Bias is catching: Voters from both political parties now think that the news media takes a partisan tilt in its election coverage, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Sunday.
“Perceptions of partisan bias seen as growing — especially by Democrats,” the survey stated.
Among those Democrats, 29 percent think the coverage favors Republicans, up from 19 percent in 2000. And among Republicans, 42 percent think the coverage is biased toward Democrats, up from 37 percent in 2000.
Such concern is growing among all voters. Back in 1987, 62 percent of viewers thought that election coverage was free of favoritism. Now, only 38 percent would agree.
Most also think the news coverage itself is pushing an agenda.
Overall, 65 percent of Americans think the news is biased a “great deal” or a “fair amount.” Among conservative Republicans, the figure was 72 percent. Among liberal Democrats, the figure was 66 percent.
Such feelings were more pronounced in specific audiences, however.
Among those who watch the Fox News Channel, 76 percent think that the news is biased a great deal or fair amount. The figure stood at 72 percent among those who listen to talk radio, 73 percent who monitor news on the Internet, 69 percent who watch CNN and 66 percent who rely on newspapers for their updates.
Still, the public continues to pine for untainted news. The survey also found that two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) say they prefer news with “no particular political point of view,” while a quarter want news that reflects their own politics. That figure has remained virtually unchanged since 2000.
The survey also plumbed the mysteries of the true campaign junkie — those devotees who follow the political horse race with relish. The “campaign news enthusiast,” as Pew diplomatically notes, represents only 7 percent of the population.
But they are a smitten bunch.
The survey found that among this group, 53 percent regularly watch political debates, compared with 20 percent of the general population. Another 80 percent of the “enthusiasts” watch those endless campaign interviews and speeches, and almost half go online regularly to check up on various races.
The Pew survey found that endorsements from celebrities or special-interest groups have little influence.
Among the respondents, 84 percent said it made “no difference” if NBC “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno endorsed a candidate. Another 67 percent said Al Gore’s endorsement would not sway their vote.
Among interest groups, 73 percent of those surveyed said a Sierra Club endorsement made no difference to them; 65 percent felt the same about the National Rifle Association.
Predictably, the survey found that most Americans get campaign news from television, though tastes are shifting somewhat. For example, in 2000, 48 percent said they got their election news from local TV. That figure has fallen to 42 percent today.
More Americans (38 percent) are watching campaign coverage on cable TV than in 2000, when the number was 34 percent. Meanwhile, the nightly network news audience has diminished in the past four years (from 45 percent to 35 percent).
Nine percent in the survey reported they got campaign news from late-night comedians.
Comedy shows are showing an increase in their political audience. In 2000, 6 percent of Americans said they got election news from the likes of the Comedy Channel’s “Daily Show” or NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” That figure has risen to 8 percent today.
The young and disinterested continue to develop their own tastes in campaign coverage — when they acknowledge it at all. The survey found that two thirds of those from 18 to 29 are not interested in campaign news, or are only marginally interested.
The Pew survey of 1,506 adults was conducted between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2.
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