A big story is our biggest bias
Clarence Page
July 23, 2008
A respected group of media researchers has found that Barack Obama gets a lot more coverage than John McCain. I didn't need a think tank to tell me that. After all, Madonna gets more coverage than McCain does, even when she doesn't want it—although it is hard to imagine when she wouldn't.
Obama gets more media attention than John McCain because, as we have heard over and over again, Obama is the "rock star" of today's political scene. McCain, by contrast, is an attractive candidate and war hero who is less intriguing precisely because, in a political world where "fresh" and "new" has become the highest virtue, we know him so well.
Even some liberals have a lot of affection for the Arizona senator as a man and maverick, even when he's been talking a lot less maverick lately. But, running against Obama often brings to mind grumpy ol' Mr. Wilson chasing Dennis the Menace off his lawn.
The public tells us media workers this with their viewing and reading habits. For example, a Time magazine 2006 issue with Obama on the cover was Time's second-best-selling issue of the year, and a September 2006 issue of Men's Vogue with Obama on the cover outsold every issue but the debut, according to The Washington Post. Newsweek magazine has done six issues with Obama on the cover over the past year, two with McCain. Rolling Stone has given Obama two covers in the last year. If they don't know rock stars, who does?
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0723pagejul23,0,1657032.column
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