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Shocker!! (not): Networks Run Very Negative on Bush

Study: Network coverage of President's 2nd "first 100 days" is 2-to-1 negative.

- July 2005 -

 

        In a study that should surprise absolutely no one, the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CPMA), an outfit operated by the respected Drs. Robert and Linda Lichter, found that television network coverage of the first 100 days of President Bush's second term was overwhelmingly negative.

        A couple of findings (emphases added):

"67 percent of President Bush's evaluations were negative during the first 100 days of his second term, an improvement over the 71 percent negative evaluations he received four years ago, but worse than Bill Clinton's 59 percent negative total in his first 100 days in 1993.

"ABC was the most critical of President Bush during the 100 days studied - 78 percent of comments aired on ABC's "World News Tonight" were negative - while NBC was more balanced, with only 57 percent negative evaluations. The tone of CBS's coverage was closer to ABC's - with 71 percent negative comments."*

 

        As an example of some of the egregious bias that some reporters display, the CPMA highlighted this little tidbit from John Roberts of CBS, as heard on March 31, 2005.

"Without comment about how he felt taking the nation to war on such flawed assumptions, President Bush agreed it's time to go to work."

       

        Says a summary of the study, "These findings come from CPMA's ongoing study of presidential coverage on ABC, CBS, and NBC evening news shows. The latest results are based on the 250 stories the networks devoted to covering the first 100 days of President Bush's second term, from January 20th through April 29th. Coders analyzed all on-air comments by reporters and their sources - excluding representatives of the two parties - that evaluated the president's policies, political skills personal traits."

 

TheMediaReport.com says ... We already knew this, but it's nice to see a reputable study to confirm it.

 

* The summary actually says, "The tone of CBS's coverage was closer to NBC's - with 71 percent negative comments." This appears to be a typo, as 71 is closer to the 78 percent for ABC; not closer to the 57 percent for NBC. Here is a Washington Times article about the study.