THE US REPORT

Employees and independents in media, including leading Internet companies, have donated generously to Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The US Report conducted searches of donations by individuals in specific positions as well as individuals at specific media and Internet corporations,  using an interactive tool at The Orlando Sentinel. The results of our search parallel results of a study noted by The Committee of Concerned Journalists in October, 2007.  The Project for Excellence in Journalism conducted the study. The study compared coverage of each candidate. At that time, results indicated of all stories run on Obama, 46.7 percent were positive and 15.8 percent were negative. Of all stories run on Sen. John McCain, 12.4 percent were positive and 47.9 percent were negative.

Our search for figures on individual campaign donations used identical terms for each candidate. The figures we found cover the first three quarters of 2007. Note on the term ‘reporter’ there were several entries by court reporters, but the majority are from media. The entry for Time, Inc., is for Time Magazine. Utilizing a different search tool may produce different results; this is by no means an official study. These cursory results, however, indicate overwhelming bias for Obama, in print and on the Web and suggest his narrative and possibly his presence on the Web are being shaped for the public by media who actively support his campaign.

Despite frequent calls from media for open government, little about media is open to the public. Should Obama win the election, we must ask ourselves will bias continue? Obama is often compared to John F. Kennedy. Writing about that president in his book 'The Dark Side of Camelot,' author Seymour M. Hersh noted, "The mythmaking and media wooing began soon after Kennedy took office. Newspapers and magazines were filled with articles and photographs, usually touted as exclusive, of family life in the White House...Even the most earnest publications fell prey." (pg.223)

The chart below lists total dollar donations from each type of employee or independent, with donations also listed for select, influential media and Web corporation employees or independents.

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*Text and chart by Kay B. Day. Disclosure: I am a supporter of and a donor to Sen. John McCain's campaign. I am not officially connected to his campaign in any manner.

**For additional reading and to access the interactive tool at The Orlando Sentinel, follow links in 'References' below.