Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell reviewed how many stories the newspaper put on the front page about John McCain and Barcak Obama over the past ten weeks and discovered a wide gap in favor of Obama, a “disparity,” she declared, “so wide that it doesn't look good.” Howell, the Washington Bureau chief and editor of Newhouse News from 1990 until 2005, outlined in her weekly Sunday column what she determined:
Democrat Barack Obama has had about a 3 to 1 advantage over Republican John McCain in Post Page 1 stories since Obama became his party's presumptive nominee June 4. Obama has generated a lot of news by being the first African American nominee, and he is less well known than McCain -- and therefore there's more to report on. But the disparity is so wide that it doesn't look good.
Specifically, “in overall political stories from June 4 to Friday, Obama dominated by 142 to 96. Obama has been featured in 35 stories on Page 1; McCain has been featured in 13, with three Page 1 references with photos to stories on inside pages.” That “dovetails with Obama's dominance in photos, which I pointed out two weeks ago. At that time, it was 122 for Obama and 78 for McCain.”
She also recalled Obama's dominance during his overseas trip: “When Obama traveled to the Middle East and Europe, the coverage dwarfed that of McCain -- six Page 1 stories from July 19 to July 27, plus an earlier front-page story announcing the trip. McCain managed one Page 1 story and one Page 1 reference; the July 25 story said he might pick a vice presidential candidate soon, but that didn't happen.”
Howell's August 17 column: “Obama's Edge in the Coverage Race”
—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Obama dominates
August 18, 2008 - 01:39 ET by Cool ArrowI have to agree.
The class busted out with laughter when he told Rick Warren "The dog ate my homework".
Quite the class clown, that Barrabas Obama.
I ♣ my seal
#s
August 18, 2008 - 01:57 ET by MikeknaJThe numbers don't lie.
I wonder if Pelosi and the Dems would like a Fairness Doctrine for newspapers??
"The shadow proves the sunshine" - Switchfoot
http://www.xanga.com/mikeknaj
Serendipitous
August 18, 2008 - 02:20 ET by Lakewood BobAccidentally good news!! You see, decent folks down South and in the heartland of America don't read the Washington Post, and if they did, they would not agree with it. In other words, support for Obama in real America is inversely proportional to the amount of coverage he has gotten on the front page of the Post, or the NY Times for that matter.
Just thought you might like to know! By the way, I believe the new newspaper of record is the National Inquirer.
Lakewood
August 18, 2008 - 02:25 ET by Cool ArrowM y problem is trying to read this stuff with a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other. Just can't help myself. I just cling to them.
I ♣ my seal
One unique and exclusive
August 18, 2008 - 02:24 ET by FairlightOne unique and exclusive side-effect of this that many do not not recognize & defies liberal wisdom: the more Obama coverage, the worse he gets.
Maybe the more critical coverage the better
August 18, 2008 - 06:17 ET by theduck6If his legendary gaffes, misspeaks and outright errors were trumpeted like anything McCain says are then the more the better but he can massage his muffs and McCain has to live with his. I'm not happy with our choices but better a RINO than a Marxist.
So Ms Howell (Hello Capt.
August 18, 2008 - 10:22 ET by dscottSo Ms Howell (Hello Capt. Obvious), now that you confirmed what we have been saying all along what will WaPo do to rectify this situation?
1) Will WaPo just quantitatively increase the number of negative stories of McCain to balance out all the positive stories for Obama?
2) Will WaPo seek to make up for all the missing stories for McCain?
3) Will WaPo stop featuring Obama stories on page 1 until McCain catches up, putting all those on page 2?
4) All the above
Unless WaPo is prepared to not only end the imbalance in coverage but also make up for the past advantage it gave to Obama, then your confession was just a hand wringing exercise to wipe the slate clean to start all over again to continue giving WaPo's perferred candidate the advantage. We call that CHEAP GRACE (self absolution) and you won't find any absolution from the public or us. This is a clear case of too little too late.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
The New York Observer mentions Newsbusters and MRC
August 20, 2008 - 10:14 ET by Dee BunkThey have a really stupid story "Media's Imbalance Has Been a Net Plus For McCain" and they claim that Newsbusters and the MRC have "hyped" Howell's claims and that somehow the medias uncritical constant coverage of Obama is beneficial to McCain.
Leave it to liberals to claim that when the media do something really stupid (like giving uncritical attention to one candidate) it's really not so bad because their positive coverage of Obama cuts into their time attacking GWB and McCain.
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