Public Broadcasting System acts like an affiliate of the DNC
Since the late 1960s, public broadcasting has been funded by individuals, foundations, corporate grants — and by enormous sums from U.S. taxpayers. Given this government funding, citizens should expect public broadcasting’s news coverage to be scrupulously neutral, since Republicans, Democrats and independents are all helping to foot the bill.
Yet an exhaustive Media Research Center study of PBS’s flagship newscast, NewsHour, found coverage of the first months of the new 118th Congress has been heavily slanted against Republicans:
■ By a five-to-one margin, NewsHour promoted controversies involving congressional Republicans over those involving Democrats.
■ Discussion of the most-covered policy issues (the debt ceiling, gun rights and immigration) was skewed heavily against Republicans.
■ Republicans were often (20 times) branded as extremists (“far right,” “hard right,” etc.) by NewsHour correspondents or commentators; left-wing Democrats were never so labeled.
■ Overall, congressional Republicans faced 85% negative coverage, compared to 54% positive coverage of congressional Democrats. (Methodology is described below.)
For this report, MRC analysts examined each (weeknight) edition of PBS NewsHour from January 3 through May 2, the first four months of the 118th Congress. Total coverage of the Congress — both the institution itself as well as individual members — was 484 minutes, an average of 5 minutes, 37 seconds per broadcast.
By far, most coverage zeroed in on House Republicans, with 212 minutes of airtime compared with just under 54 minutes for House Democrats. Senate coverage was more balanced, with Senate Democrats slightly edging Senate Republicans for attention (58 minutes vs. 41 minutes). The remaining 119 minutes consisted of discussions of both parties, or the Congress generally without regard to party....
Why should tax money from Republicans be spent in this manor?
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