A group of Republicans have decided it’s time for the government to keep an eye on the news media.

The Republican members of the House have formed a Media Fairness Caucus to protest liberal bias in news media coverage of the government. They’re holding a news conference Wednesday afternoon to slam the ABC television network for “slanted all-day coverage of the ‘President’s health care agenda.’’’

ABC was granted behind the scenes access to the Obama White House for a day’s worth of coverage Wednesday, culminating in a town hall meeting on health care from the White House.

The group will complain that the network refused to accept a paid ad from a group critical of the Obama health care agenda, and that it will refuse to include opposing viewpoints in its coverage.

“By refusing to include the opposing view point and rejecting paid advertising that would present an alternative, ABC is taking on the appearance of a White House-run television network,” the group said.

One of the leaders of the group is Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who last year urged the news media to investigate members of Congress to check their loyalty.

“The news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would,” she said. “I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out if they are pro-America or anti-America.”

Other members include Reps. Lamar Smith of Texas, Jack Kingston of Georgia, Phil Gingrey of Maryland, Trent Franks of Arizona, Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and Ted Poe of Texas.
      
Conservatives have complained for several days about the ABC access. The practice is not new: Bush White House granted exclusive access to Fox News, which that network described at the time as “unprecedented.”
 
ABC News president David Westin said the Republican group was prematurely judging “a program that has not yet aired."

"Contrary to your assertions,” he said in a letter, “this will not be 'slanted' in any way – much less a 'day-long infomercial' or 'in-kind free advertising' as you allege. It will be a thoughtful, respectful, and probing discussion of some of the issues raised by the calls for health-care reform. We will include a variety of perspectives coming from private individuals asking the President questions and taking issue with him, as they see fit."