The Michele Bachmann-obsessed community will enjoy Eric Ostermeier’s summary and analysis of Rep. Bachmann’s TV appearances during 2009.
Key findings: Bachmann has been an interview guest on cable news network shows 22 times already this year. That’s once every nine days and equals her total appearances for all of 2008.
Ideologically speaking, the range of Bachmann’s appearances has changed. In 2008, Bachmann appeared half the time on Fox, with the other half mostly CNN plus two on MSNBC (her most famous appearance of the year was surely one of those, when she used the word “anti-American” to describe Barack Obama on “Hardball.”)
But so far this year, with the same number of total appearances, her Fox News work has jumped from 10 to 13 appearances, her CNN appearances dropped from 9 to 3, and MSNBC fell from 2 to 0.
Unless I’ve read these paragraphs incorrectly, they could have been titled “Bachman’s Media Star is Falling” since two of three networks surveyed aired fewer Bachman spots. Or “Bachman Stars Only On Fox.” Your piece just added to her media stats.
hello all
the reason michele bachman is on fox network is because more people watch fox network than view all the other networks combined. msnbc is the lowest viewed network of all the cable new networks. if you want to reach the most views you appear on the fox network. nine of the top ten news shows are on fox.
Regardless of which channel she is on, I only hear about it on the web, because I don’t regularly watch any of those channels.
Ah, well: at least I watch SOME media news — my daughters’ generation doesn’t bother. They seem to feel no-one in power cares one whit about them or their views, and they return the favor, ignoring politicians and commercials equally.
It seems to be left to older generations, who themselves are abandoning print media in droves. I believe the reason is that in a starkly divided society such as we have it is difficult to swing to one side without offending the other, and people can vote with their subscription dollars or their remotes.
I am struck, however, at the stark contrast between the medical shows with doctors and nurses swarming patients’ bedsides and the reality of hospital stays where it is difficult even to get the attention of a janitor.