Thread by @Map4latte

NEW REPORT: Mainstream media undermined Sanders.

I just completed a report on what happened Last Year on Super Tuesday. I'm a social science major and I used my expertise to find out how positive or negative the coverage was of Biden vs @BernieSanders over six weeks.
(1/11)

I drew on an InTheseTimes study of Positive and Negative coverage of Sanders, a Washington Post study showing majority of Americans only read headlines, and an article by Salon on how Biden earned between $70.9 to $100 million in the equivalent of free advertising by the MSM.

I used Google’s advanced settings to identify media coverage of both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders between key dates. I used seven mainstream media sources for this study: The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, MSM, Politico, The Atlantic, and CNN. 3/11

I used a point system for Biden and Sanders over a 6 week period. If a headline read “Can Bernie Sanders or COVID be stopped?” Sanders earned one pnt in negative cov. If a headline read “James Clyburn revives Biden campaign” Joe Biden received one point in positive coverage.

(NOTE: This excluded videos and focused only on coverage read in an online format)

Media coverage (Jan 19th – 25th)

Bernie Sanders
Positive: 41%
Negative: 59%

Joe Biden
Positive: 66%
Negative: 34%

Media coverage (Jan 26th – Feb 3rd)

Bernie Sanders
Positive: 33%
Negative: 67%

Joe Biden
Positive: 71%
Negative: 29%

Media coverage (Feb 4th – 10th)

Bernie Sanders
Positive: 54%
Negative: 46%

Joe Biden
Positive: 36%
Negative: 64%

This was the only week in which Bernie Sanders received positive coverage leading up to Super Tuesday.

Media coverage (Feb 11th – 21st)
Bernie Sanders
Positive: 32%
Negative: 68%

Joe Biden
Positive: 46%
Negative: 54%

Media coverage (Feb 22nd – 28th)

Bernie Sanders
Positive: 28%
Negative: 72%

Joe Biden
Positive: 62%
Negative: 38%

While @BernieSanders was leading nationally by as much as 12 points (according to RCP), he received 72% negative coverage.

Media coverage (Feb 29th – March 2nd)

Bernie Sanders
Positive: 26%
Negative: 74%

Joe Biden
Positive: 87%
Negative: 13%

Bernie would remain the front runner in national polling until March 2nd when three rivals dropped out to back Biden

Conclusion: Out of 766 articles analyzed b/w Jan 19th - March 2nd 2020 @BernieSanders received 64.2% negative coverage over 35.8% positive coverage even while he was the clear frontrunner.
Biden received 60.6% positive to 39.4% negative coverage.

If the mainstream media had given Sanders neutral coverage over those six weeks, he would've won the nomination. Despite the fact that he got 72% negative coverage, it's incredible that he was even able to become the frontrunner thanks to the #NotMeUs coalition.

Without all of you getting involved none of his policies would be popular by the majority of the American people from #MedicareForAll to a #GreenNewDeal to a $15 an hour wage.

Thank you #NotMeUs and @BernieSanders supporters.

Solidarity,
- Archer ✊✊

Source A: inthesetimes.com/features/msnbc…

Source B: salon.com/2020/04/25/cor…

Source C: washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/w…