Feb 20, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Fox News focuses on Ocasio-Cortez more than almost any 2020 Democrat

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Fox News has run more coverage on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) than on any of the likely or possible 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls apart from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The big picture: The WashPost analyzed data to uncover which 2020 Democratic candidates and potential runners had the most Fox News airtime since the midterm elections. Coverage of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Warren soared when they entered the race, but they were often mentioned on Fox News even before announcing their presidential ambitions.

Details: Analysis of the Internet Archive's database of television closed-captioning data from Jan. 1 to Feb. 16 shows:

  • Ocasio-Cortez was second only to Warren in polling over 0.25% in the average percentage of daily 15-second segment mentions. The social media star is too young to run for president in 2020, but she has become a favorite target of conservatives and Fox News as a result of her embrace of democratic socialism.
  • Fox News covered Warren more than any other leading Democratic politician.
  • The network's biggest spike in single-day density of mentions goes to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — the second-most referenced Democratic presidential hopeful after Warren.
  • Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) received minimal coverage.

Why it matters: Fox News holds a great deal of influence on voters. It is the most trusted network by Republican and Republican-leaning voters, and a favorite of President Trump.

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