Networks Slam 'Severe' Alabama Law as 'Arizona on Steroids'

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Friday September 30, 2011 @ 10:44 AM ET

1. Networks Focus on Victims as They Paint 'Severe' Alabama Law as 'Arizona on Steroids'
Matching the pattern set in coverage of Arizona's immigration enforcement law, the broadcast network evening newscasts on Thursday night all framed their stories on Alabama's "severe" new law around its victims, with ABC anchor Diane Sawyer and NBC anchor Brian Williams both describing it as "Arizona on steroids." They didn't mean it as a compliment. Sawyer mischaracterized it as an "anti-immigration law." ABC was the most one-sided, with reporter Steve Osunsami not mentioning a reason for the new law until his very last sentence. Instead, Osunsami intoned, "Across Alabama today, demonstrators were furious, calling this the Arizona law with an Alabama twist," before showing a man who charged that "it says that our government promotes racism."

2. CBS to Newt: The Tea Party, A 'Very Small Group,' Has Too Much Power
CBS's Erica Hill channeled the overblown worries of liberals about influence of the Tea Party on Thursday's Early Show, asking Newt Gingrich, "The Tea Party has really made some big inroads...But there's a feeling by some folks that this very small group of people is starting to control the conversation. Do there need to be more voices at the table, in general, at this point?" Hill brought on Gingrich to discuss his new Contract With America package, due to be released later in the day. Just as in The Early Show's interview of Herman Cain the previous morning, the anchor flattered her guest by congratulating him for his good showing in a recent poll, but wasted little time before launching a critique of one known part of his proposal, thinly veiled in conservative language.

3. Post-Partisan Obama Hit With 'Express Train of Bile,' Piers Morgan Mourns
A well-intentioned President Obama tried to transcend partisanship in Washington, but his efforts were derailed by an "express train of bile" - according to CNN's Piers Morgan, on Wednesday. And Americans need ObamaCare because "Baboons take care of themselves better than we do," ranted Morgan's sharp-spoken guest, comedian Lewis Black.

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4. Stephanopoulos Pushes Liberal Justice Stevens to Bash GOP Audience
Good Morning America's" George Stephanopoulos on Thursday invited retired Supreme Court Judge John Paul Stevens to bash the audience of a GOP presidential debate. The ABC host repeatedly offered up softballs to the liberal Stevens, asking at one point, "I don't know if you saw it, but there was actually a moment in one of the presidential debates where's the number of executions in Texas was cited and the crowd cheered." After cutting to a clip from the debate, Stephanopoulos prompted the ex-justice of the nation's highest court to offer a critique on a political party: "What did you think?" The segment also aired on Wednesday's "Nightline."

5. 'Today' Show Panel Wonders if Chris Christie Too Fat to Be President
On Thursday's NBC "Today," co-host Savannah Guthrie asked a panel of guests about the possibility of New Jersey's governor entering the presidential race and observed: "There's kind of this conventional wisdom among the political chattering class that someone as heavy as Chris Christie-" Dr. Nancy Snyderman interjected: "As fat as he is." Guthrie continued: "...would not be elected." Fellow panelist, attorney Star Jones, chimed in: "You are so sweet the way you put that. You're really asking us will America elect a fat president?" Later in the discussion, advertising executive Donny Deutsch fretted: "If he's [Christie's] not disciplined enough to keep himself healthy, is he disciplined enough to make the tough decisions for our country?...if he's not in charge of himself, can he be in charge of country?"