Surprise, surprise.
This morning, the Pew Research Center released a study that shows that media coverage provides “a strong sense of momentum towards legalizing same-sex marriage.” According to the study, pro-gay marriage stories “outweighed those with more statements opposing it by a margin of roughly 5-to-1.”
The report might as well have been titled “The Sky is Blue” because this only confirms what everyone already knew. Take, for example, this article from the Washington Post earlier this year, in which a reporter is cited as saying, “The reason that legitimate media outlets routinely cover gays is because it is the civil rights issue of our time. Journalism, at its core, is about justice and fairness.” Also: “Of course I have I bias. I have a bias toward fairness.”
What is surprising is that news outlets such as the Huffington Post (explicitly cited in the study) and the New York Times are covering this story.
In any case, the study comes not long before the Supreme Court is expected rule on DOMA and Proposition 8. Stay tuned.