As if we didn't know already by the evidence of the left-wing media establishment's work, Pew Research unveiled a new survey that showed that John McCain has been on the receiving end of "heavily unfavorable" coverage. In fact, according to Pew, McCain's media coverage has become more negative over time with unfavorable stories about him outweighing favorable ones "by a factor of more than three-to-one." Pew finds that McCain's negative stories are the highest from among all four major candidates.
First of all, we should remember that the Pew survey was drawn from news coverage -- opinion pieces were not included. So, if we were to add all the opinion editorials emanating from the Old Media, the unfavorables for McCain and Palin would soar to unprecedented heights. But, Op-Eds aside and with the fact that we are talking "news," it is still amazing to note the highly negative tone leveled at McCain.
Pew found that, for McCain "nearly six-in-ten stories studied were decidedly negative in nature (57%), while fewer than two-in-ten (14%) were positive."
On the other hand, for Obama "just over a third of the stories were clearly positive in tone (36%), while a similar number (35%) were neutral or mixed. A smaller number (29%) were negative."
As McClatchy reported the survey, they added a caveat from the authors:
Finally, a caveat from the authors: Obama, and then McCain, received negative coverage as each began to drop in the polls. "Winning in politics begat winning coverage," the study said. Which means: When someone is leading, we do positive stories about them leading - and how smart they were to get there.
But, here is the thing and it is an addendum of sorts to the negatives thrown at McCain: who is it that says that McCain is dropping in the polls? The same polling organizations that have been wrong so very often. Add to that the sort of polls that AOL or The New York Times pay for that are clearly biased with heavier Democrat samples and we end up with polls that are often purposefully skewed to favor the Democrats. And then, after the media gets their skewed polls, they then use that false authority to claim that McCain deserves the negative stories because Obama appears to be "winning in politics" to "begat winning coverage."
So, the Old Media wants Obama to be the "smart" one that "got there" and they want McCain and Palin to be the stumbling, dummies that failed. They get their specially tailored polls to prove it. They then write their stories of the "winning" Obama accordingly. "That one" is "The One."
A self-fulfilling prophecy on the part of the media, for sure.
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Orson Scott Card -scifi
October 23, 2008 - 05:56 ET by motherbeltOrson Scott Card -scifi author and newspaper columnist has a great article ripping today's "journalists" for, among other things, ignoring the big story (Fannie/Freddie) right under their noses because it would harm Obama.
It's a little long, but IMO the money grafs are these:
But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie — that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain, and the Republicans. You have trained the American people to blame everything bad — even bad weather — on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.
If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth — even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.
Because that's what honorable people do. Honest people tell the truth even when they don't like the probable consequences. That's what honesty means . That's how trust is earned.
Barack Obama is just another politician, and not a very wise one. He has revealed his ignorance and naivete time after time — and you have swept it under the rug, treated it as nothing.
Meanwhile, you have participated in the borking of Sarah Palin, reporting savage attacks on her for the pregnancy of her unmarried daughter — while you ignored the story of John Edwards's own adultery for many months.
So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all? Do you even know what honesty means?
It's well worth the time to read the whole thing.
Wow, MB thanks for a great
October 23, 2008 - 07:32 ET by Scuba DudeWow, MB thanks for a great link. I think this is something we should start emailing to every paper and television station.
It makes me so mad at how this happened and the media is enabling these criminals.
the media isnt even doing its job, to our detriment
October 23, 2008 - 08:06 ET by jondelwicheYes, why wont the media simply do its job and stop its advocacy?
Is it, the pursuit of their self-fulfilling prophecy? Scary!
How about 1% of the media coverage on Biden's health concerns
that was properly devoted to VP Cheney and his heart in prior
elections?
As I've posted all week, our clinic was stunned to learn, only THIS
week, that Sen Biden has had a prior hemorrhagic stroke.
It sheds a whole new light on his "gaffing," i.e might not be so
funny but rather a worrisome commentary on his cognitive
functions.
How is there not a demand for current neurological opinons, MRI,
written memory testing, etc that unequivocally support his
cognitive skills to be the #2 person in line for the nuclear trigger?
Instead, we get palin's wardrobe budget...Huh?
Forget favorable or unfavorable, hey media, just do your job.
I like Sen Biden, and if he can pass this scrutiny then he has
nothing to fear. But media, please at least ask the question.
That's pretty much the key
October 23, 2008 - 08:28 ET by ThatDudeThat's pretty much the key here. It isn't just that the coverage is forcibly skewed to be negative towards McCain. The other side of the fact is the vast number of stories that are completely ignored. Does anyone know whether or not FOX was included in Pew's research? The inclusion or exclusion of FOX does slightly change what the results represent.
I think this goes back to
October 23, 2008 - 11:02 ET by Scuba DudeI think this goes back to Watergate. The media found they had the power to take down a President and slowly but surely that power has gone to their heads.
As the saying goes, "Power corrupts".
So the MSM media is thinking they are so powerful that they can dictate who will win the election. This is scary and we must do everything we can to make sure it is the voters and not the media electing our officials.
The Orson Scott Card
October 23, 2008 - 08:36 ET by suzycreamcheeseThe Orson Scott Card article is wonderful. Too bad the people who need to read it will ignore it. I sent it to many people.
Because of the obvious, pathetic media bias, if McCain wins, it will definately be a David-slew-Goliath victory.
The treatment of McCain/Palin: media cruelty
October 23, 2008 - 10:55 ET by Mary Louise TurnerIn my lifetime, I have never seen anything like it and I hope to never see it again. The mainstream media, especially NBC and the New York Times, have been absolutely brutal on the McCain/Palin ticket to the point of near cruelty. Worse yet, they're treating the two as though they were punching bags, hammering them over and over again with obnoxious, almost sadistic questions they'd never dare ask The Messiah.
Worst of all, they seem to be getting some kind of perverted pleasure out of which reporter can be more vicious, especially to Mrs. Palin. Meanwhile, they ask The One and The Bumbler (Biden) puffball questions and refuse to investigate real scandals involving the two mega-liberals.
The MSM is so arrogant and so corrupt that they will never apologize for their behavior. They abuse the First Amendment and then hide behind it when they're caught doing something wrong. Remember: being a liberal means never having to say you're sorry.
I'm sorry but, where have
October 23, 2008 - 08:48 ET by mattmI'm sorry but, where have these people been for the last half a century?
Really?
October 23, 2008 - 09:29 ET by ColoradoDanFer reals? McCain gets more negative coverage? This is a incredible news flash and quite the stunning development!
Seriously, at what point does the national media come clean on the laughable claim of objectivity? You know you're in trouble when Dan Rather comes out and agrees that Sarah Palin would be steamrolled for saying the things that Joe Biden has said. Dan Rather for heaven's sake! What's next, lefty evangelist Bill Moyers calling out MSNBC for not investigating ACORN?
The media has become...
October 23, 2008 - 11:46 ET by cest moi...one long string of rhetorical flourishes.