UC study says media coverage of recall unfair

[Newsjock]

http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=12006&repository=0001_article

By Andrew Hendel
Contributing Writer
Tuesday, October 21, 2003

In response to the recent California gubernatorial recall election, UC-Berkeley Prof. Bruce Fuller conducted a study finding that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger received more coverage than other candidates, tilting the balance in his favor.

... The study analyzed more than 1,500 stories published by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle. According to the study, Schwarzenegger and former Gov. Gray Davis appeared in about 80 percent of stories and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante was mentioned in about 60 percent of stories.

Fuller’s research also showed that print media did not focus on policy issues.

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[zanana]

1. TV news elected Schwarzenegger

Cable news was dominated overwhelmingly by Schwarzenegger's campaign. TV is where MOST people get their news. Let's face it--even if alot of people subscribed to a daily newspaper, most would read the sports page and call it a day. CNN, MSNBC and, I'm assuming, FOX, became all-Arnold, all-the-time news stations. And let's not forget the avalanche of Arnold MOVIES that were constantly being viewed on many cable channels. You couldn't get away from it. Davis did have more coverage than Bustamante, but barely. We have to start taking notice of cable TV. If that's where the average Joe is, that's where we want to be.

[tom_paine]

11. It's not "news" anymore, it's Corporate TV Pravda

Do you really think this nation would be licking the boots of Emperor Bunnypants* if we actually had a Free and Independant Press?

[rusty charly]

2. Duh!

my roommate said the only way arnie could've gotten more coverage was if he murdered his pregnant wife

[KoKo]

3. MSNBC/GE elected Scwartzenneger. And, there should be a lawsuit against

them. The coverage was wall to wall of him with cheering crowds and waving flags, kissing babies. They had "embeded" reporter following him giving glowing reports. One would have thought he was Bush the way they fawned over him.

I hope that something will come out of this wall-to-wal coverage, (Like a reinstating of the "Fairness Doctrine," but I won't hold my breath.

Besides he's already been elected. Who cares any more......Just some of us, who know they are doing this with Bush and will do it until he's re-elected.

It started with the 2000 Election and has only grown worse.

[demdave]

5. Focusing our efforts on past elections hasn't work well for us.

The selected, not elected, move has gone nowhere. Trying to get people interested in the California election will fare no better. We need to look ahead.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Look Ahead To What?

If they can do it in California, they can do it everywhere.

If we have to deal with saturation media coverage against us
AND the Rethugs control the voting machinez
we simply haven't got a chance.

We have to address those issues, somehow, or who wins
the primary won't matter at all.

[Pompitous_Of_Love]

14. Lawsuit

I'm thinking a product liability tort.

[demdave]

4. The candidates didn't focus on policy issues

They focused on Arnie. That is why the media followed their lead. It is the same effect nationally. The Dem candidates focus on Dean, he is all over the media. Along comes Clark, and Dean is out of the news loop. I think this is the lull before the media drags the next pony onto the stage for their own amusement.

[slackmaster]

6. Conclusion assumes the Brendan Behan principle

The Irish author is credited as saying "There's no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."

[nolabels]

7. We knew that you geniuses, when are you going to do a study on.....

Why the California Democratic Party is so cloistered and compromised in their whoring for campaign contributions. We know the Multinationals and billionaires set up Arnold and the GOP. Yet some also know there are always at least two factions at work when things collide to make bad outcomes for other people.

The GOP has been in a biding war to steal California politics for more than a couple of decades. Davis was a champion of collecting up cash to trash his up coming opponents. He drew the wrong deal on this round and struck out. It’s like that poker deal where someone has better hand, but has to fold because the bid is out of reach.

Davis was playing in the wrong card game. He was sitting at the big dollar game, where he should have been playing in the other games with the rest of us that have to use nickels and dimes

[AndyTiedye]

10. What You Say of Davis is true for All the Democrats

They would have done the same to any Democrat.

We simply don't have the resources to fight back anymore.
We don't have the money that the Republicans do, and never will have.
We don't own the media. They do.
We don't own the voting machine companies. They do.

[tom_paine]

12. Even if you are right, Andy, we should NEVER GIVE UP!

This thing is still not yet decided, bleak as it may be.

Think George Washington in 1780, so certain defeat was inevitable and that the French wouldn't do anything...as outfinanced as we are now, also by Soldiers of the King*.

He didn't give up and neither should we!

Get off your ass and DO something Andy. Donate to a campaign or the ACLU, write a letter, write on money, whatever...

JUST DON'T GIVE UP AND SINK INTO LETHARGY!

[nolabels]

13. Who ever wants to give up raise your hand

We should be counting some of the new assets and all the new and old resources we now have. Here is just two for ya, Honesty and The Actual intent of The Rule of Law ascribed by rules already written and pronounced that are defined by most any English dictionary ever written.

These people we are contention with are quite twisted, you cannot use logic on them unless they offer it up and you can put it back on them like a large necklace.

This really is kind of a War they are fighting with all who would oppose their authoritarism If they can't buy it they will do something else, it is their nature. The object is control and has little to do with what you have, want or need.

[gasperc]

9. Entertainment tonite followed all around Cali

every night for three weeks, with Arnold updates where he'll be etc. I mean duhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Higher Education?

Heck, the retired grounds keeper of our local school district was saying the same thing a day before the election.

Interesting, this wonderful study performed by the California University system was brought to our attention by a Stanford University (Leland Stanford Junior College?) publication. Is the Big game coming up?

Go Bears!