Will media bias impact the election?
The Los Angeles Times sparked a debate last month when it reported that Barack Obama was subject to harsher media coverage than John McCain in the first weeks of the general election campaign, according to a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs.
The center rated the split of positive and negative comments about the candidates in the evening news programs of three major television stations from June 8 to July 21. While newscasters made neutral statements most of the time, the center found that when they did make value judgments, only 28% of comments regarding Obama were positive as compared to a 43% rate of positivity regarding McCain.
Conservatives have pointed out, however, that Obama has received a great deal more coverage than McCain, an assertion that has been supported by the Tyndall Report. The report tracks the same three television networks and says that Obama has received more than twice the air time as McCain.
Which of these trends in election coverage do you think will affect the candidates more strongly? How will it impact public opinion? In news coverage, does quantity supercede quality; is there no such thing as bad press? Or does biased language in coverage subtly or not so subtly influence voters?
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Tags: Election Coverage