November 8 - Morning After Election

MSNBC: All Eyes on Virginia, Montana: Control of Senate hinges on two states; House already won by Democrats
CNN: All eyes on Montana, Virginia
FoxNews: Democrats Capture House; Senate Still Up for Grabs. Senate races in Virginia, Montana all that stand between Dem sweep, GOP split of Congress

November 7 - Election Day Morning

MSNBC: Judgment Day - Analysis: Bush now awaits voters' decisions
CNN: America Votes 2006: Voters have their say
FoxNews: Balance of Power Up For Grabs in House, Senate

November 4

MSNBC: 'Rumsfeld Must Go': Military publications to call for defense secretary's ouster
CNN: Neoconservatives decry handling of Iraq war
FoxNews: Haggard: Charges Untrue - Top Evangelist admits meth buy, denies gay sex

Both CNN and MSNBC report on traditional Bush-backers now calling for Rumsfeld's resignation and criticizing the war effort.

Fox News decides to headline with the scandal amongst the Christian Evangelicals, who apparently think it's better to be a drug user than a homosexual. Neither of CNN's or MSNBC's stories appear anywhere on Fox News' front page.

October 31

MSNBC: Sex Myths: Global study offers insights into STDs, promiscuity and more
CNN: North Korea links nuclear talks to sanctions
FoxNews: Republicans Want Dems to Distance Selves From Kerry

MSNBC goes for non-political top story again. CNN talks about the latest on North Korea. Fox News spotlights Democrat John Kerry's controversial remarks.

October 26

MSNBC: Leveling Out? Analysis: Worst may be over for housing market
CNN: Bush OKs 700 miles of fence on U.S.-Mexico border
FoxNews: Bush OKs Border Fence Bill

MSNBC decides to remind us that the housing market has been in the dumps lately. Both CNN and Fox News matter-of-factly report on Bush's signing of the Mexico fence bill.

October 20

CNN: General in D.C. for security talks
MSNBC: Debt Threat: Thousands of U.S. troops called security risks due to money woes
FoxNews: Bush Summons Abizaid To Discuss Tactics in Iraq

MSNBC highlights the negative in the Iraq issue by casting a segment of the military in a negative light, calling them security risks.

Both CNN and FoxNews headline the discussion with Abizaid on the Iraq situation. But CNN merely says Abizaid is in D.C. for talks, while Fox paints the President as an engaged Commander-in-Chief who "summons" Abizaid.

Also, within the respective articles, FoxNews says that the President made a last-minute change to his schedule to meet with Gen. Abizaid, trying to portray the President as actively taking on the Iraq issue to try and improve the situation.

CNN quotes Tony Snow as saying 'the meetings were scheduled as "part of a regular consultation process,"' implying that the meetings would have taken place anyway as a matter of course and that the President did not take any special action to convene the meeting on Iraq.

October 18

CNN: Four U.S. soldiers charged with rape and murder
MSNBC: Distribution Woes: Despite surplus, flu shots still may be hard to find
Fox News: China Moves to Head Off Second N. Korea Nuke Test

CNN carries bad news from Iraq. MSNBC decides to focus on flu vaccines. FoxNews keeps the level at Orange by reminding us of N.K. situation, again.

October 17

CNN: Social worker beaten to death, baby missing
MSNBC: Grumpy Generation: Forbes: U.S. families earning more, but think grandparents had it better
Fox News: U.S. Sounds Warning on More N. Korea Nuke Tests

CNN goes for a human interest story. MSNBC has a tie in with Forbes magazine on another economy story. Fox News rattles the sabers and keeps the fear level high and national security front and center by warning about more NK nukes.

October 16

CNN: Karr: 'I've never harmed a child'
MSNBC: Billion-Dollar Ambitions: Wal-Mart reportedly to buy China's biggest food-store chain
Fox News: No Knockouts in U.N. Fight: Venezeula counter-punches, but can't score enough votes to win Security Council seat

CNN with a Larry King promo on the front page. MSNBC carries a piece on the global economy, this time a US company's purchase of a Chinese company. FoxNews sticks it to Chavez by highlighting his failure to get votes.

October 14

CNN: U.N. smackdown on N. Korea
MSNBC: 'Clear Threat': Security Council unites on North Korea sanctions
Fox News: U.N. Votes to Impose Sanctions on North Korea: North Korea rejects 'gangster-like' action

All 3 sites give top billing to UN sanctions against North Korea. Interesting to note that CNN has the most 'Fox-like' headline.

October 12

CNN: Report: U.K.'s top general looks for Iraq pullout
MSNBC: Still Tough: Despite soft market, new homebuyers struggle. Fed sees 'widespread cooling'
Fox News: U.S. Steps Up Drive to Break Impasse on U.N. Resolution

CNN highlights more bad spin on Iraq policy. MSNBC goes for a lead story based on the economy and middle America's struggles. Fox positions the US as the force behind pushing an ineffective UN.

October 11

CNN: Yankees pitcher dies in N.Y. plane crash
MSNBC: Deadly Crash: Plane slams into NYC condo; Yankees pitcher, 1 other killed
Fox News: Yankees Player Killed When Plane Hits NYC High-Rise

Corey Lidle's plane crash tops all 3 sites.

October 10

CNN: Rice: Bilateral talks won't work
MSNBC: Population Worries: As U.S. nears 300-million mark, nation in no mood to celebrate
Fox News: North Korea Blast a Bust?

CNN reaffirms administration's approach on North Korea. MSNBC chooses to highlight its partner Newsweek's story on immigration (illegal and otherwise). Fox News disses North Korea's latest nuke attempt.

October 9

CNN: U.S. urges nuke test embargo
MSNBC: Katrina Cons: Home-repair fraud climbing along Gulf Coast
Fox News: U.S. Pushes for Tough U.N. Sanctions for North Korea

October 8

CNN: GOP campaign leader sorry over Foley scandal
MSNBC: Rising Casualties: Number of GIs wounded in Iraq surges to 2 year high
Fox News: Coalition Forces in Iraq Battle With Shiite Militia: At least 30 insurgents killed in Diwaniyah

CNN keeps harping on GOP leadership's response to the Foley scandal. MSNBC highlights bad news for US forces in Iraq. Fox News gives positive spin on latest Iraq news.

October 7

CNN: GOP campaign leader: Sorry for not catching Foley's 'lies'
MSNBC: Easy Targets? N.C. Fire May Highlight Cracks in U.S. Security
Fox News: Iraqi Army Enforces Security Crackdown in Northeast

CNN keeps Foleygate in the headlines. MSNBC tries to play up gaps in our "War on Terror." FoxNews tries to keeps Iraq front and center by highlighting gains made by Iraqi security forces.

Media Bias?

What I'll be doing is recording the top story at each 3 major news sites -- CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews -- at one particular point in time each day.

This should give some insight into how each outfit approaches the news, and if they have any biases. It should be more illuminating during slower news times, as that is when each editorial department has the greatest amount of leeway to decide what, and how, to present to the general public.

I'll also include some personal observations as to what I think each site is trying to accomplish when choosing its top story.