UNBALANCED COVERAGE?
July 22nd, 2008, 10:25 am · 3 Comments · posted by Dan Lehr
The above two photos proportionally represent the amount of media coverage each candidate is getting this week.
Obama has been criticized by members of the right wing for making the trip. Yet these same folks were running a countdown on the days it’s been since Obama visited Iraq or Afghanistan.. in fact, that countdown still remains on the main page of GOP.com. To those who criticize Obama for making this trip, I ask you: what’s your proposed alternative? That he not go? Isn’t that what you criticized him for in the first place?
Many have criticized the media for adding to the Obama-overseas-mania for having all three network news anchors visit him while he’s abroad. Dee Dee Myers, former Bill Clinton press secretary & Hillary Clinton 2008 supporter asks in Vanity Fair “Is the Media Trying to Elect Obama?” One could make that case, but please tell me the last time you thought the three network news anchors were relevant in any way. Far fewer people consider “the big 3″ when getting their news these days than ever before. Those who would inflate this trip as a pure example of media bias would do well to remember this.
It is news. You can’t not cover it.
Plus look at this poll from ABC News that shows Obama lags far behind McCain in terms of who’d make a better commander-in-chief. This trip is necessary for any candidate, Democrat or Republican, who faces those numbers.
& besides, McCain should consider himself lucky that he’s out of the spotlight a little more this week:
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p.s., Senator McCain: Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore. He had better be careful with these gaffes, because there is a good chance that the media will start paying closer attention to them as November draws near.
What do you think? Is the coverage of Obama’s overseas trip unbalanced? Should he have just stayed at home? Time for you to weigh in!
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:50 am
Perhaps his remark about the Iraq/Pakistani border was in reference to a post-McCain presidency when Iran will no longer exist.
Just guessin’
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Of course it is unbalanced! It has been since Obama announced his campaign for the presidency. No one in the news media has questioned him why, if he is interested in the Iraq situation, he has not visited in the last 900 days.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I’m sure that it wasn’t meant to be biased, but the on-going coverage of Mr. Obama makes many believe that “the news media” is looking for another champion. I truly wish that all news media would just report the news and not try to make or sway it. That tends to not only take away credibility from the news agencies, but it also leads many to just “down-right” distrust them. That’s not at all good; not for the media and certainly not for the country. At least try to show the better side of both candidates and not just point out their mistakes. Thank you for at least asking.