Media bias in the U.S. presidential election

Key Chapter Title List

1. 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Core Candidate Matchup Landscape
2. Trump Assassination Attempts and Escalation of Election Tensions
3. Basic Information and Background of the First Candidate Debate
4. Core Debate Topics and Clash of Candidate Policy Positions
5. Harris's Debate Strategy and Characteristics of Stance Articulation
6. Trump's Policy Appeals and Situation During the Debate
7. Analysis of Discourse Intervention by ABC Hosts
8. Fact-Checking of Candidate Statements and Manifestation of Media Bias
9. Republican Criticism of the Debate Organization
10. Analysis of the Political Leanings Background of ABC and Disney
11. Post-Debate Media Ratings Changes and Influencing Factors
12. Current State of Political Stance Tendencies in U.S. Mainstream Media

Document Introduction

The 2024 U.S. presidential election has shaped into a matchup between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Two assassination attempts against Trump have escalated election tensions to an extraordinary level. Against this backdrop, the first debate between the two candidates held on September 10th became a focal point. Hosted by ABC, one of the three major terrestrial television networks in the U.S., the debate aimed to address widespread criticism that Harris had not participated in press conferences or debates since announcing her candidacy in July.

The debate opened with the question, "Is America better off now than it was four years ago when the Biden administration took office?" It centered on economic issues like inflation and employment, as well as the influx of illegal immigration. During the debate, Trump called on Harris to change her previous stances opposing strict border controls, tolerating illegal immigration, and banning fracking. Harris denied any policy reversals on her part, instead criticizing Trump for facing four indictments, his harsh measures against illegal immigrants, and accusing him of racism, sexism, and undermining democracy.

The core controversy of this debate centered on media bias by ABC. The two hosts, David Muir and Lindsay Davis, were accused of openly supporting the Democratic Party, repeatedly interrupting Trump's remarks during the debate to conduct biased "fact-checking," while ignoring clearly false statements made by Harris (such as "there are no U.S. troops stationed in any war zone in the world today"). This bias led to the debate being labeled as "three against one," drawing criticism from Republicans and broader public opinion. The long-standing liberal tendencies and Democratic-leaning stance of ABC and its parent company Disney also formed the backdrop of the controversy.

Regarding the debate outcome, multiple polls showed over 60% of assessments deemed Harris the "winner," although Trump claimed complete victory for himself. Notably, ratings for ABC-related programs saw a significant drop after the debate aired. Nielsen surveys indicated that the average viewership for "World News Tonight" over the three days following the debate fell from 7.6 million in early September to 6.7 million, a decrease of approximately 12%, reflecting public negative feedback towards this biased debate.

Based on the debate transcript, media reports, and viewership data, this report objectively presents the characteristics of political bias in U.S. mainstream media's coverage of the presidential election. It provides empirical reference for understanding the impact of media intervention on the electoral process and reveals the core issues in the controversy over the media's role in American electoral politics.