[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13420]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   PUBLIC FEELS REPORTERS ARE BIASED

  (Mr. SMITH of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, a new survey has found that 68 
percent of all voters believe that reporters try to help their favorite 
candidate win elections. Just 17 percent believe that reporters offer 
unbiased coverage of election campaigns. And by more than a 3-1 margin, 
voters believe the media is behind Senator Barack Obama rather than 
Senator John McCain.
  The survey also found that 76 percent of voters believe the media 
have too much power and too much influence over elections. And 
skepticism about the media cuts across income, racial, gender, and age 
demographics.
  Americans are right to be skeptical, and should brace themselves for 
the most one-sided coverage of a Presidential race that we have ever 
seen. We need to encourage the media to adhere to the highest standards 
of their profession. Only then can we restore Americans' faith in news 
reporting.

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