FAIR busts myth of pro-Obama media bias
September 18, 2008 1:23 pm ET by Jamison Foser
FAIR takes on "The Myth of Pro-Obama Media Bias" and offers some facts to counter the assertion that the media demonstrated a liberal bias in covering Obama more than McCain earlier this year:
The amount of coverage for both candidates is unprecedented, but the advantage held by Obama in overall coverage is nothing unusual, as shown by figures compiled by the Tyndall Report (7/25/08). Measuring the first six months of each election year, Democratic challenger Michael Dukakis got only 32 percent of the coverage garnered by then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988; incumbent Bill Clinton got only 28 percent of the coverage Republican challenger Bob Dole got in 1996. Incumbent George W. Bush got 85 percent as much coverage as Democratic Sen. John Kerry in 2004—the closest thing to parity in early campaign coverage since Tyndall has been keeping track.
