http://www.fair.org/activism/abc-democrats-update.htmlIt's noteworthy that, aside from a reference to "the totality of our reporting," ABC's argument that Kucinich is unlikely to win the nomination is based entirely on an analysis of his views as being "distinct from the rest of the field" and as being "quite similar to those of his friend Ralph Nader." If ABC in fact is predicting Kucinich or any other candidate's success on the basis of their views, we would suggest that that is a job best left to voters.
The Note argues that ABC has done a better job of covering Kucinich and other candidates than other media outlets. Given that most broadcast outlets have done a very poor job of covering any of the candidates for president, this is a low standard to hold oneself to. We would prefer to judge ABC News by its stated "commitment to make sure many political voices are heard in our democracy," and by its declared intention to cover campaigns "in a way that will help voters make their decisions."
Finally, The Note's discussion of Arons' coverage of the Kucinich campaign obscures the fact that almost none of it has appeared on ABC's television network, through which ABC News reaches the bulk of its audience. Until the recent debate, Kucinich's name had not even been spoken on Nightline, probably ABC's most prestigious news show; World News Tonight, its main daily news report, had four mentions of Kucinich, only one of which even indicated any of his policy positions-- a half-sentence reference to his promise to withdraw troops from Iraq. Sharpton has not been given any more coverage on World News Tonight; Carol Moseley Braun has received even less. ABC's Sunday morning talk show This Week devoted a segment to interviews with the three candidates (11/30/03), which host George Stephanopoulos introduced by asking, "Why do they run when winning isn't an option?"
Given that there will no longer be anyone from ABC News traveling with these campaigns, the odds are great that the near-invisibility of these candidates will only worsen. While we're glad to hear that ABC News seeks to help voters make decisions, their coverage so far of Kucinich, Sharpton and Moseley Braun has left voters who rely on ABC television news almost entirely in the dark.