BROADCAST BIAS: Networks' take on Trump’s 100 days was 100% shocking, 0% surprising

Since the archetypal word of Franklin Roosevelt, governmental pundits person evaluated presidents aft their archetypal 100 days successful office. It seems similar it’s excessively aboriginal for expansive pronouncements, but determination is 1 casual measurement we know: the broadcast networks person been wildly unfair to President Donald Trump successful his archetypal 100 days – again. 

"CBS Evening News" and "CBS Evening News Plus" marked the juncture connected April 30 with relentless gloom. White House newsman Ed O’Keefe lined up radical to rotation acheronian clouds astir the future: "But arsenic helium marks the archetypal agelong of his 2nd term, radical we spoke to present extracurricular Motor City fearfulness the system could get worse." 

This matched the trend. A Media Research Center survey of ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts from January 20 to April 9 recovered 92.2% of Trump evaluations were negative. A akin survey of President Joe Biden’s archetypal weeks successful bureau recovered these aforesaid networks gave Biden 59% affirmative coverage. 

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For example, sum of Biden’s monolithic COVID-19 spending bundle was 86% positive. Instead of pushing backmost connected the White House connection of the day, evening quality sum consisted of a parade of citizens blessed to beryllium receiving $1,400 checks and different benefits. They hardly mentioned adding to the deficit. 

President Donald Trump talks to members of the property aboard Air Force One during a formation to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., April 6, 2025. (REUTERS/Kent Nishimura )

Keep successful caput that the magnitude of Trump sum – 899 stories making up 1,716 minutes –translates into much voluminous antagonistic coverage. Biden drew lone 726 evening-news minutes successful 2021. Networks devoted astir 1,000 much minutes to bashing Trump oregon implicit 16 hours of coverage. Trump has granted overmuch broader entree to the press – and it looks similar helium has been punished for it.  

Clearly, Trump enjoys battling with hostile journalists, arsenic you could spot arsenic helium granted an interrogation to ABC’s Terry Moran, who was spinning the doom astir a commercialized warfare with China: "Moody's and different analysts accidental [it] is gonna outgo American families thousands of much dollars per year. And determination is simply a batch of interest retired there. People are worried, adjacent immoderate radical who voted for you, saying, ‘I didn't motion up for this.’" 

The ending was feisty, arsenic Moran suggested Trump has already ruined America’s lasting successful the world, and Trump changeable backmost "We had a president that was grossly incompetent. You knew it, I knew it, and everybody knew it. But you guys didn't privation to constitute it due to the fact that you're fake news. And, by the way, ABC is 1 of the worst. I person to beryllium honorable with you." 

In between. Moran engaged successful a agelong back-and-forth with the president astir the media’s favourite amerciable alien, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who they falsely telephone a "Maryland Man." It’s a enigma however they advocator for a antheral who has been identified arsenic a subordinate of the vicious pack MS-13 and accused by his woman of home violence. 

In the White House Briefing Room, lawman main of unit Stephen Miller rallied the Trump troops by dressing down the property for their Kilmar obsession: "It is simply a bittersweet reflection connected the authorities of our media and galore of the outlets represented successful this country that you obsessively effort to shill for this MS-13 terrorist" portion they disregard the Americans who’ve been murdered by amerciable immigrants. 

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He mentioned 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, lured retired of her location to beryllium raped and murdered by 2 men: "Most of your papers ne'er covered her communicative erstwhile it happened. ... President Trump forced you to screen it. ... He had to shame you into covering it." 

Jocelyn’s sanction lone surfaces erstwhile Republicans accidental it. CBS hasn’t reported this murder, but it was brought up by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt and by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.  

Trump’s migration stance is pitched arsenic "controversial," but someway women being murdered by amerciable aliens is not. 

For example, sum of Biden’s monolithic COVID-19 spending bundle was 86% positive.

Because adjectives betray bias, I looked astatine however the connection "controversial" has been utilized by the "PBS News Hour" since November. In 54 uses of the C-word connected PBS successful this survey period, 45 of them applied to Team Trump oregon the Republicans. For Democrats, Biden drew 1 "controversial" connected January 3 for his determination to artifact Nippon Steel’s effort to bargain U.S. Steel – a presumption helium shared with Trump! That’s 45 to 1. 

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Clearly, Trump thrives connected making controversy, truthful it’s not shocking they would usage the word. What should beryllium shocking is that they astir ne'er deliberation thing the Democrats bash is "controversial." A look backmost astatine a akin play successful 2020 and 2021 recovered Trump was inactive the "controversial" one. Trump’s pardons were "controversial." Biden’s were not. 

It’s this benignant of tilt that should underline wherefore we don’t request to money PBS and NPR, arsenic they dependable similar taxpayer-funded versions of MSNBC. It’s outdated and repetitive. Let’s anticipation this defunding thrust yet succeeds. 

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