Clinton Kicks Off Her Campaign On June 13 With Policy-Heavy Speech

USA Today: Clinton Launches Presidential Campaign Identifying Her “Four Fights.” Clinton launched her campaign June 13 on New York's Roosevelt Island by identifying “four fights” she would take on as U.S. president: the struggle “for equitable economic growth, for national security, for better treatment of children and families and for more efficient and less corrupt government”:

Speaking on an island in the East River named for FDR, she echoed some of that president's anti-Wall Street rhetoric, repeatedly criticizing populist targets such as hedge fund managers, tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations that stash profits overseas.

“You see the top 25 hedge fund managers making more than all of America's kindergarten teachers combined, and often paying a lower tax rate,'' Clinton said. ”So, you have to wonder: 'When does my hard work pay off? When does my family get ahead?'"

And echoing the “four freedoms'' Roosevelt declared in a 1941 speech, Clinton identified ”four fights'' she'd wage as president: for equitable economic growth, for national security, for better treatment of children and families and for more efficient and less corrupt government. [USA Today, 6/14/15]

During The Three Months After Clinton Launched Her Campaign, Broadcast Evening News Mentioned Clinton's Email Use In Twice As Many Segments As They Mentioned Her Policy Positions

Clinton's Emails Were Mentioned In 65 Percent Of Segments About Clinton, Policies Mentioned In Only 32 Percent. A Media Matters analysis found that in the three months after Clinton's campaign launch, the broadcast nightly news shows had 84 segments that included significant Clinton-related discussions.  Of those 84 segments, 55 - or approximately 65 percent -- mentioned Clinton's email use.  Only 27 segments -- approximately 32 percent -- mentioned at least one of Clinton's policy positions.  

Nearly A Quarter Of Network News' Policy Mentions Were Buried In Stories About Email. A Media Matters analysis found that seven out of the 27 network segments that mentioned Clinton's policies were framed, or buried, around the email controversy and offered little detail about her positions. Five additional policy mentions were deemed substantial but also included mentions of the email controversy. There were only 15 segments with mentions of Clinton's policy proposals that did not mention the email controversy.

ABC: Out Of 22 Segments, Half Mentioned Email, While Only Seven Mentioned Policy. ABC's World News Tonight had 22 segments with significant discussion of Hillary Clinton in the three months following her campaign launch. Half of those segments mentioned Clinton's emails, while seven segments -- about 32 percent -- mentioned Clinton's policy positions. Of the seven segments mentioning policy, two of them also mentioned emails, and one of those two segments mentioned policy only briefly in regards to the email controversy (emphasis added):

CECILIA VEGA (voiceover): At the Iowa State Fair today, Clinton under fire from Republicans too, Jeb Bush grilling Clinton about her private email server.

[...]

VEGA (voiceover): Clinton herself rolling out policies one after the next from college student debt and criminal justice to voting rights reform.

HILLARY CLINTON: Thank you all very much.

VEGA (voiceover): Just trying to stay on message. [ABC World News Tonight, 8/14/15, via Nexis]

CBS: Out Of 29 Segments, 20 Mentioned Email, While 12 Mentioned Policy. CBS Evening News had 29 segments with significant discussion of Hillary Clinton in the three months following her campaign launch. Out of the 29 segments, 20 -- nearly 70 percent -- mentioned Clinton's emails while 12 -- approximately 41 percent -- mentioned Clinton's policy positions. Of the 12 segments that mentioned policy, eight also mentioned emails, and five of those eight policy mentions were buried in a segment about Clinton's emails with little discussion (emphasis added):

JOHN DICKERSON: On the one hand, it`s not necessarily a forgone conclusion for Secretary Clinton that all this increased scrutiny will hurt her if her opponents overplay their hand. But certainly, at the very least, when this con-- this issue comes up, as it did last Friday, it blots out the other message that Hillary Clinton is trying to put forward. On Friday she had a big economic speech that she was going to deliver, but it was crowded out a bit by new revelations about these e-mails, Jim. [CBS Evening News, 7/25/15, via Nexis]

NBC: Out of 33 Segments, 24 Mentioned Emails, Eight Mentioned Policy. NBC Nightly News had 33 segments with significant discussion of Hillary Clinton in the three months following her campaign launch. Out of the 33 segments, 24 -- nearly three-fourths -- mentioned Clinton's emails while eight -- about one-fourth -- mentioned Clinton's policy positions. Of the eight segments that mentioned policy, two also mentioned emails, and one policy mention was buried in a segment pertaining mostly to Clinton's emails (emphasis added):

KRISTEN WELKER (voiceover): Clinton`s campaign was again rocked this weekend with revelations that she personally paid a State Department staffer to manage her private email server. 

HILLARY CLINTON: The facts are the facts. And we`ve been repeating them over and over again.

WELKER (voiceover): Today in Iowa, she tried to pivot back to the economy. 

CLINTON: So I believe in paid family leave. 

WELKER (voiceover): Clinton`s negatives have also spiked. More than half of all registered voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have an unfavorable view of her, sixty-one percent in Iowa and sixty in New Hampshire. [NBC Nightly News, 9/6/15, via Nexis]

Clinton Has Announced Over A Dozen Policy Proposals And Positions In The Three Months Following Her Announcement

Clinton Rolls Out More Than A Dozen Policy Proposals And Positions In The Three Months Following Her Candidacy Announcement. A review of Hillary Clinton's factsheets and press releases shows that Clinton has released at least a dozen significant policy proposals and stances in the three months following her announcement, including her “New College Compact,” “Hillary Clinton's Plan For A Vibrant Rural America,” rationale for supporting the Iran nuclear agreement, and her “Initiative To Combat America's Deadly Epidemic Of Drug And Alcohol Addiction.” [HillaryClinton.com, Factsheets] 

Clinton Releases Economic Platform, Proposes Tax Incentive For Corporate Profit-Sharing. On July 13, Clinton announced an economic platform designed around a “rising incomes, sharing profits” corporate tax credit that would incentivize companies to share profits with their employees by giving them “a two-year tax credit equivalent to 15 percent of profits distributed to employees, to be capped at 10 percent of wages. The credits would cost an estimated $10 billion to $20 billion over 10 years and would be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.” [New York Times, 7/16/15]

Clinton Announces Renewable Power Goals As Part Of A “Comprehensive Energy And Climate Agenda.” On July 26, Clinton unveiled goals “to have more than a half a billion solar panels installed across the country” and to “generate enough clean renewable energy to power every home in America” as the first steps in a broader energy and climate proposal. [HillaryClinton.com, 7/26/15]

Clinton Unveils “New College Compact” To End Government “Profit Off Student Loans” And Tackle High Cost Of College. Clinton rolled out her “New College Compact” plan on September 10 to “tackle the cost of college” by “making low interest grants and loans more available and ensur[ing] the federal government 'will never again profit off student loans'.” The “Compact” included state incentives for providing “no-loan tuition at four-year public colleges and universities” and a continuation of “President Barack Obama's free tuition plan at community colleges.” [CNN.com, 8/10/15]

Methodology: Media Matters searched Nexis transcripts for the term “Clinton” on ABC's World News Tonight, CBS' Evening News and NBC's Nightly News and counted all segments where Hillary Clinton was the stated topic of discussion or there was “substantial discussion” of Clinton. “Substantial discussion” is defined as at least two different speakers discussing Clinton. Straight news packages and updates to developing stories were also counted if Clinton was mentioned or alluded to in the headline or lead of the segment. “Passing mentions,” where Clinton was mentioned only once or in relation to another story, were not counted. “Buried” policy mentions were counted if the policy was not discussed outside of the frame of Clinton's emails or within the frame of Clinton trying to bring the conversation back to policy and away from her emails.