Something to chew on while reading and viewing and listening about the coming campaign:
Just 17% of voters nationwide believe that most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of election campaigns. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that four times as many—68%–believe most reporters try to help the candidate that they want to win.
To some that’s no surprise. Neither is this:
Voters have little doubt as to who is benefitting from the media coverage this year—Barack Obama. Fifty-four percent (54%) say Obama has gotten the best coverage so far. Twenty-two percent (22%) say McCain has received the most favorable coverage while 14% say that Hillary got the best treatment.
At the other extreme, 43% say Clinton received the worst treatment from the media. Twenty-seven percent (27%) say the media was roughest on McCain and only 15% thought the media coverage was most unfair to Obama.
And naturally, the left is least critical, the right most critical:
Ideologically, political liberals give the least pessimistic assessment of reporters, but even 50% of those on the political left see bias. Thirty-three percent (33%) of liberals believe most reporters try to be objective. Moderates, by a 65% to 17% margin, see reporters as advocates, not scribes. Among political conservatives, only 7% see reporters as objective while 83% believe they are biased.
Of course, these media are less influential these days, as people go to Internet, radio talk, and other sources, which have proliferated — to a chorus of tut-tuts from mainstreamers.
It’s how Newsweek’s Evan Thomas put it in July, 2004, when he said the media “want Kerry to win.” Caveat lector.
Blithe Spirit 
The coverage has been breathless about the Clinton-Obama struggle and endless about Obama. The whole election started the day of Bush’s 2004 win. It’s as if it was too unbearable to discuss the actual events unfolding since a Republican won.
Even liberals are sick of the early discussion of this year’s election. I noticed while on vacation that the motel’s TV morning news coverage was mostly ignored by the people eating breakfast. I sat as far away as possible to avoid listening.
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