News / National
'Media biased in favour of Clinton'
07 Nov 2016 at 05:02hrs | Views
WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES - Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton packed their schedules with last minute campaign events yesterday, two days out from an election that has gripped the world.Clinton is banking on star power to lock in her narrow poll lead, hosting back-to-back weekend pop concerts with Beyonce and Katy Perry and booking a date with President Barack Obama.
For his part Trump has embarked on a cross-country odyssey through Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and New Hampshire. However, above half of registered American voters, or 52 percent, believe US media is biased in favour of Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, according to a newly-released Gallup poll.
The findings are based on Gallup Daily tracking data collected October 27-28, 2016. Americans' perception of media bias is stronger in this election than during the 2004 presidential campaign, the only other time Gallup has asked the question.
In October 2004, 45 percent of registered voters believed there was no media bias — seven percentage points higher than today. Further, there was a bit more parity in perceptions of which party benefited from media favouritism, with 35 percent saying it was biased in favour of Democratic candidate John Kerry and 16 percent in favour of his Republican rival George W. Bush, Gallup said.
Voters' perceptions of media bias in 2016 are closely related to their underlying opinions of Clinton and Trump. Among voters who have a favourable opinion of Trump, 90 percent say that the media is biased in favour of Clinton. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of those who view Clinton favourably say the media is not biased toward either candidate, Gallup found.
Voters' perceptions of media bias in 2016 are also related to political party affiliation. Majority of Democrats, at 63 percent, and independents, at 52 percent, do not believe that the media is biased toward either candidate, Gallup found.
By contrast, the vast majority of Republicans, at 86 percent, perceive media bias, and nearly all of them, at 80 percent, believe the bias favours Clinton.
Among independents and Democrats who perceive bias, large majorities also believe the bias favours Clinton, according to Gallup. In the US, perceptions of a liberal media bias have been prevalent throughout this century. However, the perceived tilt in bias toward the Democratic candidate among registered voters was less pronounced in the 2004 election than it is today, Gallup found.
The increased perception of media bias among voters is largely driven by Republicans. While they were more likely than independents and Democrats to perceive bias in 2004 and are again more likely to do so in 2016, that gap has widened substantially, Gallup said.
Despite evidence of the partisanship in patterns of media-bias perception, Americans who perceive bias — regardless of their favour of Clinton or Trump or their party affiliation — generally agree that media coverage favours Clinton, Gallup found.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Trump was rushed off stage by security Saturday night during a disturbance at a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, but returned to the stage after a few minutes and finished his speech.
Some kind of disturbance occurred in the front of the room where Trump was giving speech. As Trump put up a hand above his eyes to peer out into the crowd, two security officials rushed to his side and escorted him off stage. The audience in the room suddenly scattered as law enforcement agents made their way into the crowd to apprehend an unidentified man.
A secret service spokesperson said in a statement that there was an "unidentified individual" in the crowd shouting "gun", though no weapon was found after a "thorough search."
The secret service did not immediately provide further details, saying an investigation was ongoing. A man in a blue hoodie was tackled before being escorted out by law enforcement and being held in a bathroom inside the venue. The man was reportedly released later and no charge was filed against him.
Trump returned to the stage unharmed about five minutes later and continued to finish his speech.
For his part Trump has embarked on a cross-country odyssey through Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina and New Hampshire. However, above half of registered American voters, or 52 percent, believe US media is biased in favour of Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, according to a newly-released Gallup poll.
The findings are based on Gallup Daily tracking data collected October 27-28, 2016. Americans' perception of media bias is stronger in this election than during the 2004 presidential campaign, the only other time Gallup has asked the question.
In October 2004, 45 percent of registered voters believed there was no media bias — seven percentage points higher than today. Further, there was a bit more parity in perceptions of which party benefited from media favouritism, with 35 percent saying it was biased in favour of Democratic candidate John Kerry and 16 percent in favour of his Republican rival George W. Bush, Gallup said.
Voters' perceptions of media bias in 2016 are closely related to their underlying opinions of Clinton and Trump. Among voters who have a favourable opinion of Trump, 90 percent say that the media is biased in favour of Clinton. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of those who view Clinton favourably say the media is not biased toward either candidate, Gallup found.
Voters' perceptions of media bias in 2016 are also related to political party affiliation. Majority of Democrats, at 63 percent, and independents, at 52 percent, do not believe that the media is biased toward either candidate, Gallup found.
By contrast, the vast majority of Republicans, at 86 percent, perceive media bias, and nearly all of them, at 80 percent, believe the bias favours Clinton.
Among independents and Democrats who perceive bias, large majorities also believe the bias favours Clinton, according to Gallup. In the US, perceptions of a liberal media bias have been prevalent throughout this century. However, the perceived tilt in bias toward the Democratic candidate among registered voters was less pronounced in the 2004 election than it is today, Gallup found.
The increased perception of media bias among voters is largely driven by Republicans. While they were more likely than independents and Democrats to perceive bias in 2004 and are again more likely to do so in 2016, that gap has widened substantially, Gallup said.
Despite evidence of the partisanship in patterns of media-bias perception, Americans who perceive bias — regardless of their favour of Clinton or Trump or their party affiliation — generally agree that media coverage favours Clinton, Gallup found.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Trump was rushed off stage by security Saturday night during a disturbance at a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, but returned to the stage after a few minutes and finished his speech.
Some kind of disturbance occurred in the front of the room where Trump was giving speech. As Trump put up a hand above his eyes to peer out into the crowd, two security officials rushed to his side and escorted him off stage. The audience in the room suddenly scattered as law enforcement agents made their way into the crowd to apprehend an unidentified man.
A secret service spokesperson said in a statement that there was an "unidentified individual" in the crowd shouting "gun", though no weapon was found after a "thorough search."
The secret service did not immediately provide further details, saying an investigation was ongoing. A man in a blue hoodie was tackled before being escorted out by law enforcement and being held in a bathroom inside the venue. The man was reportedly released later and no charge was filed against him.
Trump returned to the stage unharmed about five minutes later and continued to finish his speech.
Source - AFP/Xinhua.
