Media present Republican National Convention as Trump running against himself

September 1, 2020. New York. – As the Republican National Convention allowed Trump to make his case to the nation, Biden’s visibility declined sharply on TV news, reinforcing the idea that  the election story is entirely about whether voters approve or disapprove of Trump, according to new research from Media Tenor International.

“Traditionally the U.S. election is a contest between two candidates, but in 2020 the media continues to frame the election as Trump vs. himself,” says Roland Schatz, founder and CEO of Media Tenor. “Biden has been fairly well-received by the media when he is visible, his challenge as the U.S. heads towards election day will be to remain relevant.”

CBS offered no coverage on Biden at all on its nightly news program during convention week. Fox News offered a look at both candidates. Trump fared better than Biden, as expected during the RNC, but the story wasn’t all positive or negative for either candidate. Domestic issues, social stability, and COVID-19 emerged as the main focuses of political coverage during the convention.

For over 25 years Media Tenor's mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse, and newsworthy media content by bringing together the diverse parties. Media Tenor's global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences.

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