A recent analysis has thrown some light on how PBS’s “NewsHour” has been framing the political landscape, particularly as the election approached. Researchers found that Republican figures and their policies were frequently labeled with terms like “far right,” “extremist,” and “hard-liner.”
In stark contrast, Democratic politicians and progressive views were often characterized in a more favorable light. This study, birthed from the Media Research Center’s NewsBusters blog, examined broadcasts from June 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.
The published findings highlighted that “PBS NewsHour” utilized the term “far right” a staggering 162 times, but the term “far left” showed up only six times.
When researchers specifically looked at reporting from PBS journalists, “far right” was mentioned 64 times, while “far left” was merely cited twice. Guest commentators also seemed to mirror this bias, using “far right” to describe Republicans 52 times and “far left” 19 times when talking about Democrats.
Moreover, references to “right-wing” and its variations appeared 33 times in relation to Republicans, but only six times for Democrats, who were described as “left-wing.” The term “extreme right” was particularly prominent, with PBS anchors and guests referring to it 57 times while using “extreme left” or “extremist” a mere three times.
In terms of labeling policies, the study found that “hard line” was directed at Republicans 25 times, yet not once was it used to describe Democrats. Astoundingly, the term “fascist” popped up 17 times in relation to President-elect Donald Trump, often when quoting others.
However, when it came to comments on Vice President Kamala Harris, PBS anchors and guests actively rejected the label “Communist,” which was used three times in total.
The conclusions drawn from the Media Research Center suggested that PBS’s approach strays from its Congressional mandate to “maintain a strict adherence to objectivity and balance.”
This seeming bias didn’t stop there, as past studies indicated that PBS isn’t the only offender in ideologically slanted coverage during the 2024 presidential race.
Leading up to the election, a separate analysis revealed that while Vice President Harris enjoyed 78% positive coverage on evening news programs from ABC, CBS, and NBC, Trump faced a staggering 83% negative portrayal during the same period.
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