They call it “face time” in the media – the amount of exposure candidates get. Clinton, Obama, Giuliani all get plenty. In fact, most do. But for Dr Ron Paul, the GOP candidate with the bursting campaign funds may as well not exist as far as the mainstream media, at least, are concerned. Take yesterday’s reliably assumed second place in the Louisiana caucuses to Ron Paul, right behind John McCain.
The New York Times: Two main stories, one of Giuliani winning over Florida voters, another on Mitt Romney’s ill will
CNN: Its McCain courting veterans, Giuliani banking on Florida, Thompson dropping out.
Chicago Tribune: McCain, Romney in close race for Florida.
And so it goes. Ron Paul gets ignored by everyone except his growing band of supporters and funders. When Ron Paul came in second in the Nevada primary every major news media in the United States announced the front-runner as Mitt Romney.
The invisible doctor did not receive a mention.
It may have started when MSNBC reported that Ron Paul scored the highest positive votes in both Republican debates he attended, beating Romney, McCain and Giuliani. But there was no mention of these poll results in the major media.
The media, however, are now exposed to the new media from the Internet, which Ron Paul voted against regulating. It may be that increasingly powerful and influencial new media sources are what help tip the balance Ron Paul’s way – yet again and over the bodies of old media carcasses.
