A recent study has brought to light a significant disparity in media coverage between President Donald Trump's pardons related to the January 6 Capitol incident and former President Joe Biden's preemptive pardons for his family.
The flagship newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC devoted over 46 minutes to Trump's pardons, while Biden's actions received scant attention.
According to The Post Millennial, the Media Research Center conducted an analysis of morning and evening broadcasts from these major networks, spanning from Inauguration Day on January 20 to the morning of January 22. The findings revealed a pronounced focus on Trump, with ABC, CBS, and NBC allocating 46 minutes and 32 seconds to his pardons, compared to a mere 3 minutes and 32 seconds for Biden's preemptive pardons. ABC's "Good Morning America" and "World News Tonight" dedicated 15 minutes and 30 seconds to Trump's pardons, while Biden's actions were covered for only 34 seconds. Similarly, "CBS Mornings" and "CBS Evening News" spent 16 minutes and 32 seconds on Trump, with just 64 seconds on Biden. NBC's "Today" and "Nightly News" allotted 14 minutes and 30 seconds to Trump, with less than two minutes for Biden.
In the waning hours of his presidency, Biden issued preemptive, blanket pardons to several family members, including his sister Valerie Biden Owen and her husband John T. Owens, his brother James Biden and his wife Sara Jones Biden, and his brother Francis W. Biden. This followed a blanket pardon for his son Hunter Biden, addressing recent tax and gun charges dating back to 2014. On the same day, Trump signed pardons and commutations for over 1,500 individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Trump's swift action to pardon those associated with the Capitol unrest on his first day in office drew ire from critics, who accused him of condoning violence against law enforcement. In parallel, Biden's preemptive pardons for his family members also faced criticism from political adversaries. However, mainstream media outlets disproportionately focused on Trump's pardons, leaving Biden's actions largely underreported.
Back in 2020, Biden expressed concern over reports that then-President Trump was contemplating preemptive pardons for his family and himself. Speaking to CNN's Jake Tapper, Biden remarked, "Well, it concerns me in terms of what kind of precedent it sets and how the rest of the world looks at us as a nation of laws and justice," as reported by Fox News. He had also vowed not to pardon his son Hunter.
The evident imbalance in media coverage raises questions about the objectivity and priorities of mainstream news outlets. While Trump's pardons were extensively scrutinized, Biden's similar actions were largely overlooked, suggesting a potential bias in how these networks choose to report on political figures and their decisions. This disparity underscores the need for a more balanced approach to journalism, one that holds all leaders accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
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