new report harvard kennedy school shorenstein center media politics public policy analyze news coverage 2016 general election conclude hillary clinton donald trump receive coverage overwhelmingly negative tone extremely light policy.this final report multi-part research series analyze news coverage candidates issue 2016 presidential election study track news coverage second week august 2016 day election day.negative coverage order day general election week pass nominees coverage reach positive territory peak 81 percent negative mid-october single week drop 64 percent negative.the press negative bend confine election politics see figure recent years immigration subject news stories ratio negative stories positive ones 5-to-1 period news report feature muslims 6-to-1 negative news stories health care policy center 2010 affordable care act 2-to-1 negative although nation economy steadily improve since financial crisis 2008 one would know tone news coverage since 2010 news stories nation economy 2-to-1 negative positive.the real bias press liberal bias decide preference negative scholar michael robinson note news media seem take motherly advice turn upside anything bad say someone say anything new york time columnist recently assert internet distort collective grasp truth degree accuracy claim problem go beyond internet talk show mainstream press highlight wrong politics without also tell us right.it version politics reward particular brand politics everything everybody portray deeply flaw sense make distinctions score work advantage deeply flaw civility sound proposals long stuff headline instead give voice skilled art destruction car wreck 2016 election many drivers journalists alone car fingerprint wheel.the research confine election coverage print editions five daily paper los angeles time new york time wall street journal washington post usa today main newscasts five television network abc world news tonight cbs even news cnn situation room fox special report nbc nightly news case newspapers analysis cover section except sport obituaries letter editor op-eds editorials include letter public television analysis cover full daily content network major newscast network talk show included.trump general election news coverage fit pattern early stag campaign several respect major departure general election coverage overwhelmingly negative tone early report document positive coverage trump receive nominate stage campaign pattern largely attributable press tendency highlight horserace pre-primary primary periods trump rise single digits poll key primaries get favorable press story grow momentum rise poll number ever large crowd electoral success fact horse race heavily cover aspect nominate phase magnify trump favorable coverage.trump general election coverage stark contrast coverage negative start never come close enter positive territory see figure best weeks coverage run 2-to-1 negative positive bad weeks ratio 10-to-1 silver line trump two best weeks ones precede november ballot trump coverage negative news outlets study even typically side republican nominee see figure fox provide trump favorable coverage still nearly 3-to-1 negative positive wall street journal next best outlet coverage run 4-to-1 negative negative coverage carry cbs 9-to-1 trump coverage nearly negative outlets.compare hillary coverage sure change journalism reason campaign become negative party polarization seep american politics past three decades accompany rise level partisan attack claim party polarization explain media negative bend ignore fact press negativity confine party politics barely aspect public life subject intense criticism.a healthy dose negativity unquestionably good thing lot political puffery ineptitude manipulation need expose journalists would shirk duty fail expose yet incessant stream criticism corrosive effect needlessly erode trust political leaders institutions undermine confidence government policy.negative news partisan consequences give journalists bash side might think impact would neutral one thing indiscriminate criticism effect blur important distinctions allegations surround clinton order magnitude surround trump question journalists make serious effort answer 2016 campaign report ugly stuff could find leave voters decide make large number voters conclude candidates indiscretions equally disqualify make choice candidates fitness office less tangible criteria case belief wildly unrealistic promise could actually kept.for entire story study harvard kennedy school shorenstein center media politics public policy obama blame russia hillary loss new harvard study expose really interfere outcome elections