Newsletters

While international TV news remains enthusiastic about Barack Obama, domestic TV news paints an ambivalent image of the first 100 days of the new president. Even in the main eve-ning news of ABC, CBS and NBC, that are not normally judged to support the Republican party, positive and negative news are balanced in the period between January 20th and April 9th, 2009. When Fox News is taken into account, the overall picture turns even negative. This compares quite unfavorably with the TV coverage of George W. Bush’s first 100 days in 2001. Bush received more critical coverage but generated even more positive news.

“The main focus of internationals stations lay more on Obama’s appealing personality and the presentation of his dog than on the issues, that dominated US TV news: the economy, tax policy and the selection of his administration ”, Roland Schatz, President and founder of Media Tenor International explains the different news selection in between US and international TV programs. The research institute has been from continuously monitoring the TV coverage of the President and of other leading US politicians from the year 2000 on, not only in the US but n Germany, UK, CNN World News and the Arab satellite stations Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera and LBC TV as well.

Positive international news coverage accompanied Barack Obama on his long way in the White House and this positive perception outlived the first 100 days in office as well. Especially German and Arab TV news remained enthusiastic about Barack Obama with a share of 21.2% and 17.9% of positive statements respectively. The share of negative information on the other hand did not exceed 8%.

But in domestic as well as in international news, positive reporting focused on the personality of Obama and his public appearance. “The hopes as sociated with the new President focused on the economy“, explains Dr. Christian Kolmer, head of political studies at Media Tenor. ”About 1/4 of the US coverage and more than 1/5 of the reports in international TV news related to economic issues.” It is telling that Obama’s public appearance was more important for US TV journalists than foreign policy. “This is one of the causes of the weak approval rates for Obama in the US: With a job approval of 49% Obama has already lost much of his credit with American voter over the first 100 days of his presidency.”

Obama’s trip to Europe has pushed the financial crisis down on the media agenda, especially in international TV news – with positive consequences for his evaluation. But the picture became more balanced in April in the US as well – even before the new dog arrived in the White House. “Obama has raised great expectations in Europe and the Muslim World”, comments Dr. Kolmer. Obama benefits in these countries from th e favorable comparisons with his predecessor George W. Bush as well. This leads Dr. Kolmer to a cautious forecast: “It is only a matter of time, till when the media will address the virtually unchanged demands US policy directs towards its European partners. And then disillusionment and declining polls will cross the Atlantic.”

Media Tenor International analyzes the media coverage of US politicians, parties and of the US Government on an ongoing basis in the main evening news of ARD, ZDF, BBC, ITV, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, LBC TV, CNN World News, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. For this analysis overall 12,866 news stories with 69,898 statements have been examined for the pe-riod from January to April 2009.