Evening News Spin: 100% Negative on Trump Defense, 95% Positive Dems
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Before the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump was gaveled into session, Chief Justice John Roberts presided over a swearing-in ceremony where all 100 senators pledged to be impartial jurors. The liberal media zeroed in on that pledge and decried Senate Republicans who seemed to be siding with the President.
But a Media Research Center study of broadcast evening news coverage of the opening arguments of both sides, found ABC, CBS, and NBC did not live up to the standard they demanded of Republicans. They gave Democrats double the airtime and showered their arguments with mostly praise, while expressing only criticism of the President’s legal team.
Between Wednesday, January 22, when Democratic House impeachment managers launched their opening arguments, and Tuesday, January 28, when the President’s defense team rested, evening newscast reporters and anchors made a total of 34 evaluative statements about the merits and effectiveness of both sides.
Democratic impeachment managers received a total of 21 evaluative statements from ABC, CBS, and NBC journalists. Of that total, 95 percent of those (20) touted their efforts and presentations, which means only one of their evaluative comments were negative. ABC’s World News Tonight had eight positive comments, CBS Evening News had five, and NBC Nightly News seven. NBC had the lone negative comment.
In stark contrast, every evaluative statement from reporters and anchors about the merits and effectiveness of Trump’s defense team were negative. Of the 13 total statements , ABC and CBS each had five with NBC pitching in with three.
The networks would roundly tear down the arguments Trump’s legal team was making despite the evidence they would present. When Trump lawyer Michael Purpura argued with evidence that the President was long interested in burden-sharing when it came to Ukraine’s defense, CBS chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes tried to shoot it down by saying, “Those claims run counter to witness testimony.” A common assertion by the networks.
After the manuscript of former National Security Advisor John Bolton was leaked, Holt announced that the book “contradicts his defense.” Moments later, NBC chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson seemed to poke at how Trump’s lawyers were addressing senators by not “the elephant in the room.”
On day one on the Democratic arguments, they roundly praised how prosecutors were using the words of the President’s defenders against him. “But Chairman Jerry Nadler tried to dismantle that argument using one of the President’s top defenders to make the case,” said ABC senior congressional correspondent Mary Bruce. CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell echoed: “House managers laid out their case to remove Mr. Trump from office, at times using his own words against him.”
NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt opened the segment for day two of Democratic arguments by suggesting they were “painting a damning portrait of the President.”
The lone negative evaluation for Democrats came from NBC News political director Chuck Todd on Saturday, January 25, when he shared his frustrations with how the managers seemed to be unable to convince Senate Republicans to vote for more witnesses:
You don’t really any shifts. And if anything, I think before this trial began, I thought they had a good shot at getting witnesses and maybe at least extending this a little bit … I think it’s pretty clear that Mitch McConnell has convinced them … it’s not worth it.”
Along with that heavy praise for House impeachment managers came a sizable boost in the amount of airtime allowed for their side. More than double, in fact.
In all, the networks covered the Democratic managers for almost 25 minutes (24:57) . That’s compared to the 11 minutes and 34 seconds they gave to President Trump’s defense team. The most wildly imbalanced was CBS Evening News , which gave seven minutes, 42 seconds for Democrats and skimped on Trump’s team with two minutes and 26 seconds.
ABC gave Democrats the most time at nine minutes, 25 seconds. Contrast that with the five minutes and 21 seconds they gave the Trump team. NBC allocated seven minutes, 50 seconds for Democrats, while giving three minutes, 47 seconds to the defense.
With the liberal media’s demand that Republicans be impartial in hearing the case, it was clearly more of a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ suggestion.
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There is a serious sickness pervading the "News" of today.
Yep .... fair and unbiased journalism is basically dead in the mass media and nothing good is going to come from it.
Nothing
How ironic...
Not at all but I’m glad we seem to agree that fair and unbiased journalism is basically dead in the mass media and since most of the mass media leans left, the biggest problem is on the left
The truth hurts only those unbiased enough to recognize it. The rest are just oblivious to the truth.
The biggest problem in the media is the fake news from the right. The president of the United States is a conspiracy nut, thanks to him listening to and watching and reading far right sites and channels.
The biggest problem in the media is the fake news from the right
Yeah remember when the right wing media spent three years claiming the president was a Russian plant who worked with Putin to steal an election,
or covered up and defended the FBI falsifying and withholding evidence to spy on an American citizen because their hero, the notorious liar, Adam Schiff, told them it was true?
or when they decided race relations were going to well and spread a conspiracy theory that a cop in Missouri shot an angel of a man as he tried to surrender in the street?
I can go on and on
Trump has PROVEN that he is willing to collude with foreign governments to advance his election prospects. Ever heard of "can you look into Joe Biden?"
He also told ABC News in a well covered interview that he would accept information on his opponents from foreign governments.
He also stood on a stage and asked Russia to hack his opponent.
Please spare me the idea that there is no reason for the media to be, or have been, skeptical of Donald Trump. He's a scumbag.
The "Ukraine" thing only casts suspicion on him again vis a vis 2016. Maybe there was collusion Mueller just couldnt prove.
Trumps own words and behaviors "indict" him.
Are NPR, PBS, CBC and the BBC not part of the media? Very big on radio, telly and online news.
If one listens to a variety of sources it still seems fairly simple to separate the facts from the theories and wishes of many news sources.
The truth should be neither left or right or injurious to anyone.
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Lol, interesting that every media company you chose is considered left or left centered biased. You can’t escape it. The mass media clearly has a preponderance of left leaning bias.
i find find it hilarious when people try to convince themselves that it doesn’t.
Finding a perfectly unbiased news source is about as likely as ..........
figuring out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, lol
The source many of you like to quote here, Media bias/fact check, finds all you mentioned to be left leaning.
Finding a preponderance of right leaning media sources, in the sea of liberal leaning ones in the mass media, is less likely ..... it ain’t happening .... which is the point.
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Show me, and the rest of NT, EXACTLY WHERE, with what references, sources, Trump has PROVEN he will WILLINGLY collude with foreign governments.
Oops - oh yeah - as President of the United States, he colludes with his counterparts of EUROPE (NATO), ASIA (SEATO), UN (United Nations) to advance peace-keeping efforts throughout the world - but - you've HINTED very strongly with your highlighted words - that Trump is doing this illegally????
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Read the thread SP - "found ABC, CBS, and NBC" - hmmmmm - don't see PBS, CBC, NPR or BBC in that section of the thread. Nope - the four you listed aren't even in the thread at all.
Why do you want to add an argumentative subject into the discussion???
I think you'll also note that CNN wasn't listed - nor was AP - nor was Bloomberg - nor was .. . . . . .
I think you get the point. Please don't color outside the box.
Exactly and they have their enforcers to Keep us in check on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and others.
1st, do you know what the word collude means?
because you dont seem to
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Business insider is a left wing site. I’d never use it for investment advice or political opinions
Sorry friend, 1st Warrior,
you allowed other comments about Fox, CNN, MSNBC and ICTM over 4 days ago.
There's even a meme making fun of CNN which was allowed to stand.
Not to mention the repeated Instagrams about the New York Times and Washington Post
I think you get the point.
1st warrior, seriously.
Journalism does not require that both sides be treated "equally" when one side is a pathologically dishonest moron. What are you trying to do to this country?
Even having said that, the media goes out of its way to pretend that Trump is qualified to be president. It is the strangest thing I have ever seen in what we would call "politics".
Empires end, always. We may be watching the end of America at its opening stages.
Seriously,
If the media was truly unbiased it would be blasting the Democrats in the Senate and the House for their bias. There was never any question on how they were/are going to vote. Impartial, with a predetermined guilty.
"The liberal media zeroed in on that pledge and decried Senate Republicans who seemed to be siding with the President."
On it's face this is wrong. The media has no business chiding, rating or influencing anyone. They have no fact until a vote occurs.
Yeah, it is asshole politicians thinking we want to see or hear from them on a daily basis. To the point where these fuckers air ads during the Super Bowl. Honestly, having to mute several politcal ads during the game pissed me off. Honestly, they made me support that candidate less because they are annoying me when I just want to not hear/see them.
The media has actually been far far far far far kinder to Trump than he deserves. Not just during this impeachment, but every day since he became a politician.
They did get him elected. There is that. Bunch of morons never know when to stop being unbiased. Only helps us deplorable Trump supporters squash the crap out of these establishment lackeys one more time. I just can't freaking wait JR. I'm gonna be here on election night just a laughing my ass off. I hope you have crow on the menu for the next 4 years
And they'll help him get re-elected.
And, they also helped him, possibly, to get acquitted.
All the above!
So what is ranking of Fox News? The exact opposite? I don't watch any of them except for football or car racing.
There is no where on the boob tube that is going to give you 100% of the truth.
The day of unbiased news media has been long gone. There used to be an award for the most unbiased newspaper, but they gave up finding one that qualified long ago.
ICTM is 95/5 % on Trump articles. With the 5% being pro Trump/administration.
Of course they represent the Native community in the US and Trump/administration has done so much for us.../s
I truly miss "The Brinkley Report".
It was the "Huntley Brinkley" report, which became the "NBC Nightly News" when Chet Huntley retired in 1970.
Chet passed in '74.
Brinkley continued through 1979, then tried a few shows which flopped. He went to ABC in '81 creating a "revolutionary" format which changed Sunday morning TV.
He persisted at various ABC shows until a famous "hot mike" moment during the 96 election after which he announced his retirement.
David passed in 2003.
[Deleted] The rest of us knew exactly what you meant.
That said, SP seems to be having a tough time admitting the clear bias on display in most of the mass media.
SOP considering the source.
Evening News Spin: 100% Negative On Trump Defense, 95% Positive Dems
Let’s go 49ers! Run the clock and score again!
Well that truly sucked. At least a red state team won. A slight silver lining.
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Missouri must have really been disappointed to lose their team.
Just poetic, eh Sandy?
If he'd just look at Google for 5 seconds before opening up his Twitter app, he wouldn't look like such an idiot.
The president of the USA should not put forth raw commentary. That is just a dumb practice because we all make mistakes. Have some staffer at least read your tweets before sending them to the entire planet for permanent historical record.
Exactly. I don't follow football at all, so I didn't know which KC they were based in, but I damn sure would have Googled it before tweeting it for the world to see. And I did know that there is a KC, Kansas and a KC, Missouri. I have a sneaking suspicion Trump just found out this evening.
He's been doing this or similar non stop for almost 5 years. He'll change when he's done , ...in retirement , prison, or six feet under. Until then nothing will change.
Yeah and he likely blamed Missouri for not naming KC properly.
I know. This is how he rolls. He is, at heart, a 12 year old bully.
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What a flaming nitwit 'the most powerful man in the world' is.
Surely not. He has the best brain.
Too bad he can't remember where he left it.
If you air'd a political add during the Super Bowl (which was great), then a giant middle finger and very loud FUCK YOU from me. [deleted] fuck you for trying to hijack one of the very few things in life that I enjoy and can count on not having to see/listen to you.
Trump, [deleted,] I know you are fuming over the halftime show.
Michael Bloomberg, while I agree with you, take that shit somewhere else.
Every other politician who had an ad, go fuck yourself, amazingly enough, I do not actually like thinking or talking about you. You are an annoyance that I am forced to deal with, and the more you "project" yourself to the voters, the more I hate you.
Politicians, learn when to FUCK OFF.
Well, perhaps you should get it through your head that clearly none of them gives a rats ass what you think.
Tough to understand I know considering your usual scintillating repertoire here but there you go just the same.
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Dallas Morning News endorses Hillary Clinton, backing first Democrat in 76 years
They would endorse my left butt cheek before they would ever endorse Trump.