According to a recent Media Research Center (MRC) study, 84% of the mainstream media's coverage of Kamala Harris has been positive, while 89% of their coverage of Donald Trump has been negative, if not overtly hostile.
Analyst Curtis Houck says the news networks are outpacing even their own record level of liberal bias from 16 years ago.
"84% positive spin on the network evening newscasts beats 68% positive coverage for Barack Obama," he references, calling the numbers "remarkable" and "absolutely incredible."
The study also reveals that recasting liberal Harris as a moderate is taking some time. Since Biden exited the race a month ago, ABC, CBS, and NBC have devoted 194 stories to Harris, with a combined airtime of 437 minutes (or more than seven hours).
In that time, the networks have described Harris as "liberal" or "progressive" only twice.
"They are completely in the tank for this and … not willing to talk about other issues right below the surface, such as her policy positions and the coronation of her candidacy," Houck observes.
He also points out they are ignoring the fact that Harris has completely ignored them; she has not given them one press conference or interview since ascending to the Democratic throne.
The surprising exception
Over the weekend, CNN's Michael Smerconish lit into Harris for her lack of success as a sitting vice president.
"She has served as an undistinguished, nearly invisible vice president," he noted. "There appears no accomplishment she can point to for her most important responsibility: addressing the origin of the border crisis."
He also called out Harris's lack of transparency and her unwillingness to give even a single press conference or interview.
"Thus far, Harris has had a free ride," Smerconish said. "She's not given any media interviews, hasn't faced voter questioning. She said that she would give an interview by the end of the month – she said that on August the 8th."
Smerconish, who prides himself on his unbiased, middle-of-the-road approach to delivering the news, went on to criticize the presidential hopeful for her shifting policy positions.
"No doubt, she wants more time on the clock to prepare answers as to why she's flipped on healthcare, fracking, weed, and the death penalty, to name just a few," he posed.
Houck concludes that Harris can only hide for so long before more of the liberal legacy news channels demand some answers.
"I think it'll be talked about more and more as we go forward," he predicts. "The convention now is the last main excuse that media have."
But for now, the media watchdog says the networks are complicit in covering up the most liberal candidate to ever run for the presidency on a major party ticket.
