Toplines - Media & Election 2008 - June 7, 2008

Toplines: Media & Election 2008

Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters

June 7, 2008

1* When covering a political campaign, do most reporters try to offer unbiased coverage or do they try to help the candidate they want to win?

17% Offer unbiased coverage

68% Try to help the candidate they want to win

15% Not sure

2* Think for a moment about the three major presidential candidates this year. Which candidate received the best treatment from the media so far—Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain?

54% Barack Obama

14% Hillary Clinton

22% John McCain

10% Not sure

3* Okay… which candidate received the worst treatment from the media so far—Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain?

15% Barack Obama

43% Hillary Clinton

27% John McCain

15% Not sure

4* Looking ahead to the campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain, will most reporters try to help Barack Obama, offer unbiased coverage, or try to help John McCain?

44% Try to help Obama

24% Offer unbiased coverage

13% Try to help McCain

18% Not sure

5* Does the media have too much power and influence over elections, too little power, or about the right amount of power?

76% Too much power

3% Too little power

16% Right amount of power

6% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence