The influence of media outlets on American political perspectives has been significantly noticeable in recent years.
The media's role in shaping public opinion is evident in the orchestrated attacks on President Donald Trump during his candidacy, fueled by Democrat-manufactured claims of "Russian collusion." These claims, which we now know lacked substance, were presented as factual by the legacy media at the time. This media campaign remains as potent today as it ever was.
According to the Gateway Pundit, a recent report by Washington Examiner columnist Paul Bedard reveals that since Kamala Harris was chosen by her party's elite as their presidential candidate, a staggering 84% of stories about her have been positive. In stark contrast, 89% of the reports about President Donald Trump have been negative.
Bedard explains, "The media have gone on a Kamala Harris binge since the vice president moved swiftly to replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic Partys 2024 candidate of choice, giving her the most positive coverage in modern history." Concurrently, the media has launched a relentless campaign against former President Donald Trump, resulting in an unprecedented level of negative coverage.
Bedard's report cites polling results from the Media Research Center, which reveal that Harris has received 66% more airtime than former President Donald Trump. Furthermore, the tone of Harris's coverage has been overwhelmingly positive (84%), while Trump's coverage has been almost entirely negative (89%).
Rich Noyes, the author of the report, adds, "Add it all up, and the networks have granted the combined Democratic ticket of Harris-Walz 82% positive press, while Trump-Vance have faced 90% negative coverage."
Despite the media's apparent cheerleading for Harris, Bedard notes that the public is not easily deceived. He states, "Polls and social media posts appear to show that as drunk as reporters and news anchors are for Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, R-Minn., the public sees through it. In a Rasmussen Reports poll shared with Secrets, 60% of likely voters said they believe the media try to help the candidate they want to win. And that is Harris, according to 57% of those polled.
Noyes further asserts that the three largest outlets rarely question Harris's positions and downplay Democratic issues, such as Walz's false claims about his military service. He elaborates, "As the Democratic National Convention begins, the Big Three evening newscasts have delivered Kamala Harris the most positive start to a general election campaign of any presidential nominee in recent memory. Not only is she getting the most coverage, shes also getting by far the most positive press. The question is whether the public will be swayed by this extraordinarily lopsided coverage, or will they see this as just more evidence of a partisan news media taking sides.
The media's role in shaping public opinion is undeniable. However, the public's ability to discern the truth amidst the media's biased reporting is a testament to their critical thinking skills.
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