TALES FROM THE TOP

The Culture and Media Institute of America found that all big 3 US networks distorted their reports on Sarah Palin since she was introduced as Sen John McCain’s running mate.

And it warns “the public cannot trust what they’re hearing from ABC, NBC and CBS about the GOP vice-presidential nominee.  The networks have been so intent on assassinating Palin’s character that they have turned for added ammunition to sources they normally ignore – conservative columnists and comedians.”

Here are it’s major findings:

• Major network news shows ran 69 stories about Sarah Palin between September 29 and October 12.  37 stories were negative, just 2 were positive, and 30 were neutral.  Not a single evening news show ran a positive story about Palin.
• Overall, 21 network stories portrayed Palin as unintelligent and unqualified.  8 of these stories played a total of 11 clips of Saturday Night Live ridiculing Palin. 14 segments featured the most embarrassing clips from Palin’s interview with Katie Couric.
• 9 stories emphasized attacks on Palin by conservative columnists.
• 14 stories demonized Palin as little more than John McCain’s attack dog.
• ABC was hardest on Palin, with 9 negative stories (60%), 6 neutral (40%) and no positive stories.  NBC ran 15 negative stories (54%), 13 neutral (46%) and no positive stories. CBS ran 14 negative stories (54%), 10 neutral (38%) and 2 positive (8%).

Sadly I have met and talked to many people about Sarah Palin and what they know about her is what they saw on Saturday Night Live. And even worse, many beleive it to be the truth. It is indeed laughable.

It may not be fair but it surely is entertaining.

If I was Sarah’s handlers I would have just put her out there to admit she knows nothing about Washington, nothing about foreign policy and nothing about the role of the vice-president, and then promise that she is a quick study and can easily learn her way around with the proper guidance of John McCain or his people. This move would have endeared her more to the Americans instead of the ridiculous attempts by the Repulican Party to sell her off as someone with enough executive experience to be second in command.

Not so long ago, Emails questioning Barack Obama’s patriotism and religious beliefs circulated threatening to damage his formidable campaign.

In contrast, Sen. Obama was smart enough to address those questions head-on during the primary season and put them to rest.

As hard as McCain tries to bring back Sen Obama’s questionable assosiations with radicals and unrepentant terrorists — it is not working. Most Obama supporters have either already voted early or have made up their minds, and the many polls show this.

But with many polls also tightening, the next few days leading up to election day will surely be very tense and exciting.

Watch our special coverage America Decides Nov 5th from 9AM Sin/HKG/MNL on Channel News Asia.

The respected Pew Research Centre has just released its latest findings on media treatment of the really tight US Presidential race.

And no surprises, it found reports about Barack Obama are almost always more favourable than those about his rival John McCain.

It says the study found reports about McCain substantially unfavourable since the end of the party conventions.

It was pretty much the same problem the Hillary Clinton campaign complained about during the primary season. How the media was so much softer on Obama, and harder on Clinton.

I’ve just returned from a long holiday in New York City and Washington DC, and as much as I want to stay away from work related activities, I couldn’t. The election is everywhere in the news.

I personally noticed that cable news network MSNBC has all but become a Barack Obama campaign station, while the right-wing Fox News will spin any news item not so much to convince people to go McCain, but to smear Obama as a left wing socialist.

Bill O’ Reilly even joked on The View calling Obama a “communist.”  Was it taking it too far?

Meanwhile in the hotly contested state of Florida, a local TV station WFTV-Channel 9 got a mouthful from the Obama campaign because it didn’t like the questions asked to  VP candidate Joe Biden when he was interviewed. The anchor Barbara West quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama is “not being a Marxist” with the “spreading the wealth” comment. (  http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html )

Two weekends the New York Times published an interview with Barack Obama where he whines…

“I am convinced that if there were no Fox News, I might be two or three points higher in the polls. If I were watching Fox News, I wouldn’t vote for me, right?

“Because the way I’m portrayed 24/7 is as a freak! I am the latte-sipping, New York Times-reading, Volvo-driving, no-gun-owning, effete, politically correct, arrogant liberal. Who wants somebody like that?”

Meanwhile, the Republicans are also on the defensive after news leaked about Gov Sarah Palin’s expensive wardrobe collection, and the party was not at all happy the media is personally attacking Palin instead of ripping apart her policies or lack of it.

And is Sen. John McCain happy to hear that he’s already being written-off in this election? Well of course not. He warned the media to brace for a long election night. He says the polls may point to his demise but he knows how close the race will be and warned that Americans may be going to bed without knowing who their president will be.

Will we see 2000 elections all over again? Hang in there and stay tuned.

Joim Melissa Hyak and me for complete coverage of  America Decides on the morning of November 5th from 9AM Sin/HKG/Mnl.