BAD NEWS SPECIALISTS

Media Research Center looked at the content and tone of the 1,388 Iraq stories carried on the main evening news broadcasts of ABC, CBS and NBC during the period January 1 through September 30, concluding:

■ Network coverage has been overwhelmingly pessimistic.

■ News about the war has grown increasingly negative.

■ Terrorist attacks are the centerpiece of TV’s war news.

■ Even coverage of the Iraqi political process has been negative.

■ Few stories focused on the heroism or generous actions of American soldiers.

■ It’s not as if there was no “good news” to report.

Go here for the executive summary or here for the full report (pdf).