Watching the broadcast news networks report on campaigns makes you think they’re not creating news as much as they’re trying to make the political weather.
asserted
they → watch → weather
On every day, in every way, they labor to place the blackest clouds over the heads of President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
asserted
they → labor → Trump
Any hint of neutrality is despised as "normalizing" Trump.
asserted
hint → despise → Trump
Nonpartisanship somehow becomes partisanship.
asserted
Nonpartisanship → become → ?
A Media Research Center study of the 2024 campaign from July 21 through Oct. 25 found ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts punished Trump with 85% negative coverage.
asserted
newscasts → find → coverage
Meanwhile, the Democrat nominee, Kamala Harris, received 78% positive coverage.
asserted
nominee → receive → coverage
One choice sounded like doom, and the other was painted as hope and joy and "vibes."
asserted
other → sound → hope
With that kind of stark difference in tone, does that sound like news, or campaign advertising?
asserted
that → sound → news
Leading the themes two years ago was the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including Trump’s insistence that the 2020 election was rigged – 47 minutes of coverage.
asserted
election → lead → coverage
Another 30 minutes was spent amplifying claims that Trump is a "danger to democracy" and/or a "fascist."
uncertain
Trump → spend → democracy
It's happening again in 2026.
asserted
It → happen → 2026
The Media Research Center just found ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts from Sept. 28 to Oct. 26 gave Trump and the Republicans almost 57 minutes of negative coverage on the evening news, while the Democrats received almost 19 minutes of negative coverage – a three-to-one ratio.
asserted
Democrats → find → ratio
That math could be a little misleading, since the bad scandal news for Democrats, like the immigration agents raiding the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., came wrapped in framing against the Trump administration for doing this in the closing weeks of an election.
uncertain
news → raid → election
(These results came before the new eruption over "Decoy Dan" Sullivan in Alaska.)
asserted
results → come → Alaska
It was the same pattern on the formerly taxpayer-funded "PBS News Hour."
asserted
It → fund → Hour
From Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, the GOP received 94% negative spin, to 6% positive.
asserted
GOP → receive → %
The Democrats received far more balanced coverage – 53% negative, 47% positive.
asserted
Democrats → receive → coverage
No one would say the network news should avoid negative news.
asserted
news → say → news
Consumers inherently don’t trust happy news any more than they trust gushy positive campaign commercials.
asserted
they → trust → commercials
But the overwhelming tone of news coverage should force viewers to understand these broadcast network stars aren’t neutral referees, calling balls and strikes.
asserted
stars → force → balls
They’re throwing beanballs at the Republicans.
asserted
They → throw → Republicans
Inside the broadcast network news bubble, democracy is mentally associated with the Democrats, autocracy with the Grand Old Party.
asserted
democracy → associate → Party
If the Republicans show party unity, that’s a failing.
asserted
that → show → unity
They are weakening democracy by not weakening Trump.
asserted
They → weaken → Trump
When the Democrats show party unity, that’s not controversial at all.
asserted
that → show → unity
In fact, the elitist media help enforce party unity.
asserted
media → help → unity
Republicans dissenting from Trump quickly draw positive media attention.
asserted
Republicans → dissent → attention
"Lifelong Republicans" who endorse Democrats get promoted as the zeitgeist.
asserted
who → endorse → zeitgeist
Democrat dissenters would be ignored and gain no advantage.
asserted
dissenters → ignore → advantage
The growing radicalism of the Democrat party and its Democratic Socialists of America faction, and what they plan to do if they gain a majority in one or both houses of Congress, have not been serious topics.
asserted
they → grow → Congress
If the voters are casting ballots for Democrats because of the economy, do the Democrats have an actual solution?
asserted
Democrats → cast → solution
The networks weren’t focused on what happens next.
asserted
what → focus → ?
Anyone perusing social media can see the Democrats salivating at more impeachments of Trump, and maybe an impeachment for Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., not to mention some very aggressive hearings into how the Trump family is personally prospering in Trump’s second term.
asserted
family → peruse → term
During President Joe Biden’s presidency, the broadcast networks obsessed over the House’s Jan. 6 hearings, including incessant live coverage, even in prime time hours.
asserted
networks → obsess → hours
In the last two years, House oversight hearings into subjects like Biden’s use of the autopen and his declining mental fitness, were largely ignored.
asserted
hearings → decline → autopen
Inside the broadcast network news bubble, democracy is mentally associated with the Democrats, autocracy with the Grand Old Party.
asserted
democracy → associate → Party
The networks have focused most of their attention on Trump’s rallies, often noting that when he campaigns in red states, it’s a sign that Republicans are anxious about losing in states they should be winning.
asserted
they → focus → states
If former President Barack Obama campaigns in a blue state, like appearing with radical Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, that’s not painted as desperation.
asserted
that → campaign → desperation
PBS reporter Liz Landers oozed on Oct. 26: "Former President Barack Obama brought his own firepower to the trail, rallying Democratic voters in two Midwestern battlegrounds on Saturday, telling crowds in Michigan and Ohio that Trump was responsible for rising costs because of the war with Iran."
asserted
Trump → ooze → Iran
Trump canceling rallies in the closing days of the race is drawing negative coverage.
asserted
canceling → cancel → coverage
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
