By Erin Brown
Culture and Media Institute
April 9, 2009

CBS found many different ways to promote the recent legalization of gay marriage in Iowa and Vermont during “The Early Show” April 9.

CBS downplayed controversy surrounding gay marriage and dedicated almost 90 percent of the segment to promoting the pro-gay marriage position. But opponents of gay marriage only received seventeen seconds of air time.

Those seventeen seconds didn’t paint opponents in a good light. When opponents of gay marriage briefly appeared on screen, they were seen shouting and protesting with signs. When gay couples appeared, they were shown crying, kissing, hugging, shouting, clapping and holding their children.

CBS only quoted one same-sex marriage opponent: Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage. She argued that most Americans would say a “marriage” is a husband and a wife and that politicians shouldn’t interfere.

Priya David’s report also included a poll which was phrased to favor gay marriage. The CBS correspondent cited a recent CBS News poll that found that “33 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 22 percent back in 2004.”

While those results may be accurate (within the three percent margin of error) David chose not to say the percentage in favor of gay marriage instead of the percentage opposed. In this case, a sizeable majority – 67 percent of Americans – are opposed to gay marriage. Yet, David’s language made gay marriage look accepted.

David also failed to mention the agenda of Lambda Legal, the firm that filed the lawsuit in Iowa to overturn the gay marriage ban. According to the Lambda Legal Web site it is “the oldest national organization pursuing high-impact litigation, public education and advocacy on behalf of equality and civil rights for lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV.”

As Early Show co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared at the beginning of the segment, “Same-sex marriage seems to be gaining momentum,” and with the help of skewed segments from CBS, gay marriage has the appearance of being widespread and non-controversial.

Erin Brown is an intern at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center.