Why Isn’t The Media Criticizing Sarah Palin for Banning CBS?

Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:06 pm

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Remember the weeks of indigent outrage in both the right wing and mainstream media when the Obama administration said that Fox News is not a news organization? It turns out that Sarah Palin did a little blackballing of her own, when she banned CBS from covering her resignation speech. Where is the criticism of Palin?

In her new book Palin admitted that when she invited the press to cover her resignation speech, she intentionally left out CBS, “We issued an open invitation for the press (except for CBS).” Remember that Palin is carrying a grudge against CBS and Katie Couric for asking her such stumpers as what do you read during a 2008 interview.

Here is the infamous Russia exchange:

Why is Palin allowed to ban a network that she feels was unfair to her, but the Obama administration gets bashed for doing the exact same thing? Every journalist and news network that rushed to defend Fox News while claiming that Obama was being unfair is a hypocrite if they don’t hold Palin to the same standard.

The media is so terrified of falling into the old conservative myth of liberal media bias that they ran to the defense of a clearly biased network, while choosing to completely ignore the exact same behavior from Palin. CBS has always treated Palin better than Fox News treats Obama. A big difference between FNC and CBS is that Fox News engages in political activity. CBS does not.

The reality is that Katie Couric is not the reason why Sarah Palin has become a national punch line. Couric asked Palin standard questions. The problem was that Sarah Palin couldn’t answer them. Banning CBS only affirms the perception of Palin that she is blind to her own shortcomings, and always looking to blame someone else. Worst of all is that the media is willing to give Palin a free pass, while they criticize Obama for the exact same behavior. That’s what I call real media bias.

H/T: Media Matters

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association