In a Wednesday appearance on his network’s radically liberal day-time show The View, ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir bragged about the shoddy work he and his team does and suggested that the public needed “journalists” like him to “cut through the noise for them.” And on the question of what should be done about Fox News Channel, Muir suggested the cable outlet was all opinion and viewers should “come to the news” instead, which was followed by him lauding President Biden’s “candor.”
Despite spreading misinformation about COVID-19 last week and spewing lies about Republicans the day before, co-host Joy Behar asked Muir: “How do you cut through all the division? Can you even do that? And what do we do about a station like Fox, you know, that puts out incorrect information on a regular basis?”
Muir’s response started well enough by noting that Americans are “paying more at the grocery store, the gas pump” thus “these are real questions people want answered.” But it quickly turned into a way for him to boast about himself and his team and suggest the public couldn’t possibly figure out the truth themselves and needed it spoon-fed to them:
And look, I don't say this to pat ourselves on the back as a team, but last week we had more than 9 million people watching every night and I think that that is a silver lining and it’s a reminder to us all of the stakes. People do want the news, they do want a team that's going to cut through the noise. And we have to give them some respect people at home, they're read in, they want the facts, they can make up their minds on their own if we cut through the noise for them.
“Listen you can go to your outlets where you’ll hear your opinion back to you, but you can also come to the news…” he chided.
But it comes down to how ABC cuts through the noise. And as NewsBusters has proven over the years, it nearly always cuts to the left.
Since Muir cited his ratings from last week, let’s take a look at the shoddy reporting his viewers were subjected to (in the form of NewsBusters headlines):
ABC Suggests Sen. Rand Paul Is Responsible for Threats Against Dr. Fauci
Nets Ignore Report Biden Education Secretary Solicited 'Domestic Terror' Letter
Nets Skip Pelosi Opposing Bipartisan Push to End Stock Trading for Congress
ABC's WNT WHINES: Republicans Keep Blocking Voting Rights!
And on Tuesday, NewsBusters research showed how ABC (and the other broadcast networks) tried to hide and/or downplay the failures of President Biden’s first year in office. And looking back to 2019, we see how Muir refused to issue an on-air correction after falsely labeling video of a Kentucky shooting range as Turkey invading Syria and massacring Kurdish civilians.
But those facts didn’t stop Muir from later declaring: “…we do a great job this team, we call out hypocrisy on all sides. And we ask the tough questions of all of our leaders no matter the party.”
That comment was quickly followed up by Muir touting Biden. “And I think there was that moment when he said, nothing’s been good enough when it comes to the tests,” he recalled their interview last month. “And I think for better or worse, that was one of those moments of candor that this president is known for.”
The false picture David Muir painted of the work he does was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Oral-B and Progressive. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" tor read:
ABC’s The View
January 19, 2022
11:24:17 a.m. Eastern(…)
JOY BEHAR: So, you know, this country has never really been more divided, maybe the Civil War, it feels like everyone is in their corners, watching the news channels that echo their political views. And we also had former president who called the media “the enemy of the people.” Charming.
What's the stake right now for journalism? How do you cut through all the division? Can you even do that? And what do we do about a station like Fox, you know, that puts out incorrect information on a regular basis? I know you can't give your opinion. But I wanted to throw that in anyway.
DAVID MUIR: [Laughter] But Joy always tries.
Let me just put it this way, I think we're in a position all of us as journalists to recognize every single day, again, people's lives are at stake, their health are at stake, they’re paying more at the grocery store, the gas pump. These are real questions people want answered. And I know you talk about the divide in the country, it's very real. The politicization of everything, including this pandemic, but we have to remember every single night when we come on –
And look, I don't say this to pat ourselves on the back as a team, but last week we had more than 9 million people watching every night and I think that that is a silver lining and it’s a reminder to us all of the stakes. People do want the news, they do want a team that's going to cut through the noise. And we have to give them some respect people at home, they're read in, they want the facts, they can make up their minds on their own if we cut through the noise for them.
Listen you can go to your outlets where you’ll hear your opinion back to you, but you can also come to the news where we'll arm you with the information you need no matter how difficult it is.
And one thing I’ve learned during this pandemic, when we watched viewers come to us in this time, I thought, “Well, you know, we're grateful for that, but don't for a moment think that your responsibility shouldn't meet the moment,” and we're reminded of that every single day. We can't waste people's time. The stakes are just too high.
SUNNY HOSTIN: David, you know, President Biden has had unrelenting challenges during really the infancy of his presidency, while dealing with the pandemic, the Supreme Court ruled against his administration’s vaccine mandate, his Build Back Better plan had to be scrapped for lack of support, voting rights legislation is likely doomed, inflation is at a near 40-year high, there are rising threats from Russia and North Korea.
You got a chance to talk with him last month at the White House. What was the mood like there? And how much pressure is this presidency under right now?
MUIR: Well, I mean, listen, we're going to hear from the president this afternoon, too, that press conference that will mark the one-year mark.
But I have to say, the mood at the White House was realistic. It was just before the holidays. As you know, President Biden has been at this for a long time, decades in the Senate, eight years as vice president, of course, now as president. He knows we were there to ask the tough questions. And he knows these are trying times, the country is exhausted. People have been affected in all way by this pandemic. They – As I mentioned with inflation, and you just brought this up, Sunny, that that’s a reality.
You can talk about the unemployment numbers coming down, you can talk about the bipartisan infrastructure; there have been some victories along the way, but you always have to remember it's how people feel, it’s what they're living through every single day.
And I think in that moment at the White House they knew the questions that were coming. Not the exact questions obviously. We never reveal what we're going to ask. But I remember this one particular moment on the test kits, and I asked about testing of the previous president. We’ve got to be tough and that's one thing that we do a great job this team, we call out hypocrisy on all sides. And we ask the tough questions of all of our leaders no matter the party.
And I pressed him on test kits a year into his presidency, why were people waiting in line right before Christmas for hours and hours all over the country? And I think there was that moment when he said, nothing’s been good enough when it comes to the tests. And I think for better or worse, that was one of those moments of candor that this president is known for.
But he's presiding as president over this time, this is a difficult time to lead, it doesn't take away the stakes for him. And every decision will be scrutinized and we'll watch that play out this afternoon with the tough questions that will certainly come his way again.
(...)
