Cable news, except CNN and "Countdown," devoted far more time to Edwards' haircuts than to Domenici

[DeepModem Mom]

Media Matters for America: MSNBC, Fox News devoted far more time to Edwards' haircuts than to Domenici announcement

On July 5, MSNBC and Fox News devoted significantly more time during their late-afternoon political and prime-time news programs to covering a July 5 Washington Post report on Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' haircuts than they did to covering Sen. Pete Domenici's (R-NM) July 5 press conference on the Iraq war, at which he called for "a new strategy that will move our troops out of combat operations." As The Washington Post reported, "(t)he six-term lawmaker, party loyalist and former staunch war supporter represents one of the most significant GOP losses" to efforts by President Bush to "keep congressional Republicans united over the Iraq war." CNN was the only cable news network to spend more time covering Domenici's announcement than Edwards' haircuts.

Between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. ET on July 5, MSNBC devoted approximately 15 minutes, 28 seconds to the Edwards story and only 1 minute, 20 seconds to Domenici. Further, Fox News devoted approximately 16 minutes, 25 seconds to the Edwards story during that same time period, and only 1 minute, 40 seconds to Domenici. CNN, meanwhile, devoted approximately 12 minutes to covering Domenici and approximately 45 seconds to Edwards....

Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume devoted a total of 8 minutes, 26 seconds to Edwards, including a 5 minute, 56 second "All Star" discussion with Washington Post columnists Jeff Birnbaum and Charles Krauthammer and Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes. The "All Stars" did not address Domenici's announcement.

After the 4 p.m. ET broadcast of CNN's The Situation Room devoted 45 seconds to the Edwards story, it did not appear again on CNN during the time period examined....

(NOTE: Hour-by-hour charts for each network follow the article.)

http://mediamatters.org/items/200707060008?f=h_topic

[AndyTiedye]

1. Now We Know What Sort of "Issues" Will Decide the Election

while real discussion of real issues is muzzled by the Repiggie media.

[upi402]

2. 8 1/2 minutes is HUGH!!!1 when NAFTA news got 15 seconds and

Downing Street Minutes got piss all!

Damn!

[SeattleGirl]

3. It's all such bullshit. If you want to run for office, especially for President,

you don't stand a chance in hell of getting very far if you don't have, or can't bring in a bunch of money. However, you get slammed from both sides if you do, (and if you are a Democrat).

This is the TV/YouTube generation, and if you don't look good, you get slammed. However, you also get slammed if you spend any money on looking good (if you are a Democrat).

If you live in a large home, even if it's energy efficient, but talk about the poverty-stricken in this country, you get slammed (if you are a Democrat), even if you truly DO understand the plight of the under-privileged.

These days, you just can't win for losing, it seems. :eyes:

Unless, of course, you are a Rethuglican; then, you can do, say, or be anything and anyone you want to be, and you get a freakin' pass.

[DeepModem Mom]

5. I tried to explain this to some friends recently...

and they looked bewildered, assuming that the media still favored Dems. So not only is there the problem you identify so well, but there's the problem that most of the public thinks the opposite. It's infuriating.

[Robbien]

4. See the lengths they will go to get out of talking about healthcare issues

Edwards key points are jobs and healthcare. The media has to make sure the subject is focused on the trivial.

[Aptastik]

6. Interesting Point

In yesterday's New York Times, there was a huge article on how revitalizing health care is the main focus of all the Democratic campaigns, yet I never see anything on cable news networks concerning it.