After it reviewed network news coverage from ABC, NBC, and CBS, the Media Research Center found the “Big Three” networks gave Harris positive coverage in 78% of their news segments. Trump, however, was the subject of negative news segments 85% of the time.
Both candidates received almost the same amount of air time, too: 353 minutes for Harris, 355 minutes for Trump.
The three issues that received the most coverage during the news segments are illegal immigration (100 minutes), the economy (87 minutes), and abortion (44 minutes).
MRC focused its analysis on the evening news programs beginning July 21, the day Joe Biden dropped out as the Democrat nominee. The analysts reviewed 660 stories in all that focused on the presidential campaign from that day until late October.
MRC spokesman Tim Graham tells AFN the negative news aimed at Trump was not a surprise to the media watchdog. That negative news coverage usually hovers around 90%, he said, but the overwhelming amount of friendly news coverage for Harris had never been documented at MRC before.
“It does suggest,” he says, “that the network evening news shows really feel like they need to not just report on Kamala Harris but sell her, promote her, and make her look more electable.”
To put the positive Harris’ coverage in context, MRC went back to the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. On the three networks, Trump received 91% negative coverage compared to 79% negative coverage for Clinton.
Joe Biden received 66% negative coverage during his campaign versus 92% for Trump at the time, the analysis found.
