It seems as if the polls are playing an ever-more important role in political decision-making.
I believe they were important in “Joe Biden” deciding to close the show. They seem to be being used on an almost daily basis now by the two political camps. Maybe that’s always been the case. And maybe it’s also because we’re in the last 50-odd days of the campaign.
We can use the polls, too, to indicate how many people are waking up to fake news, politicized coverage, weaponization of the press. In this case a million or so people seem to have realized the biased moderation of the debate and left off viewing the moderator’s nightly news show.
David Muir’s Viewership Plummets After ABC Presidential Debate Bias Scandal
Jordyn M., Resist the Mainstream, September 18, 2024
(https://resistthemainstream.com/moderator-gets-alarming-news-after-abc-presidential-debate-bias-scandal/)
ABC’s “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir has experienced a significant decline in viewership following his role as co-moderator in the September 10 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
The debate, which has since sparked controversy, appears to have had unforeseen consequences for the veteran newscaster.
According to recent data reported by Fox News, Muir’s show averaged 6.7 million viewers in the three episodes immediately following the debate.
This marks a stark contrast to the pre-debate average of 7.6 million viewers, representing a 12 percent drop in viewership.
“Viewership for his nightly ABC Newscast dropped by almost ONE MILLION—12%— in the three days following the debate,” one user posted on X.
“The American people saw the media bias that night, and they’re FED UP.”
While World News Tonight maintains its position as the top-rated broadcast evening newscast, the decline is noteworthy when compared to the slight dips experienced by competitors CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News during the same period.
The debate itself has become a focal point of criticism, with Muir and co-moderator Linsey Davis facing backlash for their handling of the event.
Critics argue that the moderators displayed bias by fact-checking Trump multiple times on stage while not issuing any corrections to Harris.
The Republican presidential hopeful voiced his displeasure with the debate’s conduct, stating, “It was one against three.”
Fox noted that Trump further expressed his disappointment in Muir last week, saying, “Every one of Harris’ claims should have been questioned by David Muir, who I’ve lost a lot of respect for.
“Everyone’s lost respect for him.”
In response to the criticism, Fox highlighted that Davis defended their approach in a post-debate interview.
She revealed that the decision to fact-check Trump was made in advance, citing concerns stemming from the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden.
That earlier debate resulted in Biden’s subsequent withdrawal from the race.
Davis explained, “People were concerned that statements were allowed to just hang and not [be] disputed by the candidate Biden, at the time, or the moderators.”
This justification, however, has done little to quell the growing discontent among viewers and political observers.
The impact of the debate moderation has extended beyond mere viewership numbers.
The Post Millennial reported that a post-debate poll conducted by YouGov revealed that 35 percent of Americans believed the moderators treated Trump unfairly.
This sentiment was even more pronounced among independents, a crucial voting bloc, with 41 percent perceiving unfair treatment towards Trump.
In stark contrast, only two percent of independents thought the moderators were unfair to Harris.
As the dust settles from this contentious debate, questions arise about the long-term implications for Muir’s career and the broader landscape of political journalism.
It remains to be seen whether this ratings drop is a temporary setback or a more enduring trend.
All eyes will be on how news organizations and their anchors adapt to the evolving expectations of viewers and the heightened scrutiny of their editorial decisions – especially when covering Trump.