NPR Slants 7-2 Towards Backers Of Federal Funding For Public Broadcasting

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Monday March 28, 2011 @ 08:57 AM EST

1. NPR Slants 7 to 2 Towards Backers of Federal Funding of Public Broadcasting

On Thursday's All Things Distorted, NPR's Jim Zarroli vouched for continuing federal funding of public broadcasting by lining up seven sound bites from three supporters of the medium, versus only two from opponents. The supporters all hyped the dire effects if tax dollars no longer went to public TV and radio. Zarroli also completely avoided any mention of NPR's longstanding reputation for liberal bias. Host Robert Siegel introduced the correspondent's report by playing up how "Congress gave $430 million to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Roughly three-quarters went to public TV stations, and a quarter or so to public radio stations. With Republicans again calling for CPB funding to be cut, NPR's Jim Zarroli looks at how that money is spent and what might happen if it's eliminated."

2. MSNBC Resorts to Using 12-Year-Old Boy Health Care Activist to Plug for ObamaCare

On the one-year anniversary of the health care law, MSNBCCCP thought it fitting to bring on a boy who championed the bill and give him a platform. Obamafellator Andrea Mitchell hosted 12-year-old activist Marcelas Owens Wednesday and asked him questions with predictable answers to explain the case for the health care law. Owens became famous last year for his public appearances to rally support for the health care overhaul. His mother had died of pulmonary hypertension in 2007 after she lost her job due to extended leave of absence. She was unqualified for Medicare or for health insurance. Owens used the tragedy to speak out in favor of universal health care.

3. CBS Wonders if U.S. 'Transfer of Power' in Libya Has 'Brushed Back' Criticism of Obama

On Friday's CBS Early Show, the network did its first full segment on criticism of the Obama regime's Libya policy, with co-host Chris Wragge declaring: "As the transfer of power gets set to happen, President Obama finds himself on the hot seat over his handling of the crisis." However, the segment that followed featured no input from the President's critics. Wragge spoke with political analyst John Dickerson about the criticism of Obama, but started the discussion by wondering if such criticism would start to diminish: "...the President's been getting a lot of criticism from both sides of the aisle from not consulting more with Congress on this, really kind of waiting for this handover to NATO right now. Does that criticism now get brushed back a little with this handover?"

4. Obama More 'Hawkish' Than Bush, Yet Better at Carrying Out His Policies Say 'Morning Joe' Pundits

Is Obama more 'hawkish' and yet more charming than his immediate predecessor? Apparently so, claimed Time's Mark Halperin and MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski on Thursday's edition of Morning Joe. Halperin believes that President Obama has been more cavalier than his predecessor, and Brzezinski thinks that although Obama has extended many of Bush's unpopular policies, he brings a different "characterization" to the table.

5. ABC Knocks the 'Most Controversial,' 'as Conservative as They Come' Michele Bachmann

Covering a possible 2012 presidential run by Michele Bachmann, Good Morning America's Juju Chang on Thursday spun the Congresswoman as "one of the most controversial freshmen [sic] members of Congress." Aside from the obvious error, Bachmann has been a representative for four years, GMA never identified hard-left former Congressman Alan Grayson that way. Reporter Jonathan Karl singled out Bachmann as "uncompromising" and "as conservative as they come." This type of labeling isn't uncommon for the journalist. On August 24, 2010, Karl hit Republican senatorial candidate Joe Miller as a "hard-line, Tea Party conservative."

6. Brian Williams Spins for Obama on Late Night, Then Declares: 'I Don't Work' for White House

A defensive Brian Williams appeared on Wednesday's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to explain away Barack Obama's handling of the situation in Libya. He also hit the show's for having a "political 'tude" against the President, complaining, "I've never heard you go into this area before." After the comedian knocked Obama for "playing soccer in Rio," Williams labeled that "unfair." He added, "The President has scrambled phones. He's got video conferencing."