As important as it is to point out moments of bias in the mainstream media, it’s also important to point out moments when the mainstream media gives us a glimmer of – dare I say – “hope” that someone out there wants to do their job. Anderson Cooper has certainly had moments of blatant bias. A good example is when he did an investigative report on Planned Parenthood. Cooper came to the table with the belief that abortion clinics, as they are now, are a necessity and that they should be covered by insurance. But recently Anderson Cooper has shown on more than one occasion that he is capable of giving a hard interview to the normally unchallenged left. It started with Shirley Sharrod. When Sherrod went on AC360, Cooper let her claim that Andrew Breitbart wanted to take us back to a time of slavery unchallenged. Cooper later apologized to his viewers and since then has found a new vigor in interviewing controversial guests.

The left uses CNN as their crutch for “brave” interviews. If you go on MSNBC it’s just too obvious that you’re not interested in having an interview with any real challenge. When Rep. Bernice Johnson went on Anderson Cooper a few weeks ago, she got way more than she bargained for and we applauded Mr. Cooper for that. It’s time once again to give credit where credit is due to Mr. Cooper.

On October 6^th, Representative Alan Grayson went on AC360 to give what he hoped to be an easy interview about his very controversial – and frankly sickening – Taliban Dan ad. (more…)

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t find this move from a government-funded media entity a surprising one, but kudos to NPR for drawing a line in the sand. Of course, there isn’t a directive about objective coverage, but barring presence beyond reporting is a huge step.

NPR brass sent out an email yesterday reminding their staff about their non-political activity policies going into the election season, with emphasis on the forthcoming John Stewart/Stephen Colbert rallies:

From: [NPR chief executive] Vivian Schiller
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 8:58 AM
To: AllStaff
Subject: FW: NPR Journalists and political activity

To ALL NPR staff,

Please see Ellen Weiss’ note to her staff below (and in particular, the reference to the upcoming Jon Stewart rally). In addition to News, the other divisions that are required to abide by the NPR News Ethics policy are digital, programming/AIR, legal and communications.

However, no matter where you work at NPR you should be very mindful that you represent the organization and its news coverage in the eyes of your friends, neighbors and others. So please think twice about the message you may be sending about our objectivity before you attend a rally or post a bumper sticker or yard sign. We are all NPR.

(more…)

They were outraged over Mr. O’Reilly’s suggestion that the 9/11 attacks were executed by Muslims. Barbara Walters immediately chastised her colleagues for their behavior.

The editors of Big Hollywood add, “Funny how no one bothered to storm off the set while Whoopi defended fugitive child ‘not-rape-rape’ rapist Roman Polanski.” As uncomfortable as it may be for people on the multiculturalist left, O’Reilly was speaking the truth, unlike Behar when she said mother-of-28 Michele Bachmann is “against children.” Remarkably, conservative pundit S.E. Cupp managed to keep her composure and stay on stage in that instance

How has the increasingly marginalized demand for Internet regulations been dramatically amplified, despite the American people’s clear disapproval of just this kind of federal government overreach? You guessed it, the liberal media, who can always be depended upon to do whatever they can to promote and legitimize the latest bad idea coming from the left.

Armed with the freshest copy of the far left’s talking points, outlets like NPR, the Seattle Times and the Washington Post Business Section have concluded that the Internet will only be safe if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates it under Title II of the Communications Act – designed for monopoly Bell telephone companies in the 1930s.

NPR recently ran a story on broadband policy and the leadership of FCC Chairman and Obama friend Julius Genachowski. Reporter Joel Rose interviewed two people for the story: a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, who reminded the FCC that “they have to adopt something that is enforceable,” and the president of Free Press, who warned about the end of “the Internet as we know it” and whined about how “terrified” Genachowski is of following Free Press’s reckless demands to regulate the Internet.

Quotes from Congressmen Henry Waxman and Jay Inslee, both liberal Democrats who openly support the FCC unilaterally – and probably illegally – imposing Title II regulations, were also included in the report.

What did NPR leave out? At no point did NPR’s Rose interview or quote one – not one – expert or advocate who opposes Internet regulations. Neither did he quote one member of the bipartisan majority in Congress who publicly opposes an FCC takeover and Title II regulations. (more…)

From AFP:

The joy of family members of the first miner to be rescued in Chile Wednesday turned suddenly to horror when hundreds of journalists trampled their humble tent in a mad rush to speak to them.

The chaos and jostling marred what had been a celebratory moment shared by the relatives of Florencio Avalos, the 31-year-old miner who was the first of the 33 to be winched to the surface.

Moments before Avalos stepped out of the rescue cage to hug his son and wife, and President Sebastian Pinera and other officials, the family had been surrounded in their tent on all sides by walls of cameras and journalists.

But when Avalos appeared on the television they were watching, to cheers, applause and horns throughout the camp where the miners’ families were staying, the news workers rushed forward as one to capture the historic moment.

Avalos’s father Alfonso, tears running down his face, said: “It’s a huge joy. I’m so happy.”

Then, as Alfonso hugged his wife Maria Silva, things turned ugly. (more…)

The QC Examiner notices some pro-Phil Hare shenanigans going down at the Illinois, quad cities’ completely objective, non-partisan, and totally neutral Phil Hare Argus, a.k.a. the Quad Cities Online.

Hare, if you remember, is the Illinois Democrat congressional candidate who:

a) thinks the deficit is a myth

Phil Hare Debt Myth

b) doesn’t care about the Constitution

Phil Hare on Constitution

QC Examiner writes:

the Hare-Dispatch jumps into the fray with multiple pro-Hare, anti-Schilling “reporting”.

(more…)

I’m a lifelong Chicagoan and grew up on the Southside, where Democrat machine politics is the norm and a way of life. In fact, I grew up two blocks from Louis Farrakhan’s house and, ironically, ran for the same congressional seat as Barack Obama did against Rep. Bobby Rush. We both lost. He eventually won… the Presidency.

Despite the political environment, or because of it, I am a conservative. I host a radio show called the Kelly Truth Squad on WIND-AM (560) in the Midwest. I also contribute to the “Big” blogs and to the Washington Times. Prior to this, I had been involved in anti-tax policy advocacy and activism since the early 1990s. As a result, I have taken numerous politicians to task with difficult questions the media hasn’t taken too kindly to. The upshot is that it isn’t easy being a conservative but it, especially, isn’t easy being a conservative in Chicago.

However, it is a city I understand very, very well. Consequently, I knew all the politicians would be out in force at Columbus and Balboa Drive on Monday, where they always are on Columbus Day. I wanted to interview as many politicians as possible for my radio show and for my blog. I also knew that Rahm Emanuel, an announced candidate for Mayor of Chicago, would also be there. He had been getting softball questions from the Chicago media all week. Not a tough question in sight. I thought, great, this is a perfect opportunity to ask him about the stimulus bill – something that he might believe was his greatest accomplishment as President Obama’s Chief of Staff. I wanted to hear his answer to this question since many Americans are angry about the stimulus.

(more…)

Join Breitbart.tv Editor-In-Chief Larry O’Connor as he interviews the newest addition to the “Big Team,” Dana Loesch, Editor of Big Journalism. We’ll discuss her plans for Big Journalism as well as her exclusive story on thuggish reporters in Chicago that swept through the web today.

Michele Bachmann and her husband have taken in 23 foster children and have five kids of their own. Congresswoman Bachmann is one of Congress’ leading advocates for foster and adopted children. Until now, this had garnered her universal praise.

Amazingly, Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s Morning Joe seemed to figure out the hypocrisy of the DNC and the White House complaining about undisclosed donors and “special interest” money being supposedly funneled into Republican campaigns. The White House has been going after the Chamber of Commerce and more than once has been unable to come up with any defense or any support to their totally unsubstantiated claims. Alexrod can’t answer, Gibbs can’t answer, and Mika Brzezinski, co-host of Morning Joe certainly can’t answer. Joe brought up something that the rest of the media has blatantly ignored in this debate, President Obama’s ability to raise more money than any other candidate. President Obama has received more anonymous donations, more big oil donations, more big business donations, and more special interest donations than any other politician ever!

The obvious lunacy of the White House pointing fingers at the RNC is something that only one MSNBC host can apparently seem to grasp. Perhaps Joe can talk to the other MSNBC hosts that have shown “rank hypocrisy” when it comes to asking about finances between Republican and Democratic candidates.

(more…)

When Alvin Green legally became the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina, his legitimacy was immediately challenged by his party’s elite and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Although Green withstood their attacks, he was lampooned by the national media and his campaign has since been abandoned by his party. Many dismiss this situation based on his unorthodox presentation. Others knowledgeable of the Democratic Party, its platform, and its history know that this is just a typical example of how they treat black members of their party. The mainstream media serves as a tool to reinforce black people’s position at the bottom of the Democratic Party.

Rep. Kendrick Meek on the other hand is no Alvin Green. Meek is a well educated man, a sitting congressman and son of the congresswoman. He no doubt has the political pedigree to serve in the United States Senate. I am proud to say that he is a fellow graduate of my alma mater, Florida A&M University. Like Green, Meek earned his place as his party’s nominee. While Meek & Green may have different backgrounds they share a trait that condemns them to the bottom of their party. They are both black men who aspire to represent a constituency larger than their neighborhood. The truth is, Meek could be a congressman for the rest of his life if he decided to stay in his district. However, his senatorial aspiration could lead to his political demise.

(more…)

Government media is wringing its hands at the predicted losses their party will suffer at the hands of an informed electorate this fall. All options to fight back are on the table, including spinning the failure of liberal policy into a yarn about rejection of female candidates.

From Politico:

Nearly a quarter of the 56 female Democrats in the House are considered vulnerable, including once rising stars like Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Betsy Markey of Colorado and Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio.

[...]
Even if female GOP hopefuls like Sharron Angle in Nevada, Carly Fiorina in California and Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire make it to the Senate, the elections will still quite likely bring a net loss of women in Congress.

But the impact will be more than just a gender numbers game: It could have broader implications for policy and the political culture of the Capitol in an era in which women have made a significant impact on the House and the Senate, ranging from passing legislation such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to establishing a Democratic Women’s Working Group and holding key committee leadership positions. The impact of more women in Congress has also trickled down to smaller, cultural changes, like installing breast-feeding rooms for new mothers on the Hill.

The article makes no mention of the history being made on the other side of the aisle – also in the name of women.

(more…)

Atlantic journalist and blogger Jeffrey Goldberg is trying to understand why blacks are such “very forgiving people.”

Why does he think they are?

Well, how could any black American be, or even think about being, a Republican when, according to Goldberg, Republican “party officials…. venerate the Confederacy.”

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg (seated left) enjoys the Havana Aquarium with Fidel Castro and Che’s daughter (behind Goldberg, with blondish hair)

Translation: When it’s clear, at least to Goldberg, that the Republican Party is a party of racists, how can they get, or expect to get, black votes?

Goldberg presented this ponderous dilemma to Mississippi Governor, and chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association, Haley Barbour.

Barbour explained that Confederate Memorial Day in his state is a statutory precedent long preceding his tenure as Governor and the state legislature in Mississippi is, and always has been, controlled by Democrats. (more…)

From the Associated Press:

In a radio interview, former White House correspondent Helen Thomas acknowledges she touched a nerve with remarks about Israel that led to her retirement. But she says the comments were “exactly what I thought,” even though she realized soon afterward that it was the end of her job.

“I hit the third rail. You cannot criticize Israel in this country and survive,” Thomas told Ohio station WMRN-AM in a sometimes emotional 35-minute interview that aired Tuesday. It was recorded a week earlier by WMRN reporter Scott Spears at Thomas’ Washington, D.C., condominium.

Thomas, 90, stepped down from her job as a columnist for Hearst News Service in June after a rabbi and independent filmmaker videotaped her outside the White House calling on Israelis to get “out of Palestine.” She gave up her front row seat in the White House press room, where she had aimed often pointed questions at 10 presidents, going back to Dwight D. Eisenhower.

She has kept a low profile since then. (more…)

We’ve often said that the media “protects” President Obama but this video from WIND radio host and Big Blogs contributor William Kelly shows this allegation literally.

Kelly, a Chicagoan, was there when Rahm Emmanuel was pressing the flesh, kissing babies, and greeting reporters. Emmanuel didn’t account for unassuming Kelly to fire off serious journalistic questions more pressing than the requisite “how’s it feel to be back?”

Kelly didn’t account for was the manner in which Chicago reporters behaved. Are these reporters or palace guards? In the video you see them physically move to shield Emmanuel from Kelly’s questioning, as though their backs alone would deflect the questions. Kelly is berated and shoved by mainstream media journalists, but the scene stealer is when CBS2’s Jay Levine (who has not responded to my requests for comment) screams at Kelly, “Let him finish or I’m gonna deck you!”

Fireworks begin at about the 1:00 mark:

Who needs bodyguards with media like CBS2’s Jay Levine and the local ABC guy?

From Kelly’s release: (more…)

The left-driven mainstream media is facing one of it’s greatest challenges this election season: the citizen candidate. This election cycle has brought out more “citizen candidates” than any other election cycle in our lifetime. More people are running for office that have done something else with their life other than go to college for a poli-sci degree, go to law school, and run for office – the traditional path for the career politician. Nurses, scientists, and blue-collar Joes are running for office and more often then not they are running on a conservative platform. This has posed a new challenge to the MSM. Before the awakening of the modern-day patriot candidates, the MSM could bring on a conservative politician and frame their questions with smarmy language unchallenged. The conservative politician would respond with equally slick talking points and everyone left the interview thinking that their side did a good job at dulling the audience’s curiosity of trying to find out what the “truth” was to anyones’ claims.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The luxury that the left-fueled MSM enjoyed is gone this election cycle (and hopefully for good). Candidates and the viewing audience know that with the internet, YouTube, and blogs they can get the message without the “context” that the leftist media spin machine used to exclusively put on conservative candidates’ messages. Now candidates don’t have to take this blatant attempt to influence narrative anymore. With the loss of the surplus of slick-talking career politicians, candidates, empowered by their knowledge that their unadulterated message is capable of being out on the internet, are empowered to engage their liberal “hosts” and demand, in no uncertain terms, balance and proper context during their interviews. The most riveting example of likely this campaign season happened last week. (more…)

The City of Los Angeles is so deep in red ink, they are flagrantly violating state law in an effort to generate revenue, and have been for 12 years.

As I reported in an earlier column, officers from the Parking Violations Bureau (PVB) are still videotaping cars parked in 15-minute or loading zones around elementary schools.  This videotaping occurs during school drop-off and pick-up hours, as kids start their days to learn, or leave to be reunited with their parents – parents who will receive tickets by mail in a few days.

This is an illegal method under California law by which parking tickets may be delivered.   The 2010 California Vehicle Code, Division 17, Article 3.5, Sec. 40202(a,b,d) explicitly states that the ticket must be placed on the vehicle, and may only be delivered through the mail if the car is driven away while it is being ticketed.

The MSM is nowhere to be found regarding this issue.  Instead, citizens must rely on the superior consumer protection reporting of local news stations to fuel their outrage.  These stations, along with the LA Weekly, have taken on the City of Los Angeles where the MSM has abandoned its responsibility.

So has BigJournalism.com, and your intrepid reporter. (more…)

I’ve always found Salon to be one of the most informative web sites on the entire Internet, though not for the reasons you might think. Like many other sites that feature and attract progressives, Salon serves as a chronicle of the “liberal condition,” collecting the insecurities and psychological projection of its writers and its intended audience.

And so I find myself gazing with sick fascination into the mind of someone named “Keka,” a desperately frightened soul that warns us that a new age of White Supremacy, night riders, and lynchings are on the way, because she saw a bumper sticker at a fast food drive-thru.

I wish I were exaggerating:

I saw it. But I couldn’t believe it.

There I was, in a fast food drive through, behind a man whose back window decal, in small white letters, sent me a message that sent a chill down my spine—just as he’d hoped it would, no doubt. It said:

THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT BY WHITE MEN WITH GUNS

Now, I was there because I needed something to eat badly. I’ve been tending a new puppy that behaves and has to be tended like a newborn, so you only get so much “break’ time if you’re keeping to your schedule. I had just enough to grab a bite, get some work done…and get ready for play time number…I’m not sure which.

But I lost my appetite entirely, when I saw that decal.

I’ve lost my appetite for America, period, to be honest—he’s just one of the many reasons. Forget that fact that if he really believes this, this guy must never have read a history book in his life—it’s the fact that he felt comfortable driving around with that ridiculous statement on his back window that galls me most. But I saw it comin’.

What a delicate, brittle flower of liberal womanhood is our poor friend Keka! A man with a historically debatable message on his vehicle has her all but ready to revoke her citizenship. My, oh my. (more…)