From April 23 to May 3, the top three television networks offered viewers 50 stories and interview segments on their morning and evening news programs. The tone was strongly hostile to the law and promotional to the "growing storm" of left-wing protesters: 37 stories (or 74 percent) were negative, 10 were neutral, and only three were positive toward the Arizona law's passage -- 12 negative stories for every one that leaned positive. Stories were much kinder and sympathetic to illegal aliens than they were to police officers. Cops were potential abusers of power. Entering the country illegally was not an abuse of power. It was portrayed as an honorable step by the powerless.
The soundbite count was also slanted, with 92 quotes against the law and only 52 in favor. The pro-law numbers, however, included many soundbites of Arizona public officials defending themselves against liberal charges that they were racists or in favor of racial profiling.
The study found that while the law is overwhelmingly approved by the public it has been portrayed overwhelmingly negatively by the MSM. If you think about it, this study shows how utterly worthless the MSM is. They have spent the better part of the last month mercilessly beating up on this law and all that's happened is that public opinion has hardenedDick Morris once opined that it doesn't matter how the MSM presents a story. All that matters is what story it presents. Back in 2007, Morris said that if the media is talking about the Patriot Act that's good for Republicans. If they are talking about health care, that is good for Democrats. That's because the Patriot Act then polled well for Republicans and health care did the same for Democrats.
Now, the media is fixated with illegal immigration and that clearly helps the Republicans. The public favors tough illegal immigration policies a la Arizona. The MSM is fixated on hammering home that this law intrudes on civil rights, but that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter what narrative the media presents. Instead, it only matters what overall story they focus on. To focus on illegal immigration helps the party that stands for tougher illegal immigration.
4 comments:
So then what's the "Dick Morris Principle?"
As ridiculous as it is to put "Dick Morris" and "principle" next to each other, anyway.
my bad, video error. It's fixed.
In a way, I can see what Morris is saying. I never found complaints that the media was in the tank for Obama in 2008 very credible because I figured the Republicans have been harping on media bias for years so if people haven't picked up on it by now either they don't believe it or they've already discounted it when making their voting decision. Plus, the end of the campaign season was dominated by the credit crisis, which didn't exactly make the Republicans look good.
That being said all the talk about health care in the past year didn't seem to help the Democrats the way Dick Morris said it should have. Then again, the media wasn't really talking about health care reform they were talking about tea parties and Republican talking points about health care.
I live in Arizona.
It is amazing how the MSM cares nothing for the safety of the people here.
I go to Mexico about once a quarter. Never have I seen the border guards armed to the teeth with M-16's, guns and German shepherds the size of horses. I have never seen this. And when you get to the check points these dogs bark like they are going to tear you to pieces.
In Phoenix proper you regularly see people carrying guns now. You now notice that bulge under clothing as people go by.
The point is that the MSM is clueless at how dangerous Arizona has become due to the drug traffic hiding in the illegal alien flow.
It is amazing how the MSM is totally willing to get people killed for an ideal.
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