An Aug. 5 CNSNews.com article by Penny Starr touts the prayer rally today in Houston authorized by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Starr quotes only from Perry’s proclamation for the rally and a Perry spokesperson. The only opposing view Starr provides is a single sentence: “Critics have said the prayer rally is designed to advance Perry’s political ambitions.”
But that’s only one component of the criticism of Perry’s rally. Starr doesn’t mention that one major criticism of the rally is the far-right nature and history of hateful comments by the groups and ministers who are putting on the rally for Perry. Right Wing Watch has compiled a fact sheet about them.
Starr also failed to report signs of low attendance at the rally. The Houston Chronicle reported on Aug. 1 — four days before Starr’s article was published — that only 8,000 people had signed up to attend the rally at Houston’s Reliant Stadium, which seats 71,500.
So much for CNS’ purported mission statement of “fairly present[ing] all legitimate sides of a story.”