FLASHBACK: How TV News Helped Joe Biden Sell His $1.9 Trillion Spending Spree

Inflation is uncontrolled, skyrocketing to a 40-year excessive. This previous week, the networks laughably tried to spin a tiny slowing of the speed of inflation, from 8.5 % to eight.3 as some form of “signal of hope” and “excellent news.” All of this can be a determined try by the networks to save lots of the floundering Joe Biden and his Democratic Social gathering from catastrophe within the November midterms.

So do not forget the liberal media had been large cheerleaders for the irresponsible spending that obtained us right here. ABC, CBS and NBC helped the President promote his reckless $1.9 trillion spending spree, as former Media Analysis Middle Analysis Director Wealthy Noyes defined in a March, 11, 2021 examine.

Noyes famous, “As a substitute of scrutinizing the invoice’s spending selections, the printed networks constructed their protection round its hottest provision in addition to sympathetic anecdotes about these in want.”

Right here’s extra from the examine:

Dissecting this protection, the networks primarily directed viewers to consider the $1,400 checks to people, mentioning this singularly widespread line merchandise in about three-fifths of all tales (40). That was twice as usually as they talked concerning the cash that may be spent on vaccines and testing to battle the pandemic itself (20 tales). Different high subjects: further unemployment advantages (20 tales), the $15 minimal wage, later scrubbed (19 tales), funding for colleges (12 tales) and assist to small companies (12 tales).

What viewers by no means heard about on these newscasts: How greater than $1 trillion in funds beforehand allotted by Congress had but to be distributed, and the way the much-claimed shortfall in state and native authorities tax revenues had didn’t materialize.

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Placing apart the truth that the $1,400 direct funds would go to each the absolutely employed who don’t want it in addition to the unemployed who do need assistance, the person checks and the improved unemployment advantages mixed quantity to lower than 40% of the general price ticket.

Throughout the Trump years, the institution liberal media championed themselves as truth-tellers who would maintain his administration accountable. In protecting the primary main initiative of the Biden administration, the networks executed a full flip-flop — abandoning any pretense of hostility in favor of offering help and luxury for a large spending invoice that goes far past what’s mandatory to assist those that are literally in want.

So, as soon as inflation spiraled uncontrolled, how did the networks react? On November 15, 2021, Biden signed a bloated infrastructure invoice into legislation. The subsequent day, the networks spent 16 seconds on the subject of inflation.

On Thursday, as all this spending has backfired, the networks had been in a determined race to save lots of the Democrats from catastrophe. On CBS Mornings, co-host Nate Burleson hailed, “There is a small glimmer of hope for People battling rising costs. The speed of improve in inflation slowed very barely final month.”

On NBC’s Right this moment, co-host Hoda Kotb noticed the tiny change as “an indication of hope” for the financial system: “New numbers on inflation present it’s slowing down barely. We’re dwell with that new signal of hope affecting your backside line.”

The networks are attempting to save lots of Joe Biden’s presidency. However provided that they had been cheerleaders for all this spending, they’re additionally attempting to save lots of their very own tarnished repute.

For extra examples from our flashback collection, which we name the NewsBusters Time Machine, go right here.