Since February, Steve Benen has been keeping track of how the traditional media covers challenges to the Affordable Care Act. And what a shock, he's found that there's a lot more coverage of the opinions ruling against the administration than for it.
He's back today, reviewing coverage of yesterday's significant ruling by the Sixth Circuit upholding the constitutionality of the law. So how did the fourth estate do on this one?
Yesterday?s ruling was the most important to date ? it was the first ruling from a federal appeals court bench ? and even had the added hook of having Republican-appointed judges siding with the Obama administration. Surely this is front-page news, right?Wrong. Here?s the tale of the tape, putting yesterday?s coverage in the larger context of the other cases:
Washington Post
* 6th Circuit ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A5, 1053 words
* Steeh ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A2, 607 words
* Moon ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page B5, 507 words
* Hudson ruling (against the ACA): article on page A1, 1624 words
* Vinson ruling (against the ACA): article on page A1, 1176 words
* Kessler ruling (upholding the ACA): no article, zero wordsNew York Times
* 6th Circuit ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A15, 853 words
* Steeh ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A15, 416 words
* Moon ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A24, 335 words
* Hudson ruling (against the ACA): article on page A1, 1320 words
* Vinson ruling (against the ACA): article on page A1, 1192 words
* Kessler ruling (upholding the ACA): article on page A14, 488 wordsAssociated Press
* 6th Circuit ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 832 words
* Steeh ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 474 words
* Moon ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 375 words
* Hudson ruling (against the ACA): one piece, 915 words
* Vinson ruling (against the ACA): one piece, 1164 words
* Kessler ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 595 wordsPolitico
* 6th Circuit ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 940 words
* Steeh ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 830 words
* Moon ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 535 words
* Hudson ruling (against the ACA): three pieces, 2734 words
* Vinson ruling (against the ACA): four pieces, 3437 words
* Kessler ruling (upholding the ACA): one piece, 702 words
Why does this matter when the courts are moving apace and it will ultimately be decided by the judiciary, and not in the realm of public opinion? It matters because of what Greg Sargent pointed out a few months ago: "the public is being left with a highly-distorted impression of what's happening." The impression for the public is that there's something legally fishy about the law, making the law more unpopular and creating more impetus for efforts to repeal or defund it, or for states to try to block its implementation.
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