Legacy Media's Double Standard on Political Labeling Revealed

Strategic Insights -

A recent Media Research Centre analysis found that major news outlets CNN, MSNBC, and PBS applied the term "far-Right" to the Republican Party 81 times, while labeling Democrats as "far-Left" only once. Despite this clear bias, legacy media outlets like the Washington Post and the New York Times have been hesitant to apply the same label to Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist with a platform that advocates for far-left policies.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Media Research Centre's five-month survey of major news outlets found that CNN, MSNBC, and PBS used the term "far-Right" 1,222 times and "far-Left" 86 times.
  • Across these networks, the GOP was deemed "far-Right" 81 times, while Democrats were called "far-Left" only once.
  • PBS was found to have the most slanted application of political epithets, referencing the "far-Right" 127 times and the "far-Left" just three times.
  • The ratio for MSNBC was 718 to 39 (or 18.4-to-1), and at CNN, 377 to 44 (or more than 8.5 to 1).
  • The Washington Post criticized Mamdani's platform but called it "far-Left" in an unsigned editorial, while a candidate profile article for the New York Times referred to Mamdani's agenda as "populist" rather than "far-Left".
  • Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's platform includes policies such as a $30 per hour minimum wage, soak-the-rich taxation, creating city-run grocery stores, and guaranteeing "high-quality housing for all as a human right".
  • A majority of New Yorkers would need to vote for a candidate in a five-candidate mayoral field to bestow the office on Mamdani, a plurality as little as 35 per cent of the vote.

Statistics:

  • 1,222: the number of times CNN, MSNBC, and PBS used the term "far-Right" or something similar.
  • 86: the number of times these networks used the term "far-Left".
  • 81: the number of times the GOP was deemed "far-Right" across these networks.
  • 718: the number of times MSNBC used the term "far-Right", compared to 39 times for "far-Left".
  • 377: the number of times CNN used the term "far-Right", compared to 44 times for "far-Left".
  • 127: the number of times PBS referenced the "far-Right", compared to 3 times for "far-Left".

Sources:

  • Media Research Centre analysis
  • Washington Post, "Republican leaders hope the ascent of the NYC mayoral candidate, a democratic socialist, will help them paint the Democrats as a far-Left party" (June 26)
  • Washington Post, "Zohran Mamdani's victory is bad for New York and the Democratic Party" (June 26)
  • New York Times, "Who's Running for Mayor of New York City?" (July 3)