Media bias in presidential elections: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis considered 59 quantitative studies containing data concerne d with partisan media bias in presidential election campaigns since 1948. T ypes of bias considered were gatekeeping bias, which is the preference for selecting stories from one party or the other; coverage bias which consider s the relative amounts of coverage each party receives; and statement bias, which focuses on the favorability of coverage toward one party or the othe r. On the whole, no significant biases were found for the newspaper industr y. Biases in news magazines were virtually zero as well. However, meta-anal ysis of studies of television network news showed small, measurable, but pr obably insubstantial coverage and statement biases.