Media

Study: Media Gives Partisan Coverage To Sex Scandals

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Amber Athey Podcast Columnist
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ABC, CBS and NBC displayed their favorability toward Democrats this month by covering Republican sex scandals twice as often as Democratic sex scandals.

According to a study by the Media Research Center, the broadcast news networks spent a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes covering sexual harassment and assault scandals from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. Nearly two-thirds of that coverage was spent on sex scandals involving Republicans.

The allegations of molestation against Roy Moore dominated ABC, CBS and NBC, with the networks giving the story 4 hours and 8 minutes of coverage. Meanwhile, the allegations of harassment and groping against Democratic Sen. Al Franken that broke a week later only got 1 hour and 14 minutes.

Democratic Rep. John Conyers, who is accused by several former staffers of harassment, received only 46 minutes of coverage in that same time period.

To really twist the knife on Republicans, the networks also spent 10 minutes reminding viewers of the “Access Hollywood” tape of President Donald Trump, and spent 7.5 minutes on Republican Rep. Joe Barton’s leaked nude photos.

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