VOLUME 9 ISSUE 12 DEC / JAN 2004 www.MediaResearch.org The Media Research Center’s Monthly Members’ Report Liberal Media Continue to Twist INSIDE War News to Hurt President PAGE 3 Media Continue to But the ABC anchor was hardly finished. Claim Howard Dean Dear Member, The day after the capture, ABC’s Good is a Moderate Despite good news on almost every Morning America reported that a new ABC front, many in the liberal media continue to News-Washington Post poll “shows most ■ Americans don’t believe Saddam Hussein’s undermine President Bush and the American PAGE 4 military effort in Iraq. capture means the job is done there.” What Bits & Pieces: Consider how some covered the capture GMA didn’t mention, and what Jennings MRC Battles of Saddam Hussein. What was ABC’s reaction? deliberately withheld from the public on Bush-Haters Within an hour of the announcement, ABC World News Tonight later that day, was that White House reporter the poll found that ■ President Bush’s ap- Terry Moran had the PAGE 6 audacity to “report” that a proval ratings had CNSNews.com Notes: public trial of the dictator jumped significantly Howard Dean’s could “embarrass” the with news of the Record on Abortion United States. Later that capture. Why do we say day, even after images of “deliberately withheld?” ■ cheering Iraqis had been Because these were the PAGE 7 broadcast around the findings of ABC’s own MRC Making a world, Peter Jennings poll, which ABC kept National Impact arrogantly and dishonestly from the public! ■ tried to pour salt on the On the day Saddam Hussein This deceitful re- was captured, ABC anchor Peter Bush administration. porting by ABC is just PAGE 8 Jennings suggested that “there was the latest in a series of “People have sug- not a good deal for Iraqis to be happy Inside the MRC: gested to us today,” the about at the moment.” stories over the past Helen Fullinwider Canadian-born anchor months that have been said, “[that] there’s not a good deal for Iraqis twisted to the President’s detriment. to be happy about at the moment.” But Just before Thanksgiving, a leaked, Jennings wasn’t finished. He then complained classified Defense Department memo that many Iraqis said life “is not as stable for highlighting contacts between al Qaeda and them as it was when Saddam Hussein was in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was published by the power.” conservative Weekly Standard magazine. The Iraq was “stable” under Hussein because explosive memo contained no less than 50 his murdering henchmen viciously controlled specific points, which if true, proves that every facet of life and killed anyone stepping these two monsters were working hand-in- out of line, as Jennings well knows. To say glove. It was huge news, especially because that Iraqis weren’t happy over the tyrant’s it proves anti-war activists like Howard Dean America’s Media capture is as irresponsible comment as I’ve dead wrong about the justification for going to Watchdog ever heard a network journalist make. Continued on page 2 MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER FLASH DEC / JAN 2004 Continued from page 1 Iraq,” CBS anchor Dan Rather told viewers on the December 10 Evening war. The Washington Post, New York News. Rather then suggested, without Times and cable networks duly noted the providing a shred of evidence, that the story and ran articles about the leak. decision might be an attempt to take care But ABC, NBC and CBS didn’t of some of the President’s corporate report one word on this. buddies, since “American companies, This reticence is stunning. When a especially those like Halliburton with close White House staffer leaked the identity ties to the administration, are being paid of a CIA agent in late September, the handsomely” for their work in Iraq. networks jumped all over it, slamming Within an hour of Hussein’s capture, As you expect, the MRC has been the Bush administration relentlessly. NBC, ABC was downplaying it. White House exposing and documenting this spin cycle CBS and ABC ran “leak” stories for three correspondent Terry Moran even since it started. On December 16, I issued consecutive nights. But that was a leak claimed that a public trial of Hussein would be “embarrassing.” a national release that condemned ABC’s that could hurt the President, not help him. coverage of Hussein’s capture and it was The next wave of “Get Bush” stories turkey after all. It was a “decorative” one. an instant hit with talk radio – within two came shortly after the President’s That’s right. One of the nation’s hours MRC spokesmen were booked on Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad. The preeminent newspapers dedicated an 10 talk radio programs all over the troops loved the fact that their entire story to a fake turkey. And the country. I also appeared on MSNBC’s Commander-in-Chief had risked life and Post wasn’t alone. CNN’s Aaron Brown Scarborough Country to discuss the limb to share Thanksgiving dinner with was so impressed by the charge that he networks’ refusal to cover the explosive them. They greeted him, according to dedicated eight full minutes to the Defense Department leak on al Qaeda- those present, with thunderous applause. “scandal” on his Newsnight program. Hussein ties and on CNN’s Crossfire to The American people loved it, too. As soon as the “Turkeygate” furor debate a viciously anti-Bush movie All this was too much for the leftist passed, the media moved on to another producer. At the same time, our daily “news” media, who thought the anti-Bush story. France, Germany and CyberAlerts have highlighted – and President received far too much credit Russia – those three countries that had ridiculed – the “Turkeygate” coverage of for the trip and were determined to not only opposed the war against Saddam the Washington Post and CNN. bring him down a notch. Hussein but had actively worked against None of these efforts are possible The most ridiculous story was American efforts – had been excluded without your support, and as always, I generated by Washington Post reporter from Iraq reconstruction contracts by the thank you for it. Mike Allen. In the December 4 Post, Pentagon. And it was an absolute shame, Allen broke the jaw-dropping news that according to the networks. Until next time, the turkey President Bush had been “President Bush has decided to holding in a widely-distributed punish some major countries by photograph from the visit was not a real excluding them from the rebuilding of L. Brent Bozell III Cal Thomas Hon. Katherine Sean Hannity Ann Coulter Steve Forbes Laura Ingraham William F. Oliver North Harris Buckley, Jr. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR The MRC’s Annual Star-Studded Gala and DisHonors Awards On Thursday, March 18, 2004, join a thousand movers and shakers of the conservative movement at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for “The most humorous night in Washington!” Tickets go on Sale December 15th SPECIAL DISCOUNT OFFER FOR MRC MEMBERS: Tickets are $250/person. Get your tickets before January 30th and receive $50 off! Just call (800) 672-1423 or (703) 683-9733 – Remember to ask for the MRC MEMBER rate. RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY! Photos above are from past MRC galas and represent only a handful of the personalities who participate in or attend the annual event. MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER 2 FLASH DEC / JAN 2004 ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Liberal Media Still Insist Dean is a Moderate Rest easy, America. Howard Dean, the CBS is not only network going soft on former Governor of Vermont and front- Dean. On the December 1 Good Morning runner for the Democratic presidential America, ABC’s Charles Gibson asked Dean nomination, is no radical. No, he’s a political about his sealed gubernatorial records. “Is moderate who is a there something in those strong fiscal conserva- records that you don’t tive. want public?” Gibson At least that’s what inquired. the news media are trying Instead of answering to sell to the public. the question, Dean On the December 9 attacked President Bush, CBS Evening News, claiming the President reporter Byron Pitts had sent his Texas defended Dean against gubernatorial records to Republican charges that his father’s presidential library, where they are the former governor was Howard Dean’s pro-gay marriage, a liberal. Pitts pointed out under a 50-year seal. “I’ll pro-abortion and anti-war and that the Democrat unseal mine if he’ll anti-tax cuts, but CBS News still supported a balanced unseal his,” Dean insists he’s not a liberal. budget amendment and haughtily snapped. had received high marks Gibson didn’t press from the National Rifle Dean to explain his stand Association during his – but he should have. As five terms as Vermont MRC Vice President governor. “He was a Brent Baker noted in his fiscal conservative,” Pitts December 4 CyberAlert, told viewers, “well known the Associated Press for being frugal from reported that President budget cuts to this own Bush’s gubernatorial bargain basement records aren’t at his wardrobe.” father’s library at all. This is nonsense. They’re at the Texas Howard Dean is liberal to the core. He State Library and Archives Commission and opposed the war in Iraq, favors a rollback of are open under Texas public record laws. President Bush’s tax cuts, enthusiastically Will ABC, or any other network, follow up supports gay marriage, and once called and demand Dean open his records? We’ll partial-birth abortion a “phony” issue. CBS be watching to see.