This Friday, it’s clear that not all morning news shows are concerned about unbiased reportage. Stalwarts of the media, including ABC, CBS, and NBC, were practically doing cartwheels of joy over President Biden’s imminent speech, which co-opted the grit of our D-Day heroes as an unspoken rebuttal to President Trump. The broadcasts were heavy with glowing remarks, insinuating that Biden’s words would serve as a flagbearer for democracy, drawing from the annals of history to strike a chord with the listeners back home.
ABC’s Good Morning America was guilty of blatant cheerleading, primarily led by big names of ABC’s journalism team, George Stephanopoulos and chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce. Stephanopoulos kick-started the day brazenly hi-lighting Biden’s “warning to the world,” followed by Bruce who showered praises on him. She painted a picturesque narrative of Biden readying himself to unfurl a “forceful defense of democracy” from the same cliffs scaled by American forces during D-Day. Her narrative hinted at an assumed contrast against Trump in Biden’s speech celebrating the 80-year anniversary of the WWII invasion.
Bruce wasn’t done with her overt praises. Biden, in her telling, bore the burden of history on his shoulders as he navigated the Normandy American cemetery. Pivoting to domestic matters, she lamented voters distracted by economy and immigration, obscuring Biden’s real message of past lessons and the stakes in the upcoming elections.
NBC’s Today was not immune to this favoritism. Chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander stated that President Biden’s speech would “deliver a forceful defense of democracy, inspired by the stories of courage and commitment of the rangers here”. He even sought to align Biden with Reagan’s legacy of leadership against tyranny, defaming the GOP by implying it had warmed up to Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
And let’s not forget CBS Mornings. Democratic donor and show host Gayle King painted Biden as a gallant knight warning against threats to the world’s democracy. Correspondent Ed O’Keefe focused on Biden’s support for Ukraine, yet couldn’t resist incorporating an homage to Reagan as a comparison for a reelection strategy.
All in all, these examples of biased reportage don’t augur well for the sanctity of media. Balance and fairness seem to have been ousted by unabashed favoritism. As viewers, it’s wise for us to question the credibility of these media goliaths. They often provide a skewed perspective that can lead us astray. Our loyalty should be toward the truth, not any political juggernaut. Therefore, let’s read, listen, and watch with discerning eyes and ears. After all, it’s our responsibility to sift the wheat from the chaff, penetrate the fog of bias to hunt for the nuggets of truth.
