltry stations, the
coverage was massive. Al Franken was its rock star. So with Air
America embroiled in scandal, there would be a media feeding frenzy,
right? All I can hear are the crickets, concluded Bozell.
To schedule an interview with MRC President Brent Bozell or another
MRC spokesperson, please contact Tim Scheiderer at 703.683.5004 x.
126.