Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Evening News Spin: 100% Negative on Trump Defense, 95% Positive Dems
Newsbusters ^ | January 29, 2020 | Nicholas Fondacaro

Posted on 01/30/2020 2:26:30 AM PST by gattaca

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.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 01/30/2020 2:26:30 AM PST by gattaca
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: gattaca

Never have I ever seen the blatant arrogance, stupidity and hatred coming from network and cable news when it comes to a president that has done more in 3 years than Obama in 8, bush in 8 and Clinton in 8. The viewers are just as stupid. The scumbag media is truly the enemy of the people


2 posted on 01/30/2020 2:41:36 AM PST by ronnie raygun (nick dip .com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

Liars always be lyin'.

3 posted on 01/30/2020 2:50:59 AM PST by period end of story (Give me a firm spot, and I will move the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

They’re supposed to be the “referees.”

Imagine if Pitt is playing against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship.

Imagine it is revealed that of the 6 referees and 2 judges, it turns out that every damn one of them is a Notre Dame alum making sizeable donations to Notre Dame.

It turns out that every damn one of their wives is a Notre Dame alum or faculty.

It turns out that every damn one of their children is a student, band member or cheerleader for ND.

And every damn one of them made sizeable bets on Notre Dame winning the game.

Yet they all claim that it won’t affect their judgement.

Imagine...


4 posted on 01/30/2020 2:59:32 AM PST by FroggyTheGremlim (I'll be good, I will. I will.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: period end of story

Obama spied on the computers of journalists and locked up several filmmakers.

This prissy poofter claiming “dangerous war on the media” need to p!ss off.


5 posted on 01/30/2020 3:02:31 AM PST by a fool in paradise (We need a tax to stamp out Communism- If you espouse Marxism weÂ’ll redistribute all of your money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: FroggyTheGremlim

people who demanded Trump’s impeachment before he was even sworn in now pledge to be impartial jurors. That’s a laugh.


6 posted on 01/30/2020 3:03:28 AM PST by a fool in paradise (We need a tax to stamp out Communism- If you espouse Marxism weÂ’ll redistribute all of your money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: FroggyTheGremlim

And Schiff is a material witness, he should be cross examined.


7 posted on 01/30/2020 3:04:03 AM PST by a fool in paradise (We need a tax to stamp out Communism- If you espouse Marxism weÂ’ll redistribute all of your money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

L8r


8 posted on 01/30/2020 3:06:25 AM PST by preacher ( Journalism no longer reports news, they use news to shape our society.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise

There is a tool sold at Home Depot that can fix our media when applied correctly. It sells for $14.99. It’s sold in the tool section as a replacement handle.


9 posted on 01/30/2020 3:29:37 AM PST by wastoute (Government cannot redistribute wealth. Government can only redistribute poverty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: gattaca
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.

Only Republicans will be held to the "impartial" standard, which will be monitored and determined by the mainstream media. Whatever they (the media) say is truth.

Democrats are saints. Everything they do and say is considered not only "impartial," but virtuous, truthful and trustworthy. Democrats are not capable of doing anything wrong. Only Trump supporters are.

10 posted on 01/30/2020 3:38:27 AM PST by Jess Kitting
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun

Not only networks and cable, but local wannabe “journalists” too.

I saw a local Miami news report about what was happening in DC.

Guess how much time they spent reporting on the BIGGEST MULTINATIONAL TRADE PACT IN HISTORY. Go ahead, guess.

Six seconds. Six.

Got bias, fake news?


11 posted on 01/30/2020 3:44:27 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jess Kitting

any senator running for president needs to recuse themselves from the impeachment rial


12 posted on 01/30/2020 3:44:41 AM PST by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you don't understand, no explanation is possible")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

I don’t watch the color commentary. For people who demand impartiality of Republicans, they don’t live up to their own standard.

And we need to hear Democrat witnesses, why exactly? The only witness they want to hear from is Bolton but they won’t grant the same right to Trump.

Fairness, indeed.


13 posted on 01/30/2020 4:08:17 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mo
any senator running for president needs to recuse themselves from the impeachment rial

Totally agree. And from the impeachment "trial" too.

14 posted on 01/30/2020 4:15:38 AM PST by Jess Kitting
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Jess Kitting

But they won’t. This is a political trial. The only crime Trump is accused of is being a politician.

The Democrats are doing exactly what they accuse Trump of and its only impeachable when he does it!

Oh the horror.


15 posted on 01/30/2020 4:22:09 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

             

16 posted on 01/30/2020 4:35:52 AM PST by tomkat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise

....Chief Justice John Roberts presided over a swearing-in ceremony where all 100 senators pledged to be impartial jurors. ....

.....
Well I guess many rat senators forgotten their pledge because it was so.....so.....long ago. Bernie’s question should have been rebuked and Bernie sent to stand in the corner. ...meanwhile the really stupid fake Indian showed her bias with her “bribery” BS hidden accusation question.


17 posted on 01/30/2020 4:39:07 AM PST by redshawk ( I want my red balloon. ( https://youtu.be/V12H2mteniE))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: a fool in paradise

I thought it great when Jay said last night. ....you want witnesses, ...well, I will call Adam Schiff, whistle blower. ...etc..that shut that nasty schumer up. ...


18 posted on 01/30/2020 4:42:39 AM PST by redshawk ( I want my red balloon. ( https://youtu.be/V12H2mteniE))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: gattaca

and the US media is purposely hiding world-wide efforts into the Biden matter such as this: https://www.les-crises.fr/breaking-news-prosecutor-shokin-files-a-complaint-against-joe-biden-for-interference-in-ukraine-s-legal-proceedings/


19 posted on 01/30/2020 5:10:41 AM PST by elpadre (AfganistaMr Obama said theoal was to "disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-hereQaeda" and its allies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elpadre

Sounds like the networks need to be sued to give Trump the in-kind donations that they give Democrats.


20 posted on 01/30/2020 5:16:35 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (Operation Chaos is in play. Repeat, Operation Chaos is in play)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson