Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) has issued a media advisory critiquing the media's coverage of the primary elections. FAIR notes that journalists in the corporate media are "rushing to end the primary season" before it even starts. Citing a variety of comments from prominent commentators, FAIR documents that journalists are attempting to shape the election before 98% of voters in the primaries have even voted. FAIR effectively sums up the problem:
"It'd be nice if more in the media asked such questions about what passes for conventional wisdom in their election coverage. Indeed, some articles have noted that winning early primaries isn't necessary to winning the nomination; in 1992, Bill Clinton lost the first five contests, but somehow managed to win the White House nonetheless. This very recent history would suggest that, at a very minimum, campaign reporters refrain from handicapping the outcome of the nominating process in early January. After all, it's voters, not the news media, who are supposed to elect the next president."
