Does the Media Favor Certain Candidates?

Tonight on the Charlie Rose show, I was astounded to hear Mark Halperin of Time Magazine openly state what so many of us have thought… The media does not give fair coverage to the candidates.  The national media can have a major influence on our voting by the way they cover the candidates and primaries.  Of course, there was a little dissention from Bill Bradley and Ariana Huffington, but Halperin’s argument was convincing.

For the full program please click here. 

This confirmation of what some of us have commented on was disturbing, but also refreshing in its candor.  Of course, the concern should be that too many voters, not neccessarily those in New Hampshire, but those of us in the states that have little opportunity to see and hear the candidates in a live situation rely solely on the soundbites to determine our votes. 

Many of us have access to cable, computers and the print press and hopefully will make an informed decision.  But, in a world where many people rely on the evening news or God forbid, late night television such as The Daily Show for information to assist us in making our decisions on the candidates, we can assume that the information is biased based on the amount of coverage a candidate receives or a joke, which too many people take for fact.

I would be naive to think that this practice will change.  Unfortunately, in recent days, some of the major newspapers have reported a negative story only to retract it a few days later.  Of course, just as in a jury trial once the words are on the ears of the jurors, the judge can tell those jurors to ignore or not consider the fact.  And, if you believe that’s going to happen…. well, let’s talk about that bridge that’s for sale.

There is no good solution.  Nothing in life is fair.  But, the media has a responsibility to report news, not control it.