[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Editorial See other Editorial Articles Title: A Study in Character Assassination: How the TV Networks Have Portrayed Sarah Palin as Dunce or Demon On Wednesday’s “Special Report,” Fox News anchor Brit Hume cited CMI’s new study, “A Study in Character Assassanation: How the TV Networks Have Portrayed Sarah Palin as Dunce or Demon.” The study found that the media portrayal of Palin has been overwhelmingly negative, smearing the Alaska governor as an unqualified dunce or demonizing her as McCain’s attack dog. Hume stated: CMI PIECE: An analysis of two weeks of coverage of the GOP vice presidential nominee reveals unremitting hostility from the network news. By Colleen Raezler and Brian Fitzpatrick, Culture and Media Institute FULL REPORT Executive Summary| Pdf Version In just one month, the percentage of Americans who viewed GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin unfavorably soared from 32 percent to 49 percent, according to a new survey. Might hostile media coverage account for Palin’s skyrocketing unfavorable rating? Polls conducted in September and October by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press report a stunning reversal in public perceptions of Palin. An October 21 story posted on Pew’s Web site stated: “In the current survey, 49% of voters express an unfavorable opinion of the Alaska governor, while 44% express a positive opinion; in mid-September, 54% viewed Palin favorably, compared with 32% who had an unfavorable opinion. According to a Nexis search, the networks ran 69 news segments covering Palin between September 29 and October 12, a period that included the October 2 vice-presidential debate. CMI analyzed all 69 segments and found that 37 portrayed Palin negatively, only two were positive, and 30 were neutral. CMI defined “positive” stories as stories that included more elements placing Palin in a favorable light than elements criticizing her. “Neutral” stories contained equal numbers of positive and negative elements, represented straightforward factual reporting, or treated Palin and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Del. Sen. Joe Biden equally. “Negative” stories contained more unfavorable elements than favorable, or gave preferential treatment to Biden. For example, on NBC’s October 3 Today show, reporter Amy Robach said Palin “accused” Biden of “looking backwards,” but she said Biden merely “challenged” whether GOP candidate John McCain is truly a “maverick.” ABC was the most biased of the three networks. Out of ABC’s 15 segments about Palin, 9 (60 percent) portrayed a negative image of the Alaska governor, and 6 (40 percent) were neutral. NBC was the second-most biased network with 15 negative stories (54 percent) and 13 (46 percent) neutral. CBS was the least biased with 14 (54 percent) negative stories, 2 (8 percent) positive and 10 (38 percent) neutral. The positive portrayals appeared in the two halves of CBS Early Show anchor Harry Smith’s two-part interview with Palin’s parents. Not one of the evening network news shows ran a positive story about Palin. The overwhelming preponderance of negative stories might have been justified if all the news about Palin had been bad, but the two major news events affecting Palin coverage during the study window tilted both ways. At the beginning of the study period on September 29, Palin was still enduring network news attacks that replayed, over and over again, the most problematic moments from her September 24 interview with CBS News anchor Katie Couric. Four days into the study window, however, Palin turned in a solid performance in the highly publicized October 2 debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden. CMI found that during the study period, the media crafted three principal narratives about Palin. 1) Palin is a dunce lacking the qualifications and intellect to be Vice President. 2) Conservatives are revolting over the dunce’s nomination. 3) Palin is a demon, little more than an attack dog victimizing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Narrative 1: Palin Is a Dunce, Lacking Qualifications and Intellect Rarely have the news networks based so many “news” reports on a comedy show or an old interview from a rival network. Couric’s interview with Palin, however, and Saturday Night Live’s demeaning parodies by Tina Fey, proved to be irresistible clubs for beating up the GOP vice-presidential nominee. Most observers agree that Palin did not perform well in the Couric interview, but the network coverage dwelled on the worst moments, making Palin look as unprepared and inexperienced as possible. No fewer than 21 network news stories attacked Palin’s qualifications and intellect, and 8 of these featured ridicule from SNL. 14 stories replayed the most embarrassing clips from Palin’s CBS interview with Couric. ABC played 3 Couric clips, CBS aired 5, and NBC aired 6. (The CBS count does not include the original airing of the interview.) [snip] The networks failed to acknowledge adequately that Palin was doing more during her speeches than attacking Obama. She was also talking about issues, McCain’s plans for the nation, and her own qualifications. In a speech in Clearwater, Florida on October 6, Palin noted what she has done in office in Alaska: As mayor, I eliminated taxes on personal property and I eliminated taxes like small business inventory taxes. Those burdens on our small businesses, we got rid of them. Property taxes were too high. Every year that I was in office I reduced [taxes]. And as governor, I brought the same agenda of positive change on a state level. I came to office promising to control spending, by request if possible, but by veto if necessary. And today, our state budget is under control and we have a surplus. And I put the veto pen to nearly half a billion dollars in wasteful spending. (Applause) We suspended our state fuel tax and I’m returning a chunk of our surplus money right back to the people of Alaska. It’s their money and they can spend it better than government can spend it for them. (Applause) Imagine that. Imagine that, having that principle. And that’s what we’re going to bring on a national level also. That principle of knowing that – no, the people, our families, our businesses they know best so let them keep more of what they earn and produce and not have this government take trying to quote, “solve” all the problems for our families and our businesses. No, we’re not going to do that. Conclusion ABC, NBC and CBS are distorting the public perception of Sarah Palin by incessantly assassinating her character, even citing people they usually ignore, conservative columnists, because they have criticized Palin. The networks have actually stooped to mocking Palin by repeatedly rebroadcasting parodies from Saturday Night Live, as if frivolous entertainment belongs in the evening news. Rich Noyes, the MRC’s research director, found in his study, Obama’s Margin of Victory: The Media, that “the Big Three broadcast networks have showered Obama with positive – even glowing – news coverage, protected the candidate from the attacks of his rivals, and shown little interest in investigating Obama’s past associations or exploring the controversies that could have threatened his campaign.” Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 35.
#6. To: OliviaFNewton, Cynicom, christine, TwentyTwelve, Wudidiz, Rupert_Pupkin, all (#0)
(Edited)
What I suspect may be going on, at least at one level, is that Sarah has become a liability because she insists upon thinking for herself and is not fully under the thumb of the controllers. This is supported by the fact of a McCain Staffer giving the Presstitutes "background" information that she has "gone rogue" (this is just not done by campaign "staffers" except by intent and malice a forethought) and by her apparent recognition that she was supposed to be part of the "losing" team. She has evidenced an unwillingness to roll over an play dead upon command. Also it would, to some degree, match up with the attempts to keep her from talking to the Presstitutes. As always there are "wheels within wheels" and everything is not as it is portrayed on the surface for the ignorati.
Seems to me like Sarah Palin is a nice lady. She maybe means well and likely started out, as many politicians do, with good intentions. She comes across like a good, decent woman. However, the nonsense she spews about the war on terror etc. and the rest of the gov't propaganda is just one more indication that she's only part of the big lie. So she must be either dishonest or stupid or both. Good lookin' enough though. The press is simply doing what it's master tells them to do. Lie and propagate disinformation to entertain and keep the masses confused and mislead. My opinion for what it's worth not that anyone really asked for it.
Good job wud. Unable to see diferences up close or far away.
Sorry, what do you mean by that?
#36. To: wudidiz (#35)
Since you are so invested in the elections, can you be specific about the pros and cons between Obama and McCain on the issues. Please leave party affiliation out, just the facts. Taxes First Ammendment Second Ammendment Fourth Ammendment Personal property Jobs Social Security Medicare Education Homeland Security Wire Tapping Torture Amnesty Just to give you a few issues to focus on.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||