2016 Presidential Media Blackouts: Not Just Conspiracy

[G4JC]

In my last post I talked about correlations between media coverage and poll numbers for Republican presidential candidates. The most common response from non-Trump supporters was a claim that their candidate is being treated unfairly by the media. Claims of biased media are nothing new:

• Ron and Rand Paul supporters often accuse the media of biased coverage.
• The Sanders campaign has claimed Bernie is the victim of a media blackout, and blamed Trump’s rise on the media.
• Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump (while perilously close to polling second), and more have complained of unfair media coverage and bias.

Blaming the mainstream media is now a mainstream political tactic.
But what if there is a media bias? Luckily this is a question we can answer with data. We looked at popularity vs. mainstream media coverage by comparing poll numbers, Google searches per week, and mentions on mainstream media broadcasts.
If CNN’s Chris Cuomo is correct in his challenge to Sanders, the correlation should be strong between poll numbers and media coverage. However, if you subscribe to the belief that mainstream media is covering what people are interested in, then we should see a strong correlation between Google searches and news stories. We’ll find which explanation is more correct, and then compare candidates.
Our analysis shows some candidates are being ignored and some candidates are being inexplicably preferred by the mainstream media.

Read More:
2016 Presidential Media Blackouts: Not Just Conspiracy – Decision Data

 

[GodIsSalvation]

Yes, there is media bias, but there's also ways around it. One is pretty much only limited to their creativity and assertiveness. Trump is good example of how to manipulate the mainstream media and bend them to one's will. You pretty much just gotta be assertive, if you don't then you'll get run over, and that's all it is. Trump also been creative in the media aspect, willing to appear on any spectrum of the mainstream media from FOX to NBC, even SNL, even alternative media like Alex Jones whereas others are too worried about their sorry reputations. Tweets daily on twitter, holds in person rallies, makes himself very accessible to the people. Even how he finagles and negotiates and arm twists the mainstream media such as him forcing them to change their debate set-ups in his favor is quite genius.

Whether it translates into a political victory at the ballot box is to be seen, but it is a pretty good crash course on how to deal with the media either way.