Obama birther controversy filled four percent of US news coverage

April 28th, 2011 - 5:46 pm ICT by ANI  

New York, Apr. 28 (ANI): A recent study of news coverage shows that top media organizations have been devoting relatively little time to the so-called “birther” issue.

The Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, which produces a weekly analysis of news coverage, found that during the week of April 11-17, Obama and the “birther” issue filled a mere four percent of the news coverage.

According to Fox News, this amounted to far less coverage than that dedicated to other issues, such as the 40 percent devoted to the economy that week, despite Donald Trump making an issue out of Obama’s birth certificate in numerous interviews.

The 2012 presidential election received eight percent of coverage the following week, according to the organization’s analysis, but that still was less than the 15 percent devoted to the Middle East and the 14 percent devoted to the economy.

As for cable news coverage, the Project for Excellence in Journalism found MSNBC dedicated about 10 percent of its airtime to Obama, and the birth certificate issue. CNN devoted five percent of its airtime to Obama, about the same as Fox News. (ANI)

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