Networks Paint Bush Economy As Bleak No Matter What The Facts Really Say
Networks Paint Bush Economy As Bleak No Matter What The Facts Really
Say
Medias bad news bears
deliver negative news 62 percent of the time despite economic
expansion.
By Amy Menefee
August 17, 2005
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Economic news
heavily negative: Coverage of economic news on the three broadcast
networks was negative 62 percent of the time, despite ongoing good
news of more jobs, low unemployment and economic growth.
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Good news
undermined: Even when good news made it to viewers, journalists
undermined it with bad news 45 percent of the time.
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Negative stories
given more air time: Good news stories were relegated to briefs
roughly two thirds of the time. Negative news received longer
stories and outnumbered positive stories by almost 4-to-1 in that
category.
Which do you want first the good news or the bad?
The good news is that the economy is strong and
growing. The bad news is the news about the economy.
The federal deficit is shrinking, unemployment has
fallen, and America has seen more than two straight years of job
growth. But broadcasters have been describing the economy as
dicey, volatile and slow. A Business & Media Institute analysis of
economic stories on network evening news shows since President
George W. Bushs second inauguration showed negative news prevailing
62 percent of the time (71 out of 115 stories). That number was
deceiving, however, because even good news often was portrayed as
bad. In 40 stories classified as good economic news, journalists
undermined the good news with bad 45 percent of the time.
Good news was relegated to short reports, or briefs, 68
percent of the time, while bad news was treated with full stories.
When briefs on both sides were excluded, the comparison of
full-length news stories showed an overwhelming ratio: negative
stories outnumbered positive ones almost 4-to-1.
NBCs Nightly News illustrated the reporting trend
with a glaring disparity between its Aug. 15 stories. Anchor Brian
Williams took about 25 seconds to tell the brief good news of the
federal deficit reduction, which he admitted was due to
higher-than-expected revenues and a steadily growing economy.
Immediately, however, he led into another story warning of
financial hardship for all, coming from rising gas prices and
that story went on for more than two and a half minutes. Reporter
Martin Savidge asked, How long til the economy as a whole feels
it?
Journalists werent consistent from one report to the
next. On the April 26 CBS Evening News, Bob Schieffer said,
Americans are getting a little concerned about where the economy is
headed. That was just before he reported that new homes were
selling at the fastest pace on record.
Amidst the confusion, network news has been devoting
far more time to gloomy and often unfounded predictions than to real
news that is positive. ABCs Betsy Stark went so far as to predict a
slowdown in the economy three days before a jobs report that
delivered 270,000 new jobs, coming in far above projections.
