CNN's in kind contributions to the Trump campaign

Washington Examiner:
CNN's president downplayed criticism this week that his newsroom pays an inordinate amount of attention to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, but data shows his network is one of the chief contributors to the billionaire businessman's nearly $2 billion in earned media this election cycle.

As the front-runner, Trump was always going to get "a disproportionate amount of attention," Jeff Zucker told reporters this week.

The television executive continued, explaining that part of the reason why Trump gets so much play on CNN is because the candidate makes himself readily available.

Trump "has been much more available than many of the others who have been or are still in the race. Just because he says 'yes' and has subjected himself to those interviews, and [other candidates] don't, I'm not going to penalize him for saying 'yes,'" Zucker said.

But CNN has done a lot more than merely follow the story of the casino tycoon's White House bid.

Since announcing his presidential campaign in June 2015, Trump has enjoyed nine straight months of near-constant media coverage from newspapers, online news sites and cable and network television. He has easily outpaced all of his opponents, both Democratic and Republican, in terms of mentions and panel discussions. However, though all of media is obsessed with Trump, few newsrooms have ignored the other 2016 candidates in favor of Trump as much as CNN has, according to Internet Archive data rounded up by the GDELT Project.

The following chart of CNN's 2016 coverage shows the amount of attention CNN has paid Trump versus all the other GOP candidates:
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When you add the networks overt hostility to Ted Cruz you get a better picture of the unfairness of the coverage.  Trump's own hostility to tough questions seems to have intimidated many in the media, but that does not explain their coverage of long periods of an empty podium waiting for him to speak or the hours of coverage to the event in Chicago where Trump called off an appearance because a few students and Sanders supporters were present.

I personally do not find the guy very interesting anymore.  I have gotten where the mute button is not enough when these marathon appearances are happening.  I change the channel and urge others to do so.
 

Comments

  1. News media do cover Trump more. They downplay his wrong doing and constantly bring up Clinton's email and now Foundation. They downplay Trumps illegal contributions. The media should stop the email talk trying to find something. Go ask Trump for his tax returns or FOIA it or get an investigation started. Oops forgot media not interested in Trump wrong doings.

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