News outlets labeled PFAW as "liberal" but failed to identify U.S. Chamber

[Jon8503]

This organization is so good. They can use all the help they can get with keeping up on the MSM constantly mis-reporting or simply just this kind of stuff. Of course you expect it from Fox:


On August 24, both People for the American Way (PFAW) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce publicly announced their respective positions on President Bush's nomination of John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court. In reporting on these announcements, Fox News, the Chicago Tribune, and the San Francisco Chronicle all described PFAW as "liberal" but failed to provide any identifying characterization for the U.S. Chamber despite the organization's strong conservative leanings. In addition, virtually all coverage of the U.S. Chamber's endorsement of Roberts failed to note his previous legal work for the organization.

On the August 24 edition of Fox News' Special Report, host Brit Hume called PFAW "one of the most liberal groups in America" while introducing a report on the announcements. During the segment, Fox News chief Washington correspondent Jim Angle proceeded to describe PFAW as a "key liberal group." Later in the evening, during a newsbreak on Fox News, anchor Laurie Dhue referred to PFAW as a "liberal group." In August 25 articles, the Chicago Tribune described PFAW as a "leading liberal advocacy group," and the San Francisco Chronicle simply labeled PFAW "liberal." In each of these cases, the reporters went on to refer to the U.S. Chamber without any such qualifiers or characterizations of their political leanings.

In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a strong supporter of Republican policies and conservative causes. During the 2004 presidential election, for example, the U.S. Chamber publicly opposed the 2004 Democratic presidential ticket of Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and John Edwards (D-NC), citing Edwards's previous work as a trial lawyer. The U.S. Chamber provided $3 million to seed the November Fund, a 527 group that ran ads in seven states during the 2004 presidential election attacking Edwards and trial lawyers in general for purportedly increasing business costs.

The U.S. Chamber has also headed campaigns in support of Republican health care policies. In 2000, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) funneled an estimated $20 million through the U.S. Chamber to pay for ads "defending Republicans on a range of health-care issues," according to an October 6, 2000, Wall Street Journal article. The Journal reported: "Some industry officials feel that because it has a strong local presence through local chapters around the country, the Chamber has more credibility with voters and greater freedom to run hard-hitting ads."

In recent years, the U.S. Chamber has also supported President Bush's tax cuts and Republican efforts to ease enforcement of workplace laws .

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508260006

[greekspeak]

1. Business as usual over at the LIBRUL MEDIA

Damned libruls.

[wli]

2. PFAW now marked for COINTELPRO disruption, assassinations, etc. n/t