Media Tenor: No Media Dream Team So Far

New York, June 6, 2008: Media coverage has presented Barack Obama as the likely winner of the Democratic nomination over the last several weeks. Now, having won the nomination, positive reflections on his campaign brought a sharp increase in positive statements this week. Yet immediately after Obama secured the nomination, speculation began on whether to unify the Democratic Party by naming Clinton as his running mate.

“In media coverage Clinton has not appeared as an ideal partner for Obama so far,” says Markus Rettich, Head of Political Analysis at Media Tenor International.

An analysis of aired and printed quotes by Democrats on Democrats since the beginning of this year shows Obama with a positive balance and Clinton a negative one. It is not Hillary Clinton but John Edwards that is runner-up in these statistics.

“Both camps dragged their allies into the competition,” says Rettich, “and doubts on each other were cast to win the party’s support. I wonder whether this image can be changed.“

On the Republican side McCain’s media image improved as well. The media race between Obama and McCain is close. Media Tenor’s day by day analysis indicates a clear push for Obama early this week as he clinched the nomination and a shift back to McCain on Thursday. Current results from polling institutes differ. Gallup’s daily tracking shows a narrow lead for McCain in early June, while other institutes have measured a clear lead for Obama.

“Aside from all methodological differences: when polling trends shift and differ that means public opinion is volatile and short-term media trends can have an impact,” Rettich explains.

Substance did not matter in candidate coverage this week. As recession coverage increased in early June, the share of economic issues is down in the coverage of both Obama and McCain.

“So far, there is little interest in the ideas of either man running for the White House on how they would solve these problems,” Rettich concludes.

Better ratings for both Obama and McCain

Media coverage presented Obama as the likely nomination winner over the last weeks. Having won the nomination, positive reflections on his campaign brought a sharp increase in positive remarks this week. McCain’s media image improved as well.

Newsweek, Time, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox News coverage, 3/31 - 6/5/2008: tone of coverage by weeks

Basis: all statements by or on Obama and McCain in Newsweek, Time, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox evening news programs 3/31 – 6/5/2008

Dream Team? Edwards rather than Clinton

So far, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have not appeared as a Democratic dream team: An analysis of aired and printed quotes by Democrats on Democrats shows Clinton with a negative balance. John Edwards is the runner up in these statistics.

Time, Newsweek, ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX evening news coverage, 1/1 – 6/5/2008

Basis: all statements by quoted Democrats in Time, Newsweek, ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX evening news programs, 1/1 – 6/5/2008

Little interest in candidates’ economic platforms

Economic issues played only a minor role in the coverage of Obama and McCain. In a time when recession coverage is increasing, there was little interest in the ideas of both men who are running for the White House on how to solve these problems.

Candidate coverage, 4/1 – 6/5/2008: share of economic policy in Obama and McCain coverage

Basis: all statements by or on Obama and McCain in Newsweek, Time, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox evening news programs 4/1 – 6/5/2008

To read the full Media Tenor election report in PDF format click here.

For the third time, International Media analysis company Media Tenor is offering a detailed analysis of the U.S. presidential campaign. TV news coverage of the leading Presidential contenders is scrutinized at a detailed level. “The methodology was developed 15 years ago and has been successfully used not only to analyze the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns, but also for International politics as well,” Rettich explains. Media Tenor’s Presidential Campaign Watch focuses not only on candidate standings, but also on topics and sources, while adding an international perspective. Results of Media Tenor studies will be regularly published on MediaChannel.org.

For further information visit: MediaTenor.com

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