Bias by the Numbers

Networks Promote Fears of ‘DNA Tinkering,’ But Ignore GMO Benefits in 78 Percent of Stories

julia.seymour — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:26:39 +0000

ABC, CBS and NBC downplay GMO positives, frequently focus on controversy and critics.

Joseph Rossell

Prominent scientists say genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are vital to feeding the world and solving undernourishment, but the broadcast networks were more focused on unproven claims about their “potential health risk.”

Nets Slam Salt, Ignore Contrary Views in More Than 93 Percent of Stories

julia.seymour — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 14:17:37 +0000

‘Growing chorus’ of scientists say salt in diet is beneficial, contrary to federal guidelines.

Joseph Rossell

Media coverage of food has become as tough to swallow as a piece of gristle. Cholesterol, food dyes, salt and more dominate headlines -- even though news stories often can’t decide if those things are good or bad for us. Now the Obama administration is moving to practically ban trans fat, an ingredient once promoted as a “health product.”

188 Drought Stories, Not a Drop of Concern for Environmentalist Role

julia.seymour — Wed, 20 May 2015 14:19:27 +0000

Networks focus on drought and its impact, but ignore environmental regulations complicating crisis.

Julia A. Seymour

Climate change is “damn serious,” according to California Gov. Jerry Brown, who has repeatedly blamed it for the state’s four-year drought.

Even without “definitive evidence” to back that up the network news media repeated it. What the networks refused to repeat was criticism about environmental regulations and other government failures. ABC, CBS and NBC evening news shows aired 188 drought stories and completely ignored environmental regulations that have worsened the crisis by sending massive quantities of water out to sea.

— Julia A. Seymour is Assistant Managing Editor for MRC Business at the Media Research Center. Follow Julia A. Seymour on Twitter.

Oil and Gas Prices Drop, But Nets Refuse to Credit Fracking in 93% of Stories

julia.seymour — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:15:12 +0000

Networks’ evening shows rarely admit contribution of drilling technology to booming U.S. production.

Joseph Rossell

Thanks in part to the widespread use of technologies like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, global oil prices plummeted in 2014. Energy experts even predicted the U.S. could be the top oil producer in the next several years.

ABC, NBC Ignore Economy as Voters’ Top Concern in Post-Election Analysis

julia.seymour — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:23:29 +0000

Exit polls showed economy weighing on voters' minds, but networks ignored it in 84 percent of stories.

Joseph Rossell

The Republican “wave” in the Nov. 4, 2014, midterm elections had many reasons, but at least one was dissatisfaction with the economy. While, the three broadcast networks acknowledged the elections were bad for Democrats, they mostly ignored the economy and its impact on the election.

Instead, now that Republicans hold a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the networks have chosen to preach bipartisanship.

Chuck Todd Pushes W.H. Talking Points On Ebola: They’re ‘Very Concerned About These Mandatory Quarantines’

jeffrey.meyer — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 14:31:04 +0000

Jeffrey Meyer

On Sunday morning, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd appeared on NBC’s Today to discuss the politics of Ebola in the upcoming midterm elections.

— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter.

Networks Barely Notice White House War on Women’s Pay

julia.seymour — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 14:30:12 +0000

After puffing up Obama as equal pay champion, roughly 95 percent of stories on pay disparity mentioning Obama ignore White House wage gap.

Julia A. Seymour

Obama has been a champion of equal pay for women, at least according to his administration and the network news media.

The broadcast networks boosted his image on the subject throughout his presidency, from the first bill he signed into law in 2009 to a September 2014 speech mentioning “equal pay.” ABC said Obama waged an “assault” on the pay gap with an executive order over salary disclosures, while CBS said he “boosts equal pay for women.”

— Julia A. Seymour is Assistant Managing Editor for MRC Business at the Media Research Center. Follow Julia A. Seymour on Twitter.

Ebola: Networks 91% Confident Travel Screenings are Sufficient

julia.seymour — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:40:04 +0000

But in 2010 Obama administration killed tougher regulations proponents called ‘critical.’

Joseph Rossell

Is the U.S. government doing enough to screen travelers potentially carrying Ebola into the country?

That question was ignored by the vast majority of stories on the three broadcast network’s news programming, even after Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed with Ebola after coming to the U.S. from Liberia. Duncan died from the disease in a Dallas hospital on Oct. 8.

Networks Confident in CDC over Ebola, 98 Percent Ignore Agency Failures

julia.seymour — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 15:09:27 +0000

Only 1 of 54 stories express concern about CDC’s competency, handling of dangerous diseases.

Joseph Rossell

In spite of revelations in recent months the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mishandled strains of deadly bird flu, anthrax and botulism, the broadcast networks remained confident the government’s “disease detectives” could handle the Ebola outbreak.

Major Papers 15-1 against For-Profit Education

julia.seymour — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:04:33 +0000

New York Times, USA Today, LA Times echo liberal attacks.

Dan Gainor

The Obama administration continues its push to regulate for-profit colleges and national media outlets have joined in and overwhelmingly taken the side of bigger government.

Three top newspapers – The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today – portrayed for-profit education negatively by a factor of 15-1 in roughly three years of news coverage.

Network Coverage of ‘Extreme Weather’ Up Nearly 1,000 Percent

julia.seymour — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 20:57:06 +0000

Ten years ago ABC, CBS and NBC barely used the phrase, now they go to extremes despite scientific disagreement.

Sean Long

A “bizarre cold snap” is hitting the U.S. and the media have already begun to draw comparisons to the polar vortex. It is only a matter of time before the networks resume panic over “extreme weather.”

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

New York Times Touts ‘Plain Packaging,’ Downplays Impact of Taxes on Tobacco

julia.seymour — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:46:39 +0000

Business story supports pro-regulatory position of Times editorial board which attacked tobacco 24 times in two years.

Sean Long

The New York Times thinks regulations like tobacco packaging laws will reduce smoking, but a recent business story on the subject made that case while downplaying other factors.

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

Networks Nourished Anti-Vaccine Hysteria With 171 Stories on Debunked Autism Link

julia.seymour — Thu, 15 May 2014 13:23:59 +0000

ABC, CBS and NBC kept debate alive while children died from drop in vaccinations.

Sean Long

Despite the rise in deaths from preventable childhood diseases, the networks spent the last 15 years fueling speculation that vaccines cause autism. Just in the past seven years more than 1,300 died from such diseases, according to CDC data.

The medical community widely refuted such claims and the medical journal that once published the study later retracted it. But for years the broadcast networks continued to report on the alleged connection between vaccines and autism.

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

Obamacare Stories Ignore Taxes, Penalties 88 Percent of the Time

julia.seymour — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 13:16:39 +0000

Even in tax season, Obamacare-related taxes barely mentioned by evening news shows.

Julia A. Seymour

The federal tax filing deadline has arrived. Tax season, when H&R Block commercials are as inescapable as news how-to segments about filing taxes, is nearly over.

— Julia A. Seymour is Assistant Managing Editor for MRC Business at the Media Research Center. Follow Julia A. Seymour on Twitter.

98 Percent of Networks Jobs Stories Ignore High Black Unemployment

julia.seymour — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:38:03 +0000

Despite bipartisan outrage, NBC gives just 10 seconds to jobs crisis while ABC, CBS remain silent.

Sean Long

There is a jobs crisis in the U.S. that is going virtually unnoticed by the broadcast networks. The unemployment rate for African Americans towers over the national average, upsetting conservatives and liberals.

In spite of bipartisan outrage, the three broadcast networks gave just 10 seconds combined to the black unemployment rate around the monthly jobs reports in the past year. Liberal Rev. Jesse Jackson was one of many frustrated people. He has complained that “the media [is] dismissing it as not important.”

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