November 02, 2004
CBS critical of Kerry in final three days before Election
In the last three day prior to Election Day, CBS and FOX overall were clearly more critical on Kerry than on Bush while NBC rated Kerry more positive than Bush. ABC was largely balanced in covering the candidates. Overall, TV news coverage on Bush was particularly positive when presenting opinion poll results.
According to Media Tenor’s content analysis of network news and Fox’s Special Report with Brit Hume, coverage in the last week prior to Election Day focused greatly on security and Iraq, bringing those issues to the forefront of the voting public’s minds. Health care, which had been another prominent policy issue since the debates, was almost completely cut off the news agenda.
The election outcome will depend largely on whom the voters trust most on each of the candidates most important topics. TV news presented Bush positively in relation to national security issues, while Kerry was seen most positively in terms of health care and economic issues (although coverage volume for both these issues was not very high). The coverage was equally critical of both candidates‘ stances on foreign policy.
The complete report with graphics can be downloaded at: http://www.mediatenor.com/US-ElectionNight_041202.htm
Posted by Isadora Badi at November 2, 2004 10:22 PMElection 2004 is the most watched and reported election I guess after what happened in 2000. Most democrats still believe that the Republicans stole the election from them. So, it is natural that this time people should take sides across the country. Most newspapers have also taken a strong pro or anti-Bush line.
Particularly the mess in Iraq and Osama still taunting us from across the continents must be galling to voters after so many lives and so much of the tax payers money has been poured down these two problems by Bush and his cronies.
It remains to be seen what surprises the electorate have in store for Bush and Kerry.
Posted by: Gowri at November 2, 2004 10:56 PM
