Study shows Palin treated differently by media to Biden as VP candidate in 2008

From Newstrack India:  Study shows Palin treated differently by media to Biden as VP candidate in 2008

Washington, July 8 (ANI): When it comes to assessing the 2008 vice presidential candidates, news coverage of Sarah Palin, then the Republican Governor of Alaska, not only significantly outweighed Joe Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, but was also different in substance, according to a new study.

According to the study of media coverage of the vice presidential candidates, coverage of Palin included references to her family, physical appearance and social issues, particularly in newspapers and by political blogs, while coverage of Biden dealt more with foreign policy and the economy.

News coverage mentioning the candidates was gleaned from the New York Times, the Washington Post and USA Today; transcripts from the three major broadcast networks' evening broadcasts, as well as the equivalent periods on CNN and Fox News; and entries on nearly 400 political blogs.
The research showed that the vice presidential race in 2008 was in itself unique because of the attention it received.

In addition, the authors said, the race was especially novel because of Palin's selection as the first woman on a Republican presidential ticket.

The high level of interest in her candidacy was reflected in the volume of coverage that went her way.
The authors found that the average number of stories a day in overall coverage was 36 for Palin, compared with 14.9 for Biden.

On television, Palin was the subject of 8.8 stories a day compared with 4.6 for Biden; in newspapers, it was 15 compared with 8.2 stories a day, and on political blogs, 14.2 compared with 3.2 stories a day.

"Each of these differences could have had important influences on public opinion formation and the public's voting decisions in this particular race," the authors write.

"If future research finds similar differences in coverage in other races, the implications could significantly affect the election process, particularly for female candidates," they added. (ANI)

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