A recent study by the Media Research Center has revealed a disturbing pattern of journalistic malpractice by America’s leading evening news networks.
In their coverage of the various prosecutions targeting former President Donald Trump, ABC, CBS, and NBC have routinely failed to inform viewers of a crucial fact: the elected officials pursuing these cases are all Democrats.
Tim Graham, executive editor of NewsBusters, minced no words in his assessment. “The network coverage of the Trump prosecutions routinely and fraudulently implies that they are nonpartisan public officials,” he told Fox News Digital. “They’re not just Democrats, they’re elected Democrats, building a career on taking down Trump. Leaving that out of the story is irresponsible.”
Lara Trump: "The problem with NPR, with all the left-leaning media, is that people actually believe this stuff, and it is very detrimental to our country." https://t.co/ndi9dGNSxM
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 11, 2024
The study, led by MRC contributing editor Rich Noyes, reviewed evening news coverage from January 1, 2023 through April 10, 2024.
Shockingly, in at least 90% of their reporting, the networks neglected to mention the Democratic affiliations of key figures such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Fulton County DA Fani Willis, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“It’s as if the networks prefer to disingenuously portray the indictments and civil lawsuits as the work of nonpartisan career prosecutors,” Noyes observed, “rather than as partisan attempts to use the court system to hobble the electoral prospects of the country’s top Republican.”
The numbers paint a damning picture.
Out of 163 stories on Bragg’s indictment of Trump, his Democratic affiliation was mentioned a mere 17 times.
James fared little better, identified as a Democrat in only 9 out of 105 stories. And in a stunning display of journalistic negligence, Willis’s party was acknowledged in a scant 5% of segments.
Lara Trump: It is not hyperbole to compare what's going on in this country to countries like, you know, Russia, like China with state run news pic.twitter.com/OzneLHb0mT
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 10, 2024
Graham drew a stark contrast with media coverage during the Clinton era.
“Anchormen like Dan Rather couldn’t mention Kenneth Starr investigating the Clintons without saying ‘Republican independent counsel,’ so that the first word could cancel the second,” he noted.
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The implications are deeply troubling. By withholding vital context about the partisanship driving these prosecutions, the mainstream media is not merely failing in its duty to inform the public – it is actively misleading them.
This is not journalism; it is propaganda in the service of a single political party.
As the 2024 election cycle heats up, the need for honest, unbiased reporting has never been greater.
If you’ve ever complained about liberal media bias, stop what you’re doing and read this essay right now – by a CURRENT senior editor at NPR.
“I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.”https://t.co/IEtkHEz5kr
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) April 10, 2024
Yet instead of rising to the occasion, our leading news networks appear content to sacrifice their integrity on the altar of partisan politics. In doing so, they betray the trust of the American people and undermine the very foundations of our democracy.
It is time for the public to demand better.
We deserve news coverage that respects our intelligence, that deals in facts rather than spin.
Until the mainstream media remembers its true purpose – to seek truth and report it – it will remain little more than a mouthpiece for those in power, and a stain on the once-proud institution of journalism.
