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Bias predicted in election coverage
By UPI Staff
United Press International
November 7, 2006

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (UPI) -- The conservative Media Research Center of Alexandria, Va., has predicted that TV networks will reveal partisan slants in their election night coverage.

The center's Brent Baker said he believes broadcast networks ABC, NBC and CBS will likely use the results to paint Democrats in a favorable light, The Washington Times reported Monday.

"Victories for Democrats anywhere in the country will be cast as a repudiation of President Bush and the war on Iraq, on a Republican Congress and possibly on conservative policies in general," Baker said.

"The networks may have learned their lessons about calling a race before the polls have closed. But they're going to seek any hints which could portray an overall trend in favor of Democrats," he said. "If a Republican loses in Indiana, where the polls close at 7 p.m., they'll seize on it right away."

The Times also reported that a study by the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs has found that 12 percent of 170 midterm election-themed stories on the big three networks favored Republicans.

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