How many votes will the media get for Obama this time?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Amazing that people still believe those old communication theories from the 1940ies which were empirically disproven numerous times since then.

People aren't "Obama-friendly" because of "Obama-friendly" media. People who are "Obama-friendly" are choosing to read/watch "Obama-friendly" media in order to get their already existing opinion confirmed. People who are "Obama-hostile" are going to avoid "Obama-friendly" media for the most part. And people who are neutral/undecided are probably aware of the fact that "Obama-friendly" coverage is "Obama-friendly". And if they're fed up with "Obama-friendly" coverage, they're going to look elsewhere (zapping between MSNBC and Fox News, for instance).

The bottom line is: Media coverage can very well be biased. However, the effect of media coverage on voting behavior is at best largely overrated... and at worst a myth. Today this is truer than in any time in history, because of numerous "alternative" forms of communication and information, such as the Internet.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Amazing that people still believe those old communication theories from the 1940ies which were empirically disproven numerous times since then.

People aren't "Obama-friendly" because of "Obama-friendly" media. People who are "Obama-friendly" are choosing to read/watch "Obama-friendly" media in order to get their already existing opinion confirmed. People who are "Obama-hostile" are going to avoid "Obama-friendly" media for the most part. And people who are neutral/undecided are probably aware of the fact that "Obama-friendly" coverage is "Obama-friendly". And if they're fed up with "Obama-friendly" coverage, they're going to look elsewhere (zapping between MSNBC and Fox News, for instance).

The bottom line is: Media coverage can very well be biased. However, the effect of media coverage on voting behavior is at best largely overrated... and at worst a myth. Today this is truer than in any time in history, because of numerous "alternative" forms of communication and information, such as the Internet.

Though you seem to know more about this than me, let me propose a situation:

Someone lives in a liberal area, but they're largely politics neutral, and Obama neutral. Everyone they know who's into politics says Fox news is Republican propaganda, but doesn't accuse other media of being biased. He sees reports which are clearly Obama biased, but he takes them to be fair reports merely showing that Obama supports things that are generally good wheras Republicans have plans that are inferior or worse.

Are you saying that even in that case media bias doesn't affect voting patterns?

Because, coming from Westchester county, I know ALOT of people who don't give 2 s about politics, don't care to learn anything about politics, are generally cynical about it, aren't crazy Obama freaks, but voted for him without hesitation.

Well, I'd say you already answered your question. In such a case it hasn't that much to do with media coverage or media bias, but with the area they live in and with the people around them. It's true that people's political opinions can be affected by their daily life, their surroundings and their "milieu"... in far greater ways than media coverage could anyway.

It's possible that people who live in a "liberal" neigbourhood are mostly reading/watching "liberal" news. However, this makes the "consumption" of liberal media coverage an effect, not a cause.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Obviously the media can't change the mind of people who are already heavily engaged in politics, like on this forum, but it can persuade many casual voters who pay much less attention to politics to vote for their man.

Not in the way you think it does. First of all, people who are only barely interested in politics will only barely follow media coverage of political events, be it pro-Obama or anti-Obama. At best, reports from the presidential campaign trail will cause them the switch channels. And like I just explained to Jacobtm, voters are primarily affected by their daily lifes and the "millieu" they tend to life in.

"Propaganda" only works if you want to believe it. So, pro-Obama propaganda only works with Obama supporters. Its purpose is the solidify the own base.