Members of Congress Call on Sunday Shows to Address Imbalance Detailed in New Report

Reps. Hinchey, Woolsey, and Kaptur Call for Change on Influential Broadcasts

Report is available online at www.SundayShowReport.com.

Washington, DC - Today at a press conference on Capitol Hill, U.S. Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) called on the influential network Sunday morning talk shows to address the findings of a new report by Media Matters for America, "If It's Sunday, It's Still Conservative." The report documents the continued dominance of Republican and conservative voices on the network Sunday shows -- ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, and Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday.

"If the networks have a commitment to airing a balanced debate about the issues of the day, they have some work to do," Paul Waldman a Senior Fellow at Media Matters and the principal author of the report. "It won't be hard to bring on as many progressives as conservatives. They just have to decide that they want to fulfill their obligation to the public."

"The Sunday morning shows arguably provide the most prominent platform for political discussion in America, but unfortunately, as this new report from Media Matters points out, these shows are out of balance," Rep. Maurice Hinchey said. "When network news shows favor one political point of view over others, the American people are cheated out of an open, honest, and fair discussion. My colleagues and I will be appealing directly to the major networks to do the right thing and provide equal opportunities for Democrats, who control both chambers of Congress, to appear on these shows and give their perspectives on the important issues of the day," Hinchey said.

"This report sheds light on a serious problem, and that's making sure that the American public has the chance to hear opposing voices on the national debates under way in Washington, and at home, that affect their lives," Rep. Lynn Woolsey said. "The media have a responsibility to make sure that all sides are heard. It is a disservice to the public when either party is not given the opportunity to publicly make their case. This is not only a question of fairness; this is what keeps our democracy healthy," Woolsey said.

"The findings of Media Matters' recent study demonstrate a widespread problem with the media. I am truly concerned with the lack of diversity of opinions on the Sunday shows and elsewhere in the media," Rep. Marcy Kaptur said. "The Sunday shows serve as town hall meetings for the American public and Democratic and progressive voices should be fairly and equitably represented in those debates. This is a problem that needs to be addressed as a healthy media is critical to a healthy democracy," Kaptur said.

Among the report's key findings:

• Despite previous network claims that a conservative advantage existed on the Sunday shows simply because Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, only one show, ABC's This Week, has been roughly balanced between both sides overall since the congressional majority switched hands in the 2006 midterm elections.

• Since the 2006 midterm elections, NBC's Meet the Press and CBS' Face the Nation have provided less balance between Republican and Democratic officials than Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday despite the fact that Fox News Sunday remains the most unbalanced broadcast overall.

• During the 109^th Congress (2005 and 2006), Republicans and conservatives held the advantage on every show, in every category measured. All four shows interviewed more Republicans and conservatives than Democrats and progressives overall, interviewed more Republican elected and administration officials than Democratic officials, hosted more conservative journalists than progressive journalists, held more panels that tilted right than tilted left, and gave more solo interviews to Republicans and conservatives.

About the Report & Media Matters for America

The report analyzed ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, NBC's Meet the Press, and Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, classifying each of the more than 2,000 guests in 2005 and 2006 as well as guests since the 2006 midterm elections by party and/or ideology. It follows on last year's report, "If It's Sunday, It's Conservative," which analyzed more than 7,000 guests on the Sunday shows during the Clinton and Bush presidencies and found a Republican-conservative tilt during both administrations. As the new findings demonstrate, despite some improvement, considered as a whole the Sunday shows still don't offer a full range of diverse view to the public.

Media Matters for America is a not-for-profit, progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

Report is available online at www.SundayShowReport.com.

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