bill o'reilly asked david westin about it. >> i think many americans are worried about their economic situation. they are worried about their jobs, their houses. their children. their 401(k)s and things like that. that was not true in -- >> you think it is economically driven. i don't see it that way. >> also driven by the opponent. the obama campaign is pushing this story hard. >> but certainly the media is picking up on that. >> former president of abc, david westin. >> it is not fair game to ask about generics this wealth. in 2004 the issue was not really the economy. but also the issue then was the iraq war when the media focus on an issue they tend to focus on it in drove. >> for example the 44 signs on the front page about abu ghraib. what is hilarious is west win would hide the liberal media. obviously plants the assumption that everybody knows that -- >> asking a network news president if they are biased is like asking a drunk if he can hold his liquor. that is just not reelection evacuate. >> what he did say, what happened is he did say bias is not just how things are done. w

so what did you think about david westin's explanation on the romney-kerry wealth factor? >> well, he had a point it seems to me, bill, that the economy and that sort of issue is front and center this year in a way that it wasn't back in 2004, perhaps. but -- and i would also add that he came -- became president although i've known him a long time and counted him as a friend and liked him, david westin came to be president of abc news after i had gone but i will say this about the atmosphere that i recall at abc news, it is not surprising to me that join kerry's wealth and the way he lived did not occasion much coverage or interest from the news media in 2004 just as the kennedy wealth never really occasioned any unfavorable references when the kennedy family was front and center in american political life. it's just the democrats with money look different to reporters in the mainstream media than republicans with money do. there's some taint that attaches in minds of republicans that doesn't attach to rich liberals. that romney vs. kerry example seems to be evident. >> bi

so what did you think about david westin's explanation on the romney-kerry wealth factor?well, he had a point it seems to me, bill, that the economy and that sort of issue is front and center this year in a way that it wasn't back in 2004, perhaps. but -- and i would also add that he came -- became president although i've known him a long time and counted him as a friend and liked him, david westin came to be president of abc news after i had gone but i will say this about the atmosphere that i recall at abc news, it is not surprising to me that join kerry's wealth and the way he lived did not occasion much coverage or interest from the news media in 2004 just as the kennedy wealth never really occasioned any unfavorable references when the kennedy family was front and center in american political life. it's just the democrats with money look different to reporters in the mainstream media than republicans with money do. there's some taint that attaches in minds of republicans that doesn't attach to rich liberals. that romney vs. kerry example seems to be evident. >> bill:

>>> coming up next, former abc news president and our friend, david westin, is here. from 1987 to 2010, david westin had a front-row seat to history. eat's great to have you here. >> i love what you've done with the place. >> i love this book. i called it a master class in modern journalism. but it's also about the education of the news president. you had come from a very different background. >> my first job in journalism was running abc news. so, in some ways, i was dropped into the deep end of the pool. >> and following a legend. >> in roone. >> and took abc news from a low position and built it into a powerhouse. and had been there for a long time. one doesn't want to succeed a legend in your career. >> you come in. and early in your tenure, you end up going head-to-head with another legend in modern journalism, peter jennings. it came after the death of princess diana. you are at home and get a call from peter. >> saturday night on labor day weekend. peter and i got to work closely for several years. it was a wonderful experience. and most of the time, he was rig

>>> coming up next, former abc news president and our friend, david westin, is here..com. summer road trip, huh? yep uhuh let's find you a room. at hotels.com, you'll always find the perfect hotel. because we only do hotels. wow. i like that. nice! no. laugh...awe hmm nice huh ooh, yeah book it! oh boy call me... this summer, we're finding you the perfect place - plus giving you up to $100 at hotels.com >>> much more excited. president of abc news from 1987 to 2010, david westin had a front-row seat to history. eat's great to have you here. >> i love what you've done with the place. >> i love this book. i called it a master class in modern journalism. but it's also about the education of the news president. you had come from a very different background. >> my first job in journalism was running abc news. so, in some ways, i was dropped into the deep end of the pool. >> and following a legend. >> in roone. >> and took abc news from a low position and built it into a powerhouse. and had been there for a long time. one doesn't want to succeed a legend in your career. >>

david westin joins me now. i wrote a newspaper for the period you ran abc news.nary period for huge news stories. whether it was 9/11 or princess diana's death or the iraq war. it kept coming. >> including on this side of the atlantic impeaching a president. it was extraordinary. >> as you see the fascinating survey out. 77% of people said the media tend to favor one side in america. compared with 53% in 1985. as you see the way the debate's gone with the media now. with fox dominant on the right, msnbc to the right. nbc like many of the networks down the middle impartial. which is what you from the book have claimed to be. but you see it inevitably moving more the way of the british media i grew up in with everybody ends up with a side. or do you think the networks can still stay strong down the middle? >> i don't think it inevidently has to go into more partisanship. what constitutes the media became vastly greater. when i started both msnbc and fox news were two months old. and we didn't have a website. and over time as i talked about in the book, that expande

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