NBC Distorts Its Polling on Warrantless Wiretaps

NBC Distorts Its Polling on Warrantless Wiretaps: "The story of the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping is one that mainstream media have been slow to give the attention it deserves (Action Alert, 1/11/06; Media Advisory, 1/27/06). Now some journalists are pointing to public opinion to justify the news industry's less-than-aggressive approach to this major constitutional scandal. But when NBC's Tim Russert and Chip Reid cite polling data, are they really talking about what the public thinks—or what they think we ought to think?

On February 7, when syndicated radio host Don Imus (whose show is simulcast on MSNBC) interviewed Reid, an NBC congressional correspondent, about Democratic criticism of the NSA wiretapping program, Imus remarked, 'I wonder if these senators understand that the American people don't care about this.' Reid replied:

Well, that's part of the problem here. I know the NBC poll and other polls have shown that people aren’t really paying attention.... The American people are saying, 'Wait a minute. Are you criticizing the administration for intercepting communications from al Qaeda to American sympathizers who then want to bomb us? Please intercept those calls!'... If you find out they’re abusing the program, then you’re going to have a serious problem. Otherwise Americans are going to say: 'Please intercept those calls. Keep me safe.'

Link