Media ignore NYT poll that shows overwhelming public support for health care reform

The cable and network news outlets were especially guilty of turning away from the A1 Times story on Sunday. The survey indicated a jaw-dropping 85 percent of Americans think “the health care system needed to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt.” Seventy-two percent support a government-run system, and a solid majority would pay higher taxes to get the reform done.

Yet despite the relentless discussion of the topic of health care on television Sunday, particularly the morning talk shows, the Times poll went largely unmentioned.

According to a search on TVeyes.com both NBC and Fox News (surprise!) never once mentioned the polling results on Sunday. On ABC, CBS, CNN, and MSNBC combined, the results were mentioned approximately one dozen times.

If the poll had showed 85 percent opposed government-run health care reform, what kind of coverage do you think the poll would have received? I'm pretty sure Fox News would have devoted an entire primetime hour to the findings.