government shutdown

Brian Williams Crudely Accuses Washington of Screwing Over American People

kyle.drennen — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 17:00:28 +0000

Kyle Drennen

On Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams made a sexually suggestive remark accusing politicians in Washington of essentially screwing over the American public, citing last year's government shutdown as the chief offense. [Listen to the audio]

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

On Today, Bryant Gumbel Blames GOP for Shutdown, For 'Trying to Extort the Government'

tim.graham — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 22:30:56 +0000

Tim Graham

Former Today co-hosts Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley shared in the NBC anchoring duties on Monday’s Today, and Gumbel naturally returned to Republican-bashing form.

In a 7:30 am segment on the top news stories of 2013 as rated by users at Culturalist.com, when the government shutdown came up, Gumbel argued it’s a “false equivalency” to blame both parties for the shutdown when all the blame should be on Republicans:

— Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center. Follow Tim Graham on Twitter.

Media’s Top 10 Most Embarrassing Predictions of 2013

julia.seymour — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 16:15:24 +0000

Getting it wrong, news outlets’ erroneous forecasts: Healthcare.gov like online shopping, abundant Atlantic hurricanes, $24 billion government shutdown and more.

Sean Long

Print, broadcast or web, the media sure aren’t Nostradamus. In spite of their best attempts, the news media have gotten it wrong prediction after prediction on a wide range of business and economic issues in 2013.

Just in the past year, reporters warned of “economic doomsday,” thought Healthcare.gov was going to be “easy” just like Amazon.com, and warned of melting polar ice, even as a new record was set for ice mass.

— Sean Long is Staff Writer at the Media Research Center. Follow Sean Long on Twitter.

Networks Hype High Estimate of Shutdown Cost, Job Loss

julia.seymour — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 15:19:36 +0000

OMB finds damage to economy just one-fourth the reported size but gets little coverage.

Sean Long

The news media worried a lot about how awful the government shutdown would be and estimated it would take a huge toll on the economy as well. Now it looks like they were wrong about the size of the damage.

— Sean Long is Staff Writer at the Media Research Center. Follow Sean Long on Twitter.

Analysis: Networks Wait Till after Shutdown Vote to Cover ObamaCare’s Many Flaws

julia.seymour — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 16:51:05 +0000

GOP blamed health plan for budget fight, but ABC, CBS and NBC cover problems 4 times more after Republicans cave.

Kristine Marsh

Let’s Cover It After Vote: For the 15 days during the government shutdown, that topic and blame for Republicans dominated the nightly newscasts. The network evening news shows spent much less time discussing the ObamaCare problems that top Republicans said were the reasons for the shutdown. In the 15 days following the shutdown, ABC, CBS and NBC spent more than 4 times as much of their broadcasts on the failures of ObamaCare than they did during the earlier period.

— Kristine Marsh is Staff Writer for MRC Culture at the Media Research Center. Follow Kristine Marsh on Twitter.

NBC: Thanksgiving 'In Jeopardy' Because of Government Shutdown

kyle.drennen — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:15:11 +0000

Kyle Drennen

After NBC warned viewers that the partial government shutdown that ended weeks ago may be "the Grinch that stole Christmas," on Tuesday's Today, correspondent Stephanie Gosk fretted that Thanksgiving would be ruined as well: "Macy's, the company that sponsors the Thanksgiving Day Parade, will open it's doors on the holiday for the first time in 155 years....But there is a risk, the identity of one of the country's most cher

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

NBC: Shutdown That Ended Before Halloween May Be 'Grinch That Stole Christmas'

kyle.drennen — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 19:33:03 +0000

Kyle Drennen

After consistently blaming Republicans for the government shutdown, on Sunday's NBC Nightly News, fill-in anchor Carl Quintanilla warned that while the budget stalemate ended days earlier, "Many people who were furloughed or otherwise affected are still paying the price, and will do so for some time." [Listen to the audio]

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

The Shutdown That Ruined Christmas?

tim.graham — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:58:09 +0000

L. Brent Bozell III

The numbers are in for the evening-news coverage of the shutdown. During the first 15 nights of October, ABC, CBS, and NBC blamed the Republicans 41 times for the shutdown, blamed both sides 17 times, and blamed Obama and the Democrats...never.

Let’s just focus on NBC, where Brian Williams obediently pushed White House talking points. Williams described the consequences as nearly criminal on the October 8 Nightly News: “All kinds of people are getting cheated out of salaries, benefits, medical treatment.”

NBC's Guthrie Grills Cheney on Tea Party; Cheney Calls Obama 'Most Radical' in D.C.

kyle.drennen — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 16:45:32 +0000

Kyle Drennen

In an interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney on Monday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed a "civil war" in the Republican Party and persistently urged him to blame it on the Tea Party. Instead, Cheney began the exchange by explaining: "I think the most radical operator in Washington today is the President.

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

NBC: 'Widely Agreed' Shutdown Was 'Big Loss' and 'Self-Inflicted Wound' to GOP

kyle.drennen — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 22:21:26 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Continuing to hammer home the Democratic talking point that the Republican Party is to blame for the government shutdown, on Thursday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams gloated:
"Politically, it's widely agreed to have been a big loss and self-inflicted wound mostly for the Republican Party." [Listen to the audio]

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

As Shutdown Ends, NBC Invites GOP Moderates to Bash Conservatives

kyle.drennen — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 16:00:53 +0000

Kyle Drennen

As the government shutdown was nearing it's end Wednesday evening, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams conducted a live interview with John McCain, urging the Arizona Senator to slam fellow Republicans over the budget showdown: "Senator, let's talk about the damage in order, to the country, to your party, your profession, and how much of this do you lay at the feet of Senator Cruz from Texas?" [Listen to the audio]

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

NBC's Mitchell Fawns Over 'Master at Work' Nancy Pelosi Helping 'Save the Country'

kyle.drennen — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:46:34 +0000

Kyle Drennen

Teasing an upcoming softball interview with Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell wondered: "Does she now hold all the cards after President Obama says the Speaker has lost control?" Mitchell later introduced Pelosi by proclaiming: "John Boehner is gonna have to turn to the Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to save the country from default, to put up Democratic votes to get this [budget deal] through." [Listen to

— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

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NBC: After Shutdown 'Led by House Republicans,' GOP Has 'Nothing to Show for It'

kyle.drennen — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 19:05:22 +0000

By
Kyle Drennen

Eager to declare Republican defeat in the budget showdown on Wednesday's NBC Today, White House correspondent Peter Alexander proclaimed: "As John McCain said, Republicans have to understand, 'We lost this battle.' Let's put this very simply, after a shutdown that lasted 16 days, a shutdown led by House Republicans who wanted to undermine the President's new health care law, by the end of today, those Republicans may leave with little to nothing...to show for it." [Listen to Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
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Networks Hype Threat of Default, But Were Wrong about ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Impact

julia.seymour — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:15:37 +0000

Five failed predictions of ‘fiscal doomsday’ the networks hyped during cliff crisis and sequester.

By
Sean Long

Between the government shut down and the debt ceiling limit about to be crossed Oct. 17, the news media is screaming like the house is on fire. The Obama administration has also warned of dangers. Of course, that’s nothing new.
In many cases following the Obama administration’s reports and threats, the networks were hysterical in their coverage of the “fiscal cliff” and the sequester in late 2012 and early 2013. They repeated predictions and made claims that in many cases, simply failed to happen.
— Sean Long is Staff Writer at the Media Research Center. Follow Sean Long on Twitter.
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Celebs Tweet-down the Shutdown: Blame GOP, Tea Party, Birth Control

mike.ciandella — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Surprise! Actors, musicians call conservatives “Osama Bin Laden”

By
Katie Yoder

Celebrities – is there anything they can’t do? For instance, to cram all the arrogance, insularity, vapidity and uninformed reactionary liberalism of their opinions into 140-character tweets takes real talent. And during the government shutdown, their Twitter acumen has been on glorious display.
— Katie Yoder is Staff Writer, Joe and Betty Anderlik Fellow in Culture and Media at the Media Research Center. Follow Katie Yoder on Twitter.
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