***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
On May 23, the NFL rolled out its new policy to deal with players kneeling or performing any other form of protest during the national anthem. The policy said that players can stay in the locker room as a protest if they wanted to but if they’re on the field they must or their team will be fined.
When it came to reporting the policy change that evening, ABC and NBC appeared put off by the development. They both seemed to suggest that players kneeling wasn’t unpopular with fans until President Trump spoke out and pushed the inaccurate claim the players weren’t consulted. And neither spoke with players supportive of the decision.
ABC began World New Tonight with the controversial tasing and arrest of an NBA player before getting into the NFL news. “Meantime, the NFL is out tonight with a new policy on the national anthem. Insisting that players on the field must stand for the anthem or that the team will be fined,” announced sensationalist anchor David Muir. “Players taking a knee to protest became a national controversy after President Trump condemned it.”
Reporter Gio Benitez appeared to call into question the timing of the league’s announcement given President Trump’s influence:
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