It is not a secret that the news media tend to lavish more coverage on perceived front-runners in presidential campaigns. But CBS News’ political director, John Dickerson, made the mistake of saying basically that in an e-mail and accidentally sending it to the campaign of Rep. Michele Bachmann.
Dickerson e-mailed his colleagues that he would prefer to “get someone else” other than the Minnesota congresswoman for an online show after the CBS News/National Journal debate Saturday night. The e-mail said Bachmann was “not going to get many questions” in the debate and that “she’s nearly off the charts” — an apparent reference to her low polling.
The incident highlighted the tricky calculus media organizations must engage in when deciding which candidates to pay attention to as they factor in polls, fundraising and nebulous things such as momentum.
Aides to Bachmann, who is polling in the single digits, seized on the e-mail as evidence of liberal bias by CBS News. The campaign urged people to contact CBS News and Dickerson through Twitter to vent their outrage.
