January 12, 2004 1:36 PM
Pew just released a survey on election news coverage. The big shocker is that 21% of 18-29 year olds get their campaign news from comedy shows, and the perception of bias in election coverage has skyrocketed over the last two decades:
The survey also finds that the nation's deep political divisions are reflected in public views of campaign coverage. Overall, about as many Americans now say news organizations are biased in favor of one of the two parties as say there is no bias in election coverage (39% vs. 38%). This marks a major change from previous surveys taken since 1987. In 1987, 62% thought election coverage was free of partisan bias. That percentage has steadily declined to 53% in 1996, 48% in 2000, and 38% today.Compared with 2000 a much larger number of Democrats believe that coverage of the campaign is tilted in favor of the Republicans (29% now, 19% in 2000). But Republicans continue to see more bias in campaign coverage than do Democrats. More than four-in-ten Republicans (42%) see news coverage of the campaign as biased in favor of Democrats; that compares with 37% in 2000. Among independents there also has been a significant decline in the percentage who say election news is free of bias (43% now, 51% then), though independents remain divided over whether the coverage favors Democrats or Republicans.
UPDATE 3:34pm: Brit Hume (Fox) just did a segment on this survey, and only mentioned the increase in cable news viewership -- not the increase in bias.
Dramatic increase in perception of media bias (01.12.2004)
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Related to this research findings, you might be interested to have a look at http://www.theworldvotes.org. The aim of this initiative is to give people all around the world a voice in the forthcoming U.S. Presidential Election.
Tue Jan 13 2004 2:38 AM
dhermesc:
I think the concentration should be on US citizens having a voice in their own government. Not some third world nations hoping that the election of one canidate or the other results in more US handouts or backscratching.
Tue Jan 13 2004 12:40 PM
But what about countries whose economies or citizens are seriously hurt as a result of the US president's foreign policy? Should they not have at least a say in these elections? Not officially of course, but let there be debate between US citizens and citizens of the world, that might change voting behaviour in the US and in other countries as well, in favor of a more international perspective on matters.
Thu Jan 15 2004 4:10 AM
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