A Study in Character Assassination: How the TV Networks Have Portrayed Sarah Palin as Dunce or Demon

[Evan Miller]

http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/specialreports/2008/SarahPalinChar/SaraPalinExec_Sum.htm

Major findings:

Major network news shows ran 69 stories about Sarah Palin between
September 29 and October 12. 37 stories were negative, just 2 were
positive, and 30 were neutral. Not a single evening news show ran a
positive story about Palin.

Overall, 21 network stories portrayed Palin as unintelligent and
unqualified. 8 of these stories played a total of 11 clips of
Saturday Night Live ridiculing Palin. 14 segments featured the most
embarrassing clips from Palin’s interview with Katie Couric.

9 stories emphasized attacks on Palin by conservative columnists.

14 stories demonized Palin as little more than John McCain’s attack
dog.

ABC was hardest on Palin, with 9 negative stories (60%), 6 neutral
(40%) and no positive stories. NBC ran 15 negative stories (54%), 13
neutral (46%) and no positive stories. CBS ran 14 negative stories
(54%), 10 neutral (38%) and 2 positive (8%).