As the Democrats begin to wind down their national convention, we at NewsBusters are revving a series of reports under the banner "Quick Study" that take an in-depth and quantitative look at the ways cable news anchors and correspondents use information and perspectives to frame the race to suit their liberal ideology. We especially intend to shine a bright light on pretentions of objectivity that fall short of this standard, such as CNN's new motto, "No bias. No bull."
The dispute between Joe Scarborough and his liberal MSNBC colleage David Shuster ("your party?") brought the issue of party registration among elite media to the forefront of cable news watchers' minds so we figured, why not check up on the actual party registration data of CNN, the self-styled "objective option" for cable viewers?
As it turns out, the idea of CNN's objectivity is difficult to square with the partisan leanings of many of the network's own anchors and correspondents. Many of the men and women covering the Democratic National Convention for CNN, including quite a few of their top tier reporters, are registered Democrats according to voter data.
Below is a list of Democratic CNN anchors and correspondents who are covering the Democratic National Convention (there are no registered Republicans):
- Anderson Cooper is a registered Democrat.
- Jeanie Moos is a registered Democrat.
- Gloria Borger is a registered Democrat.
- Jeanne Meserve is a registered Democrat.
- Suzanne Malveaux is a registered Democrat.
- Soledad O'Brien is a registered Democrat.
So when Anderson Cooper turns to Gloria Borger (who is sitting next to former Democratic operative Donna Brazile) for perspective on how things are going at the Democratic Convention, bear in mind that viewers are watching two people who are likely to vote for the Democratic candidate for president.
For the record, MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Andrea Mitchell, Mika Brzezinski and Monica Novotny are all registered Democrats as well.
—Matthew Sheffield is the creator and editor of NewsBusters.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Yeeeeeeeeah,
August 28, 2008 - 17:18 ET by Foolican"No bias."
Give me a big-league break. These guys wouldn't know "no bias" if their computer monitor jumped off their desk and slapped them in the head with it. Even if Obama came right out and said, "the trouble with television news networks like CNN and MSNBC is that they are liberally biased," they would still stick by their motto.
"No Bull" "America
August 28, 2008 - 17:57 ET by bigtimer"No Bull"
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
"No Bull" I think they might
August 28, 2008 - 18:52 ET by Chris Norman"No Bull"
I think they might be referring to their take on the stock market and the economy under GW Bush.
McNotObama '08
Objectivity?
August 28, 2008 - 17:32 ET by DoktorFranken98% of all media outlets do not even know the true meaning of the word "Objectivity". These are dark times, my friends. Prepare.
Thank you very much. The
August 28, 2008 - 18:12 ET by buddycThank you very much. The public needs that information.
Self Promotion. I just
August 28, 2008 - 18:24 ET by Hunter12Self Promotion. I just want to be on record before the fact. The Obama speech will be the greatest speech since history began. After the MSM reviews prove the tremendous insight I have into the future I will be selling lottery picks for $25 a pop and sports picks for $50 a game. Get me while I'm hot.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
People!! Come on, I
August 29, 2008 - 01:17 ET by Hunter12People!! Come on, I nailed this. "Calling for civil debate, he ties McCain to ‘a broken politics in Washington’" As a tease, I'm going to give one away for free: "3". Is it a lottery number or part of a score? It will cost you to find out. Free answer to anyone who can tell me what a "politics" is and bonus points if you know how to break one.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
Obama the Healer...
August 28, 2008 - 18:41 ET by Clear thinkerNot only is Obama going to save humanity, but it looks as if saving Animals will now be added to his resume...
I was gathering some info when I came across this:
"this is awful. i do. not. want. responsibility for polar bears drowning, starving, floating away on ice floes with their cubs. it makes me sob, wrenching sobs. i'm sorry. i know animals everywhere are suffering horrible deaths all the time. i know that when we lose a keystone predator, we lose a lot of the whole web.
But this is my own, personal tipping point. I hope against hope that Obama stops this. just. stops. these agonizing drownings of polar bears."
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goal
I just find it wonderfully
August 28, 2008 - 19:37 ET by Chris NormanI just find it wonderfully remarkable that all these broadcast professionals have managed to submerge their personal liberal political beliefs to give us such fair and objective reporting...
McNotObama '08
Note to Management at CNN
August 28, 2008 - 19:31 ET by sawing batta"No Bias, No Bull" ??
sorry to inform you, but the real phrase for CNN is:
"too little, too late"
How about the others at CNN?
August 28, 2008 - 19:54 ET by KrisCan you find out the party affiliations of other prominent anchors at CNN? I have read in more than one place that Kiran Chetry is also a registered Democrat, but what about John Roberts, Candy Crowley, Heidi Collins, Kyra Phillips, Alina Cho, Miles O'Brien, Roland Martin and Erica Hill? Can any info be found on these people?
And at the other news stations
August 28, 2008 - 20:26 ET by nicholas nicklebyCan you find out the party affiliations (and/or party contributions) from other stations' prominent anchors as well--I'm interested to see how many Republicans there are at Fox.
Well, let's see. I believe
August 28, 2008 - 21:36 ET by Chris NormanWell, let's see. I believe Alan Colmes, Geraldo Rivera, Chris Wallace, and Greta Van Susteren are all very conservative Republicans...and I know that MSNBC is permeated with right wingers. CBS, ABC, and NBC may as well be part of the GOP. So, I guess that leaves CNN as the lone bastion of Democrat sympathy. Now, go away with your fatuousness.
McNotObama '08
Let's don't forget poor ol'
August 28, 2008 - 21:39 ET by bigtimerLet's don't forget poor ol' Shep....
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
... and i was aiming for "facetious"
August 29, 2008 - 01:43 ET by nicholas nicklebybut Chris, as thebronze below pointed out, there was not much in the way of proof offered here. I'm really not trying to be a troll here, I'm really asking a basic question: how do we know these things to be true?
For instance, note that in your post you say "I believe" and then say "I know"--those are two different types of knowledge claims. How can we test our beliefs and turn them into knowledge?
And I'll just come out and say it: I think this post (about how biased certain reporters are since they are Democratic) is problematic because it doesn't ask the obvious opposite question (who is conservative and how are they biased?) and it doesn't ask a slightly
less obvious but equally important question (how neutral are reporters professionally if they have personal politics?).
Really?
August 28, 2008 - 20:34 ET by thebronzeMS,
How do we KNOW they're registered Dems? I believe they are, but where did you get this info from? Without quoting the source of the info, how do we know it's reliable?