STUDY: TEA PARTY CANDIDATES BOOSTED BY MEDIA

A study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism analyzing broadcast, print, and online reports has found that — conservative commentators to the contrary — the news media have by and large given Republican presidential candidates far more favorable coverage than President Obama. Of all the current candidates, the study determined, Texas Governor Rick Perry has received the greatest proportion of positive coverage, while President Obama has received the greatest proportion of negative coverage. “These numbers are very stark for Obama,” Tom Rosenstiel, the director of the study, told the New York Times, noting that the President even received negative coverage during the week in early May when Osama bin Laden was killed. Politico.com’s Keach Hagey observed that the four candidates who received the most positive coverage “were all Tea Party favorites: Perry, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman and Herman Cain.”