18:1 by the Drive by Media

And just think what it would have been if they put MSNBC in to the mix !

Study: Palin coverage negative
By ANDY BARR

Media coverage of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been overwhelmingly negative according to a new study by the Culture and Media Institute, a conservative media watchdog group.

A survey of stories shown on NBC, CBS and ABC between September 29 and October 12 showed that negative stories about Palin were shown over positive stories at a rate of 18-1. Of the 69 stories about the Alaska governor shown during the stretch, 37 were deemed negative, 30 neutral and 2 positive.

Both of the positive stories were aired on CBS. More than half of each of the networks stories were negative. The study did not offer any information on how Palin coverage has skewed since Oct. 12.

“If the polls are accurate, the networks have successfully created a caricature of Sarah Palin that ignores her all-American appeal, intelligence and accomplishments,” Media Research Center President Brent Bozell said in a release accompanying the report. “CMI's analysis shows an undeniable pattern of bias against her in a critical period before the election.”

According to the report, most of the negative stories portrayed Palin as either unqualified and unintelligent or as attacking Barack Obama unfairly.

Since being unveiled as McCain’s running mate, Palin has had a contentious relationship with the press. The Alaska governor has been criticized for not being available to reporters and, by many measures, failed her first tests in interviews with ABC’s Charles Gibson and CBS’s Katie Couric.

Palin has frequently criticized the press as biased and sexist both on the stump and in interviews.

During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” Thursday, the Alaska governor said there is an “obvious double standard” in her coverage.

“I mean, talk about my wardrobe and never talking about the male candidate's wardrobe. Or the questions posed to me of how I will be able to serve in office and still raise a family. I've never heard that asked of a male candidate,” she said.

“But I'm not going to complain about that, because if my skin isn’t thick enough to take that as a candidate, I should not be even thinking of serving this nation as vice president.”