As you are well aware, there are many crises unfolding both domestically and around the world. However, can you guess which story received the primary focus on most Sunday morning shows? A thread from Real Clear Politics’ Tom Bevan speaks volumes:
🧵1. I stopped watching the Sunday shows years ago because, well, they’re generally awful. But they are a reliable indicator of the bias and groupthink of the Beltway pundit class. This week is a perfect example.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
2. Lots of news to cover, including a surprise CDC announcement on masks & shooting war in Middle East. But, of course, the Sunday shows – with 1 exception, which I’ll get to later – devoted the majority of their time to covering Liz Cheney’s ouster as GOP conference chair.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
What a shocker!
3. Let’s start with the worst, which, not surprisingly, was Chuck Todd’s Meet the Press. He did 2 interviews (one with GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw and one with GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger)…
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
4. That was followed by a panel discussion that included 2 left-of-center journalists (Kristin Welker of NBC & Peter Baker of the NYT), Democrat Donna Edwards, and Republican Brendan Buck – who worked for Speakers Ryan and Boehner and backs Cheney.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
Recommended
Overall, Todd devoted 43.5% of his program to the Cheney/GOP dispute – roughly 21 minutes. CDC guidelines received 24.6% of MTP’s air time, Biden challenges 12.3%, and the conflict in the Middle East just 5.3% (2 minutes and 32 seconds).
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
6. ABC’s This Week with Martha Raddatz was just as bad: 43.0% of the entire program was devoted to Cheney/GOP dispute – including a long interview w/Cheney herself. CDC guidelines 21.9%, Middle East 14.1%, fallout from Colonial Pipeline hack 7.1%, infrastructure 6.6%.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
7. Fox News Sunday also gave most of its airtime to L’Affaire Cheney – also featuring long interview w/Cheney herself. Plus 3 min of discussion from panelists Steve Hayes (no fan of Trump) & Dem Juan Williams (ditto), and Chris Wallace devoted 31.4% of his air time to Cheney.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
But they didn’t all focus on the Cheney story:
8. The only show that didn’t devote the majority of its airtime to Cheney – in fact didn’t mention her name at all – was Face the Nation.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
9. John Dickerson had exclusive interview w/Bibi, in total devoting 39.6% coverage to Middle East. Colonial pipeline fallout got 17.8%, CDC guidelines 15.5%, and special feature on Sens. Ernst & Gillibrand’s bipartisan effort to deal w/sex assault in the military received 15.3%.
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) May 17, 2021
Perhaps somebody at CBS News will be reprimanded for zero mention of Liz Cheney.
Excellent look at why the Sunday shows are utterly useless. https://t.co/nqPRrz4c9B
— Let's Build a MAGA Chaz! (@NolteNC) May 17, 2021
Great thread. The Beltway Media is obsessed with the Cheney story, if only because it allows them to attack the GOP. https://t.co/9iW27vzghK
— Jake (@UCCowboy) May 17, 2021
When it comes to angles intended to help Dems, the DC media are completely transparent.