NEWS AND OPINION:

You would think that an important national political convention would warrant unbiased, fair coverage from major broadcasters. That is not always the case.

“The Republican and Democratic conventions are over, and it’s clear which party was the favorite of taxpayer-supported PBS in their nightly three hours of live coverage in prime time. Not even the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump quelled the overwhelming negativity with which the PBS panel greeted the Republican Party Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee in July,” wrote Clay Waters, an analyst for Newsbusters.org, a conservative media watchdog site.

“Yet a month later, Vice-President Kamala Harris and a familiar crew of Democratic faces were greeted rapturously by the same network at the Democratic Party Convention (DNC) in Chicago,” he wrote.

---

---

And the key findings?

“Hostility for Republicans, Support for Democrats: PBS treated the RNC to 72% negative and 28% positive commentary. The DNC received far friendlier reception: 12% negative, 88% positive,” Mr. Waters wrote in his report, which was released Wednesday.

“The question tone for Republicans vs Democrats: 89% negative for Republican guests vs. 61% positive for Democratic guests; 68% negative for Republican delegates vs. 60% positive for Democratic delegates,” he added.

The analysis was a herculean effort on the part of Mr. Waters and others.

“Analysts tallied every comment made by PBS journalists during the Republican and Democratic conventions over the eight nights (29 hours and 21 minutes) of coverage: The 14 hours of PBS’s Republican National Convention coverage over four nights (July 15-18) and the 15 hours of PBS’s Democratic National Convention coverage over four nights (August 19-22). Analysts sorted the comments by journalists and evaluated them as positive, negative, or neutral toward the convention being covered,” Mr. Waters said.

Find the study at Newsbusters.org.

CATHOLICS FOR TRUMP

Donald Trump can rely on another faith-based group in his quest to return to the White House. Mr. Trump’s campaign reveals that a “Catholics for Trump” coalition is now active.

“The coalition is committed to safeguarding the vital principles of religious liberty and defending family values that President Donald J. Trump has ardently championed. Under President Trump’s leadership, our nation witnessed unprecedented support for religious freedom, with significant victories both domestically and globally. President Trump restored protections for faith-based organizations and bolstered the rights of religious institutions against governmental overreach,” the campaign said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Unlike the Harris-Biden administration, which has systematically undermined these fundamental rights, President Trump has stood unwaveringly in defense of the foundational principles of Catholicism. President Trump knows the significance of ensuring religious freedom for all, and unlike Kamala Harris, he also knows the true power of faith and will never take away our God-given rights. This coalition presents an incredible opportunity to display to our nation, under God, what Catholics believe in and the morals we uphold,” the statement said.

“Catholics for Trump stands with President Trump in his mission to continue building a nation where the rights of every individual to practice their faith freely is protected. Together, we can secure a future that honors the principles of freedom, faith, and life that are integral to our American heritage, and we will protect the right to engage in the divine Truth of the Lord and hold steadfast His unconditional love that guides us daily,” it said.

“To join Catholics for Trump and get involved, please visit Catholics.DonaldJTrump.com,” the group said.

THE AMBASSADORS ARE HIRED

Edelman — a global communications firm that employs 6,000 people in more than 60 offices in the U.S. and worldwide — has two new employees of note.

“Edelman has appointed former South Carolina Governor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley as Vice Chair, and former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to China, Max Baucus as Senior Advisor, within EGA, the firm’s global Public Affairs consultancy,” Edelman said in a press release Wednesday.

“Politics has become a critical consideration for clients in brand marketing, employee engagement and reputation management,” said Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, in a written statement.

“In her time as governor, Haley had great success in attracting foreign companies to South Carolina and as Ambassador to the UN, helped lead important work on global issues,” he added.

Mr. Edelman also had a thought or two about Mr. Baucus.

“As the former U.S. Ambassador to China under President Obama, and former U.S. Senator from Montana, Baucus has unique experience on agricultural, trade and tech issues. They will provide clients with unmatched counsel. I am thrilled to have them join the firm,” the CEO also noted.

Both of the new hires had their own statements, of course.

“In a time of growing complexities in business, policy, and politics — brands need to anticipate what’s coming next. Whether managing a crisis or celebrating a success, industry leaders must be ready to communicate clearly and share their vision forward. I’m excited to join the team at Edelman to help their clients navigate the challenges ahead,” Ms. Haley said.

Mr. Baucus said he is “thrilled to join Edelman, a firm with such a strong legacy that continues to serve as a trusted advisor to so many of the world’s leading companies. I look forward to supporting Edelman’s continued growth and success and putting my policy and international affairs experience to work for clients.”

FOXIFIED

In the week of Aug. 26, Fox News continued to trounce the competition, attracting 2.3 million viewers on average in that time period, according to Nielsen Media Research. In the daytime hours, Fox drew an average audience of 1.4 million viewers during the week.

“The Five” averaged 3.4 million daily viewers and was the most-watched show of the week with viewers. Late -ight host Greg Gutfeld also drew a sizable daily-average audience, 2.7 million viewers, during the period.

Some Sunday evening programming also scored. Prime-time host Mark Levin presented part two of his interview with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, which earned the program’s highest ratings since 2022, as 2 million viewers watched.

POLL DU JOUR

• 47% of U.S. adults plan to cast their vote in the November presidential election in person on Election Day.

• 21% plan to cast their vote in person before Election Day.

• 21% plan to cast their vote by mail or absentee ballot, sending it by mail or at the post office.

• 10% plan to cast their vote by mail or absentee ballot, returning it to a vote center, elections dropbox or other official site.

• 1% say they will not vote in the November election.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,544 U.S. adults conducted online Sept. 1-3.

• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.