Prior to the strike, this year's White House hopefuls were collectively the butt of 695 jokes, according to a study of late-night hosts' monologues by the Center for Media and Public Affairs conducted between Jan.1 and Oct. 10.

FORBES: Magazine Article

According to a new content analysis by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (an affiliate of an organization I work for), coverage of the mid-term elections from January 1 through Labor Day was savagely negative for all parties, including the Tea Party.

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Between convention and the general election, crucial electioneering time, Bush was the butt of jokes on late night TV comedies on no less than 261 occasions, almost twice as many times as rival Kerry, according to figures from the Center for Media and Public Affairs.

CNN: What will the satirists do without Bush?

Dr. S. Robert Lichter is Professor of Communications at George Mason University, where he also directs the Center for Media and Public Affairs, which conducts scientific studies of the news and entertainment media, and the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS), which works to improve the quality of statistical and scientific information in the news.

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In fact, in 1997, and at a time when public opinion was much more favorable toward the press than it is now, a Harris Poll conducted for the Center for Media and Public Affairs found that 84% of the public favored a government "fairness doctrine" requiring equal treatment of all sides in controversies, while 70% believed that courts should impose fines for "biased or inaccurate" journalism.

FORBES: Magazine Article