19 Chris Matthews Show panels in 2004 skewed right; seven skewed left

Written by Katie Barge, Jeremy Cluchey & Michelle Jeung

Published

Media Matters for America examined the 43 panels convened thus far in 2004 on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show and found that 19 skewed to the right, twelve were balanced, seven skewed to the left, and five featured a conservative who supported Senator John Kerry on an otherwised balanced panel.

Of the 43 panels convened on The Chris Matthews Show in 2004:

  • 19 consisted of one or more conservative columnists or pundits alongside non-aligned reporters or pundits.
  • Five included Andrew Sullivan -- a conservative who supported Senator John Kerry as “the lesser of two risks” in the presidential election -- on an otherwise balanced panel.
  • Seven consisted of liberal columnists or pundits alongside non-aligned reporters or pundits.
  • Twelve panels were balanced; one pitted New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd against Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot, while the rest consisted of only non-aligned reporters or pundits or a balance of right-leaning and left-leaning guests.

The names of conservative panelists are in bold; the names of liberal panelists are in bold italics.

19 panels skewed right: 5 panels featured a conservative supporting Kerry: 7 panels skewed left: 12 panels were balanced:

November 21 panel:

  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist;
  • Kathleen Parker, Orlando Sentinel columnist;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

October 18 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today;
  • Bob Woodward, Washington Post reporter and assistant managing editor;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

October 11 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC's Washington correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Deroy Murdock, National Review contributing editor

October 4 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

August 8 panel:

  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • Pete Williams, NBC News Justice correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek Chief Political Correspondent;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

July 25 panel featured:

  • Campbell Brown, co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today;
  • Joe Klein, TIME magazine senior writer;
  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Paul Gigot, Wall Street Journal editorial page editor

July 18 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Ed Gordon, Black Press USA editor;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

July 11 panel:

  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Cokie Roberts, ABC anchor and NPR senior news analyst;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

June 27 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

May 30 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Jon Meacham, Newsweek managing editor;
  • Nina Easton, Boston Globe political reporter;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

May 23 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

May 16 panel:

  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal contributing editor
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor

April 25 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House Correspondent;
  • Joe Klein, Time magazine senior writer;
  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist

April 18 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington Correspondent;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek International editor;
  • William J. Bennett, conservative author and nationally syndicated radio host

April 11 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Cokie Roberts, ABC anchor and NPR senior news analyst;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

March 28 panel:

  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

February 22 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, NBC co-anchor of Weekend Today;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal contributing editor;
  • Andrew Sullivan, TIME Magazine essayist and columnist for Sunday Times of London

February 15 panel:

  • Michele Norris, NPR co-host of All Things Considered;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Catherine Crier, Court TV host of Catherine Crier Live
  • Paul Gigot, Wall Street Journal editorial page editor

February 8 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • David Brooks, New York Times columnist
  • Dana Milbank, Washington Post staff writer
  • Ed Gordon, Black Press USA editor

November 14 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, NBC co-anchor of Weekend Today;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Andrew Sullivan, New Republic senior editor

October 25 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC's Washington correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Andrew Sullivan, New Republic senior editor

September 20 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington Correspondent;
  • Joe Klein, Time magazine senior writer;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Andrew Sullivan, New Republic senior editor

April 4 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist
  • Laura Ingraham, conservative radio host;
  • Andrew Sullivan, TIME Magazine essayist and columnist for Sunday Times of London

January 4 panel:

  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House Correspondent;
  • Joe Klein, TIME magazine senior writer;
  • Andrew Sullivan, New Republic senior editor

November 7 panel:

  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Maureen Dowd, New York Times columnist;
  • Evan Thomas, Newsweek assistant managing editor

September 27 panel:

  • David Gregory, NBC News White House correspondent;
  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • James Fallows, The Atlantic magazine national correspondent

September 13 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist
  • Maria Bartiromo, CNBC anchor;
  • Cokie Roberts, ABC anchor and NPR senior news analyst

July 4 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington Correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • John Harris, Washington Post staff writer

June 20 panel:

  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC dhief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist and member of editorial staff;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • John Harris, Washington Post staff writer

June 6 panel:

  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian and author;
  • Joshua Green, The Atlantic senior editor

May 9 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist and member of editorial staff;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Cynthia Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial page editor

November 1 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, NBC co-anchor of Weekend Today
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

September 6 panel:

  • Maureen Dowd, New York Times columnist;
  • Paul Gigot, Wall Street Journal editorial page editor

August 15 panel:

  • Melinda Henneberger, Newsweek contributing editor;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist and member of the editorial staff;
  • Kim Strassel, Wall Street Journal senior editorial page writer;
  • Cokie Roberts, ABC anchor and NPR senior news analyst

August 1 panel:

  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent

June 13 panel:

  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign Affairs correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

May 2 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, NBC co-anchor of Weekend Today;
  • Sam Donaldson, former ABC News anchor;
  • Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent;
  • Bob Woodward, Washington Post reporter and assistant managing editor

March 14 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist
  • Laura Ingraham, conservative radio host;
  • Joe Klein, Time magazine senior writer

February 29 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent

February 1 panel:

  • Norah O'Donnell, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Cynthia Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial page editor;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire

January 25 panel:

  • Campbell Brown, NBC co-anchor of Weekend Today;
  • Dave Barry, Miami Herald columnist;
  • Kelly Wallace, CNN national correspondent
  • Joe Klein, Time magazine senior writer

January 18 panel:

  • Katty Kay, BBC Washington correspondent;
  • Howard Fineman, Newsweek chief political correspondent;
  • Gloria Borger, U.S. News & World Report contributing editor;
  • Carl Quintanilla, NBC News correspondent

January 12 panel:

  • Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune columnist;
  • David Gregory, NBC White House correspondent;
  • Liz Marlantes, Christian Science Monitor political correspondent;
  • Tucker Carlson, CNN co-host of Crossfire