Media bias, You bet!

Rasmussen Reports:

Just 17% of voters nationwide believe that most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of election campaigns. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that four times as many—68%--believe most reporters try to help the candidate that they want to win.

The perception that reporters are advocates rather than observers is held by 82% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats, and 69% of voters not affiliated with either major party. The skepticism about reporters cuts across income, racial, gender, and age barriers.

Ideologically, political liberals give the least pessimistic assessment of reporters, but even 50% of those on the political left see bias. Thirty-three percent (33%) of liberals believe most reporters try to be objective. Moderates, by a 65% to 17% margin, see reporters as advocates, not scribes. Among political conservatives, only 7% see reporters as objective while 83% believe they are biased.

Given these results, it’s not surprising that 76% of voters believe the media has too much power and influence over elections. Just 3% believe the Fourth Estate has too little influence while 16% say the balance is about right.

Eighty-seven percent (87%) of Republicans believe the media has too much influence along with 80% of unaffiliated voters and 65% of Democrats.

Voters have little doubt as to who is benefitting from the media coverage this year—Barack Obama. Fifty-four percent (54%) say Obama has gotten the best coverage so far. Twenty-two percent (22%) say McCain has received the most favorable coverage while 14% say that Hillary got the best treatment.

At the other extreme, 43% say Clinton received the worst treatment from the media. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say the media was roughest on McCain and only 15% thought the media coverage was most unfair to Obama.

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In terms of analyzing individual stories, McCain has had the most negative coverage, but the perception of Hillary getting more is because it has been more recent and in stories that had move coverage. Bill has also made people aware of the negative coverage much more aggressively than McCain has.

One reason for this is the Clinton's are not used to getting this much negative media form the mainstream guys. They were used to getting the Obama treatment. Being treated like a Republican, i.e. the other, was something new for them.

There are still many reporters who Obama is causing a tingle to run up their legs. Of the mainstream media, I think ABC has been the more likely to challenge Obama. Then the Obama media jumped on ABC. I don't know if this will continue through the fall buy McCain should plan on it and find a way to get his message out around the Obama media filter.