Now why would anyone accuse our mainstream media of bias regarding economic issues?
Before answering, I suggest you read this account from M. D. Kittle’s article at thefederalist.com, which summarizes a report from newsbusters.org:
As irresponsible as ever, the Pravda Press have pumped up their doom-and-gloom coverage of President Trump’s tariff policies to DEFCON 1. Per usual, the usual left-bending media suspects have used the tariff battles and the volatile markets as a cudgel to politically pound Trump with, churning “recession” chatter while all but ignoring positive news in the U.S. economy.
On April 4, the day the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported hiring in March had surged by a stronger-than-expected 228,000 jobs, the broadcast networks over the 24-hour period devoted 62 times more coverage on the Trump tariffs and market declines, according to the report, exclusively provided to The Federalist.
The hyperbolic networks devoted 10 times more coverage to the tariff story than to last week’s report of declining consumer prices . While the Consumer Price Index dipped, led by lower prices at the pumps, ABC News had nothing to say about the aggregate CPI decline, NewsBusters found. The broadcast news network did air 16 seconds on slightly rising egg prices, according to the report.
Broadcast coverage of the tariffs between April 2 and April 11 totaled 422 minutes and 45 seconds — more than 7 hours-worth.
Total tariff coverage by the three networks, according to NewsBusters’ review:
› ABC: 148 minutes, 41 seconds
› CBS: 130 minutes, 5 seconds
› NBC: 143 minutes, 59 seconds
Meanwhile, the networks devoted a measly 45 seconds to the April 4 jobs report over the 24-hour period, compared to 46 minutes, 50 seconds of tariffs coverage. Total jobs report coverage by the three networks vs. tariff reporting:
› ABC: 14 seconds (vs 17 min 53 sec tariffs)
› CBS: 20 seconds (vs 12 min 7 sec tariffs)
› NBC: 11 seconds (vs 16 min 50 sec tariffs)
The networks spent a total of 173 seconds covering March’s Consumer Price Index decline over the 24-hour period beginning on April 10. Meanwhile they, devoted nearly 31 minutes to tariff talk over the same period.
Total CPI coverage by the three networks vs. tariff reporting:
› ABC: NONE (vs 11 min 54 sec tariffs)
› CBS: 9 sec (vs 13 min 28 sec tariffs)
› NBC: 165 sec (vs 5 min 27 sec tariffs)
So: is this media bias? Or are those disparities in coverage of the economy perfectly reasonable?
Your call. But, based on the premise that you are compos mentis, I’m guessing we both have come to the same conclusion.
And they wonder why fewer and fewer people trust them?????????
