VOLUME 7 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 www.MediaResearch.org The Media Research Center’s Monthly Members’ Report Mix Victory with Vigilance INSIDEINSIDE issues in a leading question to House Minority PAGE 2 Dear Member, Leader Dick Gephardt. “A lot of Democrats,” Save the Date! The victories by conservatives and Brokaw claimed, “were surprised that your ■ Republicans in this month’s U.S. House and party was not able to take more advantage of PAGE 3 Senate elections are reason for celebration and voter concern with education and the economy MRC Studies Used in concern. and health care issues.” Court Challenge It’s a time for celebration because President ABC’s Charles Gibson followed the same ■ George W. Bush now has control of the script in an interview on the next day’s Good PAGE 4 country’s political agenda. It’s a time for Morning America. “You’ve got a President with Bits & Pieces: concern, however, because the liberal media and big deficits,” Gibson cried to soon-to-be Senate CBS Does a Texas their political allies find Minority Leader Tom One-Step themselves in desperate Daschle. “You’ve got an ■ straits and will blame economy in the doldrums, PAGE 6 every problem for the you’ve got major cor- Hogie Notes: next two years on porate scandals, you’ve Competing with the conservatives and got a President talking Top 100 Papers conservative policies. about taking the country ■ The media shenani- to war, which is never PAGE 7 gans began on the night popular, and you still Using Tragedy for of the election. As soon couldn’t beat him.” Political Purposes as things started going Did it ever occur to ■ south for Democrats, ABC’s Claire Shipman wondered why Gibson, Brokaw and PAGE 7 network correspondents voters didn’t blame Republicans for Shipman that voters can MRC Mailbag and anchors began asking economic problems. think for themselves and ■ questions – and making didn’t blame the President PAGE 8 statements – that were loaded with liberal for a recession he inherited? Did it ever occur Editor’s Corner talking points. As always, the MRC staff was to the brilliant minds at the networks that the monitoring every network far into election night same voters – always wary of debt – understood and spotted – and countered – these media that in times of war and recession the country outrages immediately. had no choice but to run a deficit? Did it ever First, came the media contention that occur to journalism’s elite that voters know war Republicans shouldn’t have done well because is a serious matter and voted for the President’s there was a bad economy. “A lot of people have candidates because of his stance on Iraq? wondered why, given the state of the economy, Apparently not, because almost every other are the Republicans doing as well as they’re question to Democrats berated them for not doing,” ABC News correspondent Claire fighting the President on the economy or Iraq Shipman told viewers on election night. Over and suggested that they may have done better America’s Media on NBC, anchor Tom Brokaw included the had they just been more liberal. Watchdog economy and two other supposedly Democratic Continued on page 2 Get Your Tickets Now RSVP TODAY The Omni Shoreham Hotel Seats are limited and Regency Ballroom Save The Date!!! they will sell out. 2500 Calvert Street, N.W. First come, first served. Washington, D.C. 6:00 pm Reception & Cocktails March 27, 2003 CALL NOW! 7:00 pm Dinner & Awards (703) 683-9733 ext. 163 Business Attire or (800) 672-1423 The Media Research Center’s Third Annual DISHONORS AWARDS Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporters of The Year! Continued from page 1 A third theme the media have began pushing the conservative agenda would ABC anchor Peter Jennings practically developing, and one we’re gearing up to be divisive. Bush had a majority in 2001 scolded Democratic Senatorial Committee combat here at the MRC, was that the and his insistence on conservative policies Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington. election did not represent a mandate for made Jeffords to leave the party and cost “The knock on the Democrats tonight is conservative government and policies. the Republicans control of the Senate, that there was no consistent message,” the The media, in effect, are making the Moran claimed. For good measure, disappointed anchor said to the senator. curious argument that winning an election Moran also warned that the White House “And moreover,” he added, “you were does not give the victorious party the right would now pursue their “deeply intimidated by the President and you to govern in the manner they have conservative” judicial nominations. wouldn’t speak out on the economy, and campaigned for and promised. Earth to Smith and Moran. Parties you wouldn’t speak out on the war.” campaign and win elections for the After that liberal lament, Jennings purpose of enacting their policies when subtly told viewers that they need to be they’re in power. That’s the way scared of Republican power. “If the democracy works and, God willing, that’s Republicans do end up in control of the what this Republican Congress will do. Senate, what would worry you most?” Despite the progress made on election he asked of Murray. night, there are many long roads and battles How interesting. The ABC anchor ahead. The media will do their best to never posed a similar question to convince the nation that every conservative Republicans when Senator James policy is a disaster in the making and the Jeffords of Vermont abandoned his airwaves and newspapers will be over- comrades and gave Senate control to the flowing with condemnations from liberals. CBS’s Harry Smith urged Republican Democrats in 2001. In Jennings mind, of We will be there to fight them with course, having Democrats in control of Senator Trent Lott to avoid a conservative agenda. all the energy we can muster. For the first the Senate is no reason for worry. time in years, conservatives have a chance Harry Smith, the liberal anchor that Smith warned soon-to-be Senate to enact meaningful policies that can truly CBS brought back in October for a second Majority Leader Trent Lott about this very change our country for the better. And go-around on its struggling morning show, thing in a November 6 post-election we’re going to do our best to see that expanded on the liberal theme the next interview. “The margin of victory is so they get a fair shake from the media. morning. In an interview with Democratic narrow in so many of these races,” Smith None of this is possible without your National Committee Chair Terry McAuliffe, told Lott. “It’s just a razor thin difference support and as always I want to thank Smith vented his frustration with the in some cases between the parties, does you and remind you how much your Democratic campaign. “Did you run too that give you a responsibility to govern support means to the MRC staff and me. close to the middle,” Smith asked before from the middle or with the majority do Until next time, he provided his own answer. “There’s you go all the way to the right?” grousing already in the Democratic Party ABC’s Terry Moran developed the that you didn’t act like Democrats, you idea more specifically on that night’s acted like watered down Republicans.” World News Tonight, suggesting that L. Brent Bozell III, President MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER 2 FLASH NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 CELEBRITY UPDATE MRC STUDIES Protesting Bush USED IN and Bashing Republicans James Carville is reasonable. If you compare him to Court Barbra Streisand. The New York Post reported on November 4 that Challenge Streisand was “privately saying that Paul Wellstone’s plane crash was no accident.” An unnamed source The National Rifle also told the Post that the star Association is citing MRC of Funny Girl believed “there’s studies in its court battle against the unfair a bit more to this than meets aspects of the campaign finance reform law the eye.” passed last March. The new law bans issue The former star, in a advertising on television and radio 60 days statement on her web site, denied ever saying any such thing and before a general election and 30 days before a beseeched her fans to vote for primary. Democrats. Streisand claimed One of the arguments the gun-rights group that if Republicans controlled the Barbra Streisand is making is that the media bias against gun House, Senate and White House, it would be “devastating ownership is so widespread that fairness for reproductive choice, the environment, civil liberties, demands they be allowed to purchase airtime Social Security and health care.” before elections. To prove the point, the NRA Poor Barbra. She must be is citing two MRC studies. The studies are worrying herself crazy – make Outgunned: How the Network Media Are that crazier – now that her Spinning the Gun Control Debate, an MRC nightmare has come true. Special Report released in January 2000, and Streisand wasn’t the only TV Gun Control Coverage Tilts Its Tone, Talking celebrity to get in a few low blows before the election. Actor Heads and Labels to Liberal Side, an MRC study Kevin Spacey told CNN’s released in the MediaWatch newsletter in Moneyline on October 18 that December 1993. Kevin Spacey Republicans “govern through ideology and power” while Democrats “govern by evidence” and truly want to help people. Then there was Hollywood’s disgust with the U.S.