Democratic voters think that Hillary Clinton is treated fairly by the media, while overall voters tend to say Obama gets off too lightly.
The head of liberal media watchdog Media Matters, David Brock, recently published an open letter criticizing The New York Times for displaying consistent "anti-Clinton animus". While much of the media has undeniably become more partisan in recent decades, it may come as a surprise to some that The New York Times - widely perceived in conservative circles as a major liberal paper - would consistently oppose the Clintons. The Times, for its part, denies the accusations.
The latest YouGov research shows that most Americans don't think that Hillary Clinton is treated too harshly by the media as a whole, with only 13% saying that she is treated too harshly. 72% of Republicans actually say that she gets off too easily from media, while 57% of Democrats say that she is treated about right by the media.
Out of a selection of recent and current prominent politicians, Americans are most likely to say that the media has been too harsh on George W. Bush, with 34% of Americans saying that this is the case. This is driven largely by 72% of Republicans - and 34% of Independents - saying that the media was too harsh on the former President. Only 9% of Americans say that the media has been too harsh on Joe Biden.
45% of Americans believe that the media has been too easy on Barack Obama, with 50% of Independents and 84% of Republicans agreeing. Even 15% of Democrats agree that the media has been too easy on the President.