A recent study by the Media Research Center (MRC) has revealed a stark contrast in media coverage on ABC's World News Tonight regarding Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The analysis, covering 100 campaign stories aired from July 21 to September 6, found that ABC provided overwhelmingly positive coverage of Harris while offering significantly negative reports about Trump. The findings are sparking concerns over media bias, particularly as Harris and Trump prepare to face off in a presidential debate.
According to the MRC study, all of the positive remarks about Harris, a total of 25 statements, came from non-partisan sources such as reporters and voters, leading to an unprecedented 100 percent positive coverage rating for the Vice President. In stark contrast, Trump received just five positive comments against 66 negative ones, resulting in a 93 percent negative coverage score during the same period. This discrepancy highlights a substantial media bias favoring Harris over Trump, with critics pointing to ABC's editorial decisions as highly slanted.
ABC is helping Kamala Harris out Tonight by Making Her Podium Significantly Smaller than Trumps 🤣
This was apparently one of Harris’ demands so that she can look the same in stature to Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/xL4vzsjDCN
— DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) September 10, 2024
ABC’s coverage stands out even among the other major networks. While CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News also showed favorable coverage toward Harris, with CBS offering 94 percent positive and NBC 71 percent, the degree of bias on ABC is notably higher.
Trump fared poorly across the board, with CBS offering 77 percent negative coverage and NBC reporting 86 percent negatively on the former president. However, ABC's World News Tonight emerged as the most hostile network toward Trump, raising eyebrows ahead of their September 10 debate.
🚨 JUST UNEARTHED: A December 1995 clip from ABC Primetime shows a young Kamala Harris tethered to 61-year-old Willie Brown at his Mayoral election night party in San Francisco.
Reporter: “Are you his daughter?”
Kamala: “No I’m not.”
OH. MY. GOSH. 😭 pic.twitter.com/OlbMMgHoUW
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 10, 2024
This skewed coverage has drawn significant criticism from conservative outlets and Trump supporters, who argue that ABC's portrayal of the candidates undermines fair reporting. The debate moderator for the upcoming event, David Muir, has also been flagged for his previous contentious interviews with Trump. For instance, during a January 2017 interview, Muir appeared to criticize Trump’s focus on crowd sizes during his inauguration, while not extending the same scrutiny to Democratic figures during similar interviews.
The timing of the report has intensified the spotlight on the upcoming ABC-hosted debate between Trump and Harris, where media bias may influence public perception. Observers are concerned that the overly positive media treatment of Harris could shape the narrative in her favor, particularly given the media's role in shaping electoral outcomes. With such overwhelming positive spin, many question the media's responsibility in maintaining objectivity during a crucial election cycle.
The MRC, a conservative media watchdog group, asserts that the lopsided coverage reflects broader media patterns that consistently favor Democrats over Republicans. Critics argue that this trend could unfairly advantage Harris, who has struggled with negative public opinion in the past but has benefited from an improving media portrayal as she moves further into the campaign.
The disparity between how ABC and other networks report on Harris and Trump raises broader concerns about the media’s influence over democratic processes. As Harris and Trump head into their debate, all eyes will be on how the network manages the event and whether its coverage continues to lean heavily in Harris’s favor.
