News About News in a Presidential Primary Campaign: Press Metacoverage on Evening News, Political Talk, and Political Comedy Programs

摘要

This study examines press metacoverage (i.e., news about news) on traditional broadcast network evening news programs, political talk programs on cable television, and political comedy programs. A content analysis found that 2008 presidential primary campaign stories on The O 'Reilly Factor, Countdown, and The Daily Show were more likely to cover the news media and to present the news media in a negative light than were stories on NBC Nightly News. The results suggest that people who view political talk and political comedy programs will be exposed to a distinctively unflattering view of the ways in which the press covers elections. Such exposure, in turn, may carry consequences for public opinion. Stephen Colbert (host of The Colbert Report): The take on this was that everybody was soft on Obama and too hard on Hillary. Maybe they were just bored with Hillary because she was a story they already knew…… Barack Obama was the new story, but then he became the old new story, and not treating her well became the new new story, and the press not only got to talk about her, but talk about themselves, which is their favorite subject.