http://mediamatters.org/tools/syndication/tag_rss/today_show This link is for use by RSS-enabled software to retrieve Media Matters items matching the term: Today Show en-US Copyright 2008, Media Matters for America http://mediamatters.org/items/200807020005 NBC's <em>Today</em> and <em>Nightly News</em> and <em>MSNBC Live</em> aired segments in which correspondent Janet Shamlian reported live from an offshore drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. But while two of Shamlian's reports included quotes from a Chevron spokesperson, none of her reports included an interview with or quote from environmental organizations or explained the "environmental concerns" that Shamlian acknowledged exist. Further, neither Shamlian nor the hosts and anchors disclosed that General Electric, which owns 80 percent of NBC Universal, also has an affiliated business unit that is invested in the acquisition and production of oil and natural gas and another that is a major supplier of equipment and services for the offshore drilling industry. http://mediamatters.org/items/200807020005 Wed, 2 Jul 2008 15:16:20 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250003 On Fox News, Dick Morris asserted that as president, Sen. Barack Obama "would double the capital gains tax. That means that you get far less when you sell your home, or your 401(k) or your stock plan," and added, "[H]e would increase the limit on Social Security taxes, which means instead of paying 12 1/2 percent of the first $100,000, you pay it on everything that you're making." Morris' claims are false or highly misleading. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806250003 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:40:45 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806110010 When Sen. John McCain twice touted the idea of a gas tax "break" during an interview on NBC's <em>Today</em>, Matt Lauer failed to challenge him over whether economists believe a gas tax holiday is a good idea. But when Sen. Hillary Clinton mentioned her proposal "to get the gas tax paid this summer out of the record profits of the oil companies" on the same program a month earlier, Meredith Vieira challenged her, saying that economists are "saying it's not sound policy." http://mediamatters.org/items/200806110010 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:17:21 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050003 Reuters, <em>The New York Times</em>, <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>, and NBC's <em>Today</em> reported Sen. John McCain's praise of Sen. Hillary Clinton in a June 3 speech, but none of those outlets noted that McCain has previously distorted Clinton's record on issues such as health care, taxes, the environment, and housing, nor did they note that McCain has a history of personal attacks against Clinton and her family. http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050003 Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:38:20 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805290011 Responding to reported claims in Scott McClellan's new book about the media's role in the lead-up to the Iraq war, David Gregory has challenged McClellan's claims and defended the performance of the press. But at least two of Gregory's former colleagues at NBC News have given a very different view of the media's conduct in the lead-up to the war. Katie Couric said, "I do think we were remiss in not asking some of the right questions," while Jessica Yellin cited corporate pressure "to make sure that this was a war that was presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president's high approval ratings." http://mediamatters.org/items/200805290011 Thu, 29 May 2008 20:40:54 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805160008 On <em>Today</em>, during an interview with former CIA agent Michael Sheehan about his new book, Matt Lauer said, "You say we've got to use more undercover agents, informants, wiretapping, email surveillance, the works. The sound you just heard, Michael, is the far left, grabbing for their remote controls, 'cause they say, you're going to do this, you're going to trample civil liberties." In fact, Americans across the political spectrum have denounced the Bush administration for alleged violations of civil liberties. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805160008 Fri, 16 May 2008 20:33:36 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 During an interview, <em>Today</em> co-host Ann Curry asked Cindy McCain about her refusal to release her tax returns, but did not challenge McCain's refusal by noting that John McCain's campaign has benefited financially from her wealth, and without noting that McCain supports the permanent extension of President Bush's tax cuts, from which those with capital gains -- something that would be indicated on Cindy McCain's tax returns -- benefit significantly. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080011 Thu, 8 May 2008 19:50:44 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 NBC's Ann Curry did not challenge Cindy McCain, Sen. John McCain's wife, when she claimed, "You won't see [negative stuff] come out of our side at all," and asserted, "My husband is absolutely opposed to any negative campaigning at all." In fact, John McCain has a history of negative campaigning and has promulgated numerous falsehoods about his opponents during the 2008 presidential campaign. http://mediamatters.org/items/200805080004 Thu, 8 May 2008 14:29:49 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200804250006 NBC's <em>Today</em> and CBS' <em>The Early Show</em> both aired interviews with Sen. John McCain while the candidate was in New Orleans, but in neither case asked McCain about controversial comments that one of his endorsers, Pastor John Hagee, recently made about Hurricane Katrina, though both programs discussed controversial comments made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804250006 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:44:54 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200804230007 On the April 15 edition of <em>Today</em>, Matt Lauer asserted, "It's been a long time since an actual vote was cast in this primary season, a long time since we've debated actual fundamental issues. We've had a lot of sniping and second-guessing." Yet in an April 23 interview on <em>Today</em> with Sen. Hillary Clinton, Lauer discussed only the state of the Democratic presidential primary race, not any "actual fundamental issues." http://mediamatters.org/items/200804230007 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:42:10 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200804090004 On <em>Today</em>, Matt Lauer, Tim Russert, and Andrea Mitchell discussed Bill and Hillary Clinton's tax returns, speculating about, in Lauer's words, the "actual impact" the returns will have on "those so-called blue-collar workers that are so much a part of her base." They did not mention that Sen. John McCain has yet to release his tax returns, nor did they speculate as to what impact McCain's family's wealth would have on his ability to connect with "blue-collar workers." http://mediamatters.org/items/200804090004 Wed, 9 Apr 2008 14:27:01 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200804020006 In a report on Sen. John McCain, NBC News' Kelly O'Donnell referred to McCain's "statesman-in-waiting trip overseas last month to pump up his international image," but did not note that, during the trip, McCain made the admittedly false claim, more than once, that "Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq." O'Donnell also did not mention that the trip included a fundraiser in London. http://mediamatters.org/items/200804020006 Wed, 2 Apr 2008 17:12:03 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200803310011 On NBC's <em>Today</em>, Chris Matthews asserted that Sen. John McCain "has campaigned brilliantly against Bush," adding, "He won this by basically running against the Bush administration." But when President Bush endorsed him on March 5, McCain said, "All I can say is that on the fundamentals and the principles of our Republican Party and most of the specifics of our shared conservative philosophy, Bush and I are in agreement." http://mediamatters.org/items/200803310011 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:03:50 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200803240004 NBC's John Yang claimed that "Bill Clinton made comments that some interpreted as questioning [Sen. Barack] Obama's patriotism" but played only a portion of Clinton's statement. Yang also failed to provide the Clinton campaign's explanation of the quote, in which it denied "questioning any candidate's patriotism." http://mediamatters.org/items/200803240004 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:39:33 EST http://mediamatters.org/items/200803200005 In a report on the controversy surrounding Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, NBC's Lee Cowan uncritically aired clips from a YouTube video that Cowan said "hits not just on Obama's pastor and his faith ... but on the senator's patriotism, too." Cowan did not mention who was behind the video or comment on any of the video's content. However, the <em>Politico </em>reported that the video was created in part by Lee Habeeb, "a former producer of the <em>Laura Ingraham</em> Show" and currently "director of strategic content at Salem Radio Network, the conservative talk radio powerhouse." Cowan's uncritical airing of the video echoes similar reporting on Fox News, which has aired several YouTube videos smearing Democrats. http://mediamatters.org/items/200803200005 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:26:22 EST