March 7, 2011
How are you coping with the rising gas prices?
Remember how the big media jumped all over President George W. Bush when gas prices went up during his administration? In 2008, as gas prices spiked, network news reporters mentioned President Bush in 15 as many stories as they have brought up president Obama in a similar period this year, according to the Media Research Center which monitors these things.
An analysis of reporting during the Bush and Obama administrations by the Business and Media Institute found that in 2008 ABC, NBC and CBS aired more than 2.5 more stories on gas prices than they have this year. And they linked “Bush,” “the government,” or “the president” in those 2008 stories 15 times more often than this year under president Obama.
The message? The media blamed Bush for rising gas prices in 2008 and they have mostly given Obama a free pass this year.
We know the way to lower gas prices, but this president won’t drill on our territory.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
