WASHINGTON, D.C. – Media coverage of the 2024 United States presidential election by national broadcast networks was the “most lopsided in history,” according to a recent report published by the Media Research Center. Since July, the report states ABC, CBS, and NBC gave Vice President Kamala Harris 78% positive coverage, while now-President-elect Donald Trump received 85% negative coverage. In October, trust in mass media hit an all-time low, with only 31% of Americans expressing confidence in media integrity and 12% of Republicans maintaining any trust in the fairness of national news coverage.
Eight years ago, when Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-ND) served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he sent a letter to the broadcast networks requesting a hearing to explore network media bias in coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign. To date, none of the networks have responded.
Following the 2024 election results, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) sent a letter to the four major broadcast networks urging them to prioritize balanced national news coverage. The letter underscored Cramer’s ongoing concerns pertaining to media bias, noting the networks operate on a federally allocated spectrum, a privilege granted by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest. Cramer concluded the letter with a series of direct oversight questions on the networks’ news coverage practices and requested responses within 30 days.
“Unfortunately, the concerns expressed in my 2016 letter have not only gone unaddressed, but have worsened,” wrote Cramer. “Public confidence in your national news operations and programming has plummeted to unprecedented levels.
“Such biased news coverage should serve as a wake-up call to any network claiming to value fact-based journalism, especially considering national broadcast networks operate on a federally allocated spectrum,” continued Cramer. “This is a privilege, not a right, granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of the American people to provide a public service.
“The editorial slant of your national news programming not only betrays the trust of Americans, but also undermines the exceptional work of local affiliates,” concluded Cramer. “These affiliates, especially those serving rural communities, work tirelessly to provide fair and valuable reporting, but their credibility is eroded by association with biased national coverage. I do not support reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, but when publicly-owned prime spectrum is given for the public’s benefit, you have a higher standard to bear. For the sake of its credibility among the American public, national news operations and programming must uphold the core tenets of journalism—objectivity, fairness, and impartiality in all coverage—regardless of the issue, party, or subject.”
Click here for the letter.
Cramer also wrote a letter to National Public Radio (NPR) in May regarding allegations of media bias within the network. He later met with NPR CEO Katherine Maher about the editorial direction under her leadership and the importance of providing impartial journalism.