A media coverage analysis by Pew Research Center is a damning indictment of mainstream news. During the last six weeks of the election FOX News was the most objective news source by a wide margin. I find this surprising because I rip on FOX all the time. Maybe I’m just programed to watch liberal news.
A study by the Pew Research Center showed that 40 percent of FOX News stories on Obama in the last six weeks of the campaign were negative. Similarly, 40 percent of FOX News’ stories on Obama’s Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, were negative.
On CNN, by contrast, there was a 22-point disparity in the percentage of negative stories on Obama (39 percent) and McCain (61 percent). The disparity was even greater at MSNBC, according to Pew, where just 14 percent of Obama stories were negative, compared to a whopping 73 percent of McCain stories — a spread of 59 points.
I know liberals love to complain about FOX news but it seems to me that it’s becoming sour grapes. MSNBC is basically working for the DNC and the White House is upset with FOX’s coverage? It appears liberals are so used to blatantly biased news in their favor and they can’t stomach anyone who remotely tries to be balanced. I should note this is news coverage and not talking heads. Glen Beck is a populist, O’Reilly is a centrist, and Hannity is a Republican.
The biggest surprise to me about Pew’s findings is that “centrist” CNN wasn’t objective in the last election. This is why I can’t watch these outlets. During the Bush years liberals complained that the press was “too easy” on Bush. Now the White House who has received the most spectacular free pass in history is upset with FOX because they’re too harsh on the President. Obama must have thin skin if he’s concerned about what FOX has to say. After eight years of relentless press assault Bush proved he could take criticism. Obama and the left can’t take any criticism.
NPR and BBC for me. The only programs I can stand on MSNBC is Morning Joe and Hardball. Everything else is bullshit. FNC, of course, is almost entirely bullshit save for the occasional news nugget from Shepherd Smith. CNN.. well they’re CNN. No one watches, therefore no one cares.
Oh, and just because O’Reilly may not be a 9/12 tea party apocalypto doesn’t mean that he is simply by default a “centrist”. Not when week after mindnumbing week he loads up his panel with characters like Dennis Miller, Dick Morris, Karl Rove, actual 9/12 tea party apocalypto Glenn Beck, and that admittedly hot chick from RedState. Watching the Factor has become akin to watching an episode of WWF Raw, which is probably why my mom’s side of the family digs it so much.
Great post! I must humbly give credit to Fox News for this one. The worst part is I thought CNN was the most objective station by far. Got me thinking on this one Mr. Nemov!
[...] know, I know, I’m covering old ground. Today I read an article Mark Tapscott wrote that discusses the Media Matters/MSNBC [...]