Feb 20, 2019

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.

Go deeper: AOC has more Twitter power than media, establishment politicians

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 5,453,784 — Total deaths: 345,886 — Total recoveries — 2,191,310 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 p.m. ET: 1,651,254 — Total deaths: 97,850 — Total recoveries: 366,736 — Total tested: 14,163,915 — Map.
  3. World: Top Boris Johnson aide defends himself after allegations he broke U.K. lockdown — WHO suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns.
  4. 2020: Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina — Joe Biden makes first public appearance in two months.
  5. Public health: Officials are urging Americans to wear masks over Memorial Day.
  6. Economy: White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett says it's possible the unemployment rate could still be in double digits by November's election — Charities refocus their efforts to fill gaps left by government.
  7. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious — Masks, lending books and self-isolating — Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — How to minimize your risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it, the right mask to wear.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Updated 29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Joe Biden makes first public appearance in over two months

Photo: Oliver Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Former Vice President Joe Biden made his first in-person appearance in over two months on Monday to honor Memorial Day by laying a wreath at a Delaware veterans park, AP reports.

Why it matters: Biden, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, has taken the unprecedented step of campaigning from his home during the coronavirus pandemic, ever since canceling a rally in Cleveland on March 10.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

WHO temporarily suspends trial of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns

Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

The World Health Organization is temporarily pausing tests of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment in order to review safety concerns, the agency's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said Monday.

Why it matters: The decision comes after a retrospective review published in The Lancet found that coronavirus patients who took hydroxychloroquine or its related drug chloroquine were more likely to die or develop an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to sudden cardiac death, compared to those who did nothing.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow2 hours ago - Health