Study finds NY Times gave Obama 'honeymoon treatment' which likely slanted coverage by other outlets especially in times of tight budgets

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3/7/12, "Obama did in fact enjoy a ‘media honeymoon’ with New York Times, says study," Poynter.org, Andrew Beaujon

"SaintPetersBlog | Politics & Policy

Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter used content analysis, “a technique that allows researchers to classify statements objectively and systematically according to explicit rules and clear criteria,” to examine front-page stories in the New York Times during President Obama’s first year in office.

Their conclusion caught Peter Schorsch’s eye. “The first and perhaps most important finding is that The New York Times provided Obama with a presidential honeymoon,” the study says, and notes that Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, and Reagan were not as lucky. (Farnsworth and Lichter didn’t study George H.W. Bush, not because he was forgettable, but because his accession didn’t follow a partisan transfer of power.)

We also suspect that this influential paper’s coverage helped shape the coverage of the new administration by other news outlets, particularly in these times of tight media budgets. Media outlets with reduced resources might be more inclined to shape their news budget—and news perspective—around the latest reports in The New York Times.

Also interesting: What the researchers call “personality coverage” of Obama on Fox News was “largely positive” during his first year in office. Huh."...

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