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Most believe reporters are trying to help Obama win
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A new Rasmussen poll finds 49% of voters believe most reporters will try to help Obama with their coverage. Only 14% believe most reporters will try to help John McCain win, little changed from 13% a month ago. Just one voter in four (24%) believes that most reporters will try to offer unbiased coverage. There is of course a partisan divide:
A plurality of Democrats—37%-- say most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of the campaign. Twenty-seven percent (27%) believe most reporters are trying to help Obama and 21% in Obama’s party think reporters are trying to help McCain.
Among Republicans, 78% believe reporters are trying to help Obama and 10% see most offering unbiased coverage.
As for unaffiliated voters, 50% see a pro-Obama bias and 21% see unbiased coverage. Just 12% of those not affiliated with either major party believe the reporters are trying to help McCain.
When Senator McCain traveled to Europe and the Middle East after clinching the Republican nomination, he got scant media coverage. Compare that to the orgy of media coverage for Obama's trip.
Obama's trip is the latest example of a continuing pattern that puts McCain at a disadvantage:
Since June 9th, when Obama effectively clinched the votes for the nomination, the Project For Excellence In Journalism took a weekly look at 300 political stories in newspapers, magazines and television. In 77 percent of the stories, Obama played an important role, and 51 percent featured McCain.
"That's an edge," said Rosenthiel. "That is a big enough difference that it is an uneven playing field probably for McCain."
And there is more to come. As Obama continues his foreign travels to the Middle East and Europe, he will be interviewed by all three network anchors - CBS' Katie Couric on Tuesday, ABC's Charles Gibson on Wednesday and NBC's Brian Williams on Thursday.
The media even admits suffering from Obamamania.
