Fox News has long attempted to portray itself as a “fair and balanced” news network, despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary. Even Fox & Friends, which by Fox's own definition is not a “news” show, continually claims that its panels, debates, and coverage of politics are fair and balanced. Recently, co-host Gretchen Carlson claimed the show “present[s] both sides of the story, and we leave it up to our viewers to decide where they fall.”

This morning, co-host Steve Doocy took up the charge, hyping the results of a recent study by George Mason University's Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA). Doocy claimed the results proved how “fair and balanced” the network is. From Fox & Friends:

DOOCY: Also, something interesting, we've been talking about how it's been a slugfest down in the state of Florida. There's a survey from the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University in the Washington, D.C., area, and it says that Mitt Romney is by far getting the most negative press in the broadcast and the cable channels. Interestingly enough, the most negative press comes from NBC. They have 73 percent negative to 27 percent positive stories about the race. Meanwhile, the most balanced coverage, Fox: 53 -- 52 percent positive, 48 percent negative. So fair and balanced not only a slogan, we actually live by it.

But as anyone who watches Fox's political coverage knows, any study that shows balance in Fox's reporting should be viewed skeptically. As it turns out, there is reason to do so with CMPA's study. They don't include specific methodology, other than to assure readers that their researchers are highly trained to follow the coding behavior of existing monitors. In addition, CMPA's president, Robert Lichter, is a former paid contributor for Fox News.

Even attributing objectivity to this study, it does not show what Doocy claims it shows. The study evaluated “the evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, [and] NBC” but only took the first half-hour of Special Report as representative of Fox's entire coverage (exactly the same method they used in past studies). By failing to note this, Doocy is suggesting that Fox's coverage of the GOP presidential race should be considered the most balanced, since one study found a moderate amount of balance in the first half hour of a show that airs nine hours after Fox & Friends signs off for the day.

Of course, this particular study aside, Fox has repeatedly been evaluated as the network that is most likely to provide a biased and distorted portrayal of the news. Further, Doocy's claim of balance in Fox's treatment of the GOP candidates flies in the face of the numerous softball interviews the show has granted anyone with an R next to their name.