Networks Help Obama Bridge Gap on Earmarks

Journalists race to 'check' Palin claims, ignore Democrats' billion dollars in earmarks.

By Julia A. Seymour
Business & Media Institute

When Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin claimed she defeated the infamous Alaskan “Bridge to Nowhere” earmark, the Democratic nominees and network, cable and print journalists rushed to “fact check” her statement.

Journalists across the media spectrum carried Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s argument portraying Palin as an exaggerator at best, a liar at worst. Reports often failed to fully explain Palin’s handling of the “Bridge to Nowhere” earmark and mostly ignored budget watchdogs that still defended her record of reform. Obama’s nearly $1 billion in earmark requests, as well as Sen. Joe Biden’s $323 million were not mentioned by network reporters either.

The assault stemmed from .... [read more]