News networks continue their Trump-bashing coverage

NEWS AND OPINION:

Former President Donald Trump cannot escape the shrill, seemingly endless criticism from major broadcasters. Yes, there are numbers.

The Media Research Center — a conservative press watchdog — has examined all ABC, CBS and NBC evening news coverage of the Republican presidential race in the four weeks since the New Hampshire primary —  from Jan. 24 to Feb. 20, including weekends.

“Despite the head-to-head nature of the contest, the news coverage has been decidedly unequal: the evening newscasts have spent 148 minutes on Trump’s candidacy, compared to just 28 minutes for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a greater than five-to-one disparity,” wrote Rich Noyes, research director for the organization.

“In 2023, our study found that Donald Trump accounted for 79% of all GOP candidate airtime against a fragmented field of challengers who all trailed him in the polls. Now that the race is down to just two major candidates, TV news is more Trump-focused than ever. The former President’s coverage now accounts for 84% of all GOP candidate airtime, with Haley accounting for just 16%,” Mr. Noyes said.

But here comes the important part.

“TV keeps bashing Trump: Just as we saw last year, the media’s spin is relentlessly anti-Trump. In just four weeks, these newscasts aired 158 negative statements (excluding partisan comments) about the former president, compared to just 19 positive comments,” the analyst said.

Translated, that means that the major news coverage about Mr. Trump was 89% negative. As for Ms. Haley, the study revealed that her 2023 coverage came out balanced: 50% positive and 50% negative.

ALL ABOARD

The Media Research Center, by the way, has organized a “Post-Election Cruise” that will tour the eastern Caribbean, sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 10.

Brent Bozell, founder of the organization, will host the journey. Guests include former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Utah Republican; Fox News contributors Joe Concha and Rachel Campos-Duffy plus her husband, former Rep. Sean Duffy; columnist Cal Thomas; and actor Kevin Sorbo.

Find details at MRCCruise.com.

SO WHO’S GOING?

Yes, CPAC is certainly underway at a splendid hotel on the banks of the Potomac River. Another event of note is also taking place, with an impressive guest list.

The fourth annual Principles First Summit will take place in the nation’s capital over the next three days, peopled by self-described grassroots leaders “focused on advancing a more principled center-right politics in the United States.”

So who’s going?

Among those in attendance at the event, which runs through Sunday: former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson; and George Conway, president of the Society for the Rule of Law and husband of Kellyanne Conway.

Then there’s retired Judge J. Michael Luttig; former Ohio Gov. John Kasich; former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales; Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; and former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Conserving America’s Liberal Tradition.”

Participating organizations include The Bulwark, Country First, the Society for the Rule of Law, the Dispatch, the Trinity Forum, San Francisco Briones Society, VoteSharp, Johns Hopkins SNF Agora Institute, the Institute on Religion & Democracy, and the Keep Nine Amendment.

“Since its inception, the Summit has grown from a small gathering to a major national convening focused on developing strong character-driven leadership on the right, committed to supporting individual freedom, speaking the truth, and upholding the Constitution. Through panels, networking, and strategy sessions, participants will focus on confronting authoritarianism at home and abroad; offering a positive economic agenda; the crisis of faith in America; and more,” a mission statement for the event said.

Curious? Visit Principlesfirst.us.

FOOTBALL IN SPACE

This news could perhaps be of interest to Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce and his peers.

“The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is spinning so quickly it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football, according to a new study using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. That football shape suggests the black hole is spinning at a substantial speed, which researchers estimated to be about 60% of its potential limit,” according to a summary of this complex occurrence at ScienceDaily.com, a news site.

The findings — led by Ruth Daly, professor of physics at Penn State University — was originally published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

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POLL DU JOUR

• 21% of U.S. adults say “preserving democracy” is the most urgent issue facing the U.S. today.

• 20% cite the economy, 17% cite immigration.

• 10% cite gun violence, 5% cite international conflicts.

• 5% cite abortion, 5% cite health care.

• 4% cite crime; 4% cite racial inequality.

• 4% cite climate change; 3% cite “something else.”

• 1% don’t know.

SOURCE: A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,583 U.S. adults conducted by telephone Feb. 15-19.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.