Analyst: Media remains WH lapdog throughout sequester debate
Posted by Russ Jones and Chad Groening (American Family News) - March 01, 2013
A media analyst claims media outlets aren’t fact-checking the White House’s assertions about a sequester “nightmare.”
In recent days the Obama administration has cast a dire portrait of life after the sequester if Congress does not cut the federal budget. One such claim has been that teachers will be laid off all across the country. Other claims, perpetuated but unchallenged by the mainstream media, have included furloughs of civilian workers at the Pentagon, longer wait times at border crossings, limited hours at national parks, and flight delays at airports.
The Washington Post recently reported the "sequester spin is ahead of reality." Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture for Media Research Center, agrees. He asserts there are considerable misrepresentations concerning the financial crisis, calling the sequester coverage “beyond ridiculous.”
“Whether the sky is falling or the Earth is going to tilt off its axis or whatever, you turn on these network news shows and [you hear] It’s only seven days til the sequester. They act like this is the biggest thing sliced bread,” he states. “And it’s hard to tell the difference between the headlines on The Huffington Post and the headlines in the major media.”
Gainor adds that with the surprising exception of Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, few in the media are willing to mention that the sequester was President Barack Obama's idea. Instead, the media are parroting what Gainor calls the administration's baseless "sky is falling" hysteria.
“We’re only talking about $85 billion. That sounds like a lot, except you’re talking about a little over two percent of the federal budget,” the MRC spokesman points out. “And it’s not a reason to go around saying it looks like a disaster movie – and that’s an exact quote from ABC.”
If the two political parties fail to come to an agreement before midnight Friday, the Budget Control Act of 2011 will kick in, causing government-wide budget cuts.
Sequester squabble
The White House’s highly publicized criticism of WP journalist Bob Woodward has been a big part of the media buzz inside the Beltway the last couple of days. Pro-family activist and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer says he is amazed the liberal journalist has been threatened by the White House after he criticized a comment President Obama made about the sequester.
“Bob Woodward said that Obama’s decision not to send an aircraft carrier to the Middle East because of pending budget cuts was, according to Woodward, a ‘kind of madness I’ve not seen in this town a long time,’” says the president of American Values. “And sure enough, before the day was over a top aide at the White House called Woodward and basically said to him ‘You will come to regret what you said.’ Woodward took that as a threat.”
Bauer believes the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist will not be fazed by the White House threat.
- See more at: http://www.instantanalysis.net/latest-headlines-from-american-family-news/2013/03/01/media-remains-wh-lapdog-throughout-sequester-debate#sthash.cVPzblns.dpuf
In recent days the Obama administration has cast a dire portrait of life after the sequester if Congress does not cut the federal budget. One such claim has been that teachers will be laid off all across the country. Other claims, perpetuated but unchallenged by the mainstream media, have included furloughs of civilian workers at the Pentagon, longer wait times at border crossings, limited hours at national parks, and flight delays at airports.
The Washington Post recently reported the "sequester spin is ahead of reality." Dan Gainor, vice president of business and culture for Media Research Center, agrees. He asserts there are considerable misrepresentations concerning the financial crisis, calling the sequester coverage “beyond ridiculous.”
“Whether the sky is falling or the Earth is going to tilt off its axis or whatever, you turn on these network news shows and [you hear] It’s only seven days til the sequester. They act like this is the biggest thing sliced bread,” he states. “And it’s hard to tell the difference between the headlines on The Huffington Post and the headlines in the major media.”
Gainor adds that with the surprising exception of Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, few in the media are willing to mention that the sequester was President Barack Obama's idea. Instead, the media are parroting what Gainor calls the administration's baseless "sky is falling" hysteria.
“We’re only talking about $85 billion. That sounds like a lot, except you’re talking about a little over two percent of the federal budget,” the MRC spokesman points out. “And it’s not a reason to go around saying it looks like a disaster movie – and that’s an exact quote from ABC.”
If the two political parties fail to come to an agreement before midnight Friday, the Budget Control Act of 2011 will kick in, causing government-wide budget cuts.
Sequester squabble
The White House’s highly publicized criticism of WP journalist Bob Woodward has been a big part of the media buzz inside the Beltway the last couple of days. Pro-family activist and former presidential candidate Gary Bauer says he is amazed the liberal journalist has been threatened by the White House after he criticized a comment President Obama made about the sequester.
“Bob Woodward said that Obama’s decision not to send an aircraft carrier to the Middle East because of pending budget cuts was, according to Woodward, a ‘kind of madness I’ve not seen in this town a long time,’” says the president of American Values. “And sure enough, before the day was over a top aide at the White House called Woodward and basically said to him ‘You will come to regret what you said.’ Woodward took that as a threat.”
Bauer believes the Pulitzer prize-winning journalist will not be fazed by the White House threat.
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