Mornings Nets Largely Ignore Inflation SPIKE to 8.6%, Highest Since 1981

A devastating report that showed inflation rose to the highest point since 1978, was ignored by ABC, CBS, and NBC morning news. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’s (BLS) June 10 report revealed that inflation soared by 8.6 percent compared to last year, beating the Dow Jones estimate of an 8.3 percent increase. Food and energy prices captured the lion’s share of inflation, with meats, poultry, fish and eggs rising by 14.2 percent. The price of eggs rose by 32.2 per cent in the last year. The biggest individual price rise was in fuel. It has risen by a staggering 32.2 percent over the last year. 106.7% year-over-year. 

You can still do it! ABC’s Good Morning America,CBS Mornings, NBC’s Today and NBC’sToday, 3:00 p.m. couldn’t be bothered to give the terrible economic news any meaningful coverage on their June 10 broadcasts. This is the only thing that’s worth mentioning GMA BLS News was only one news chyron. That’s it. 

“Plenty of experts will tell you that this CPI report doesn’t really matter. The result was an unexpected rise in the prices of used cars and clothing! They’ll say. Obviously that’s skewing the results,” CNBC host Kelly Evans wrote June 10, reacting to the inflation news. “However I think we all know by now that each month seems to bring these ‘fluky’ factors that all point to the same conclusion: our inflation problem is worse than anybody seems to want to admit.” [Emphasis added]. 

Instead of reporting on the dire inflation situation, morning programs treated viewers with entertainment and marijuana junk food. GMA devoted 323 seconds to an interview with country singer Carrie Underwood on her ninth studio album, “Denim & Rhinestones.” 

Jim Cantore, Weather Channel’s meteorologist, took some time to talk to CBS about Sriracha and show his lightning bolt-encrusted socks. Over at NBC, Today highlighted late singer Judy Garland in a “Pride Is Universal” segment to promote Gay Pride Month. Later, the Today’s Third HourThey spent about 300 seconds talking to a host who was a cannabis sommelier. 

“You got to show us those socks at some point,” CBS host Anne-Marie Green said. “You want to see the socks?” Cantore responded, pulling up his pants to show off his lightning bolt-adorned socks. The Sriracha shortage was later brought up. Hey, CBS, how about you “show us” the terrible inflation numbers “at some point,” OK?

NBC spent precious coverage attempting to portray Garland as an LGBTQ icon: “As the decades passed, Garland remained an heroic figure to many in the gay community.”

NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today wrapped up the morning news with a segment on marijuana: “There’s coffee cuppers, there’s cigar catadores, and there’s master chocolatiers,” Ganjier Managing Director Derek Gilman said. “That level of professionalism is needed in cannabis as well.”  

GMA covered the inflation news in just a single chyron: “Wall Street Reacting to Key Inflation Report Out This Morning.” That was the only coverage any of the Big Three news networks gave the soaring inflation numbers. 

However GMA did find time to interview Underwood on her new album: “You are calling this — I love this — your ‘denim and rhinestones era,’” GMA Amy Robach was asked by host Amy Robach about the country singer. “That’s big; what does that mean?” 

Conservatives being attacked. Call ABC News (818-460-7777), CBS News (212-975-33247), and NBC News (212-664-6192) to hold them responsible for not providing coverage at all of the most recent inflation figures since December 1981.