Do you think the public's optimism for Obama will cause the media to criticize him less harshly than they did other presidents, for example, Reagan, Carter, Bush 41?

I have nothing to back this up, purely an opinion – I think it might actually lead to more criticism. That old belief that when someone is on top, there are always others looking to knock the person down.

I’d just like to see fair reporting. (I know! I’m dreaming!)

No. The media always does whatever it wants. It could care less about what we think about someone. Once it forms an opinion about something, that’s all we (the public) will hear about. Although during the campaign it was very supportive of Obama, so I could be wrong.

I could be wrong about this, but I get the sense that the Obama administration won’t be quite as dictorial to the press as the bush administration has been.

There’s always a honeymoon. It probably lasts for 100 days. And then when the President starts falling behind on his promises, the press starts to increase their criticism.

As basp points out, the President can restrict access to those who write articles that are critical, but we doubt that Obama will do this.

I don’t know, @daloon— I saw some footage from the campaign trail where Obama team members stood in front of Fox news cameras, blocking their shots. Obama may not restrict access, but his staff might.

I believe he might get a slightly longer honeymoon period, but when he messes up that first time (as he will since he’s just a man), Whoa, Nelly! People are ladening him with expectations far beyond those of mortal men.

No. I think we actually have higher expectations for him and may be even harsher on him than we were on previous presidents. I mean—to some extent, I feel like the population and the media expected so little from Bush and so much from Obama that there’s no way he can live up to it and once he starts to be less than perfect, the media will come down on him like a ton of bricks.

He’s not even president yet and there has been criticism. The conservative media is more organized and omnipresent than it was 20 years ago and the liberal media is often critical for a couple of reasons. To avoid being charged with partisanship they will make sure they have positive and negative coverage. Secondly the sad fact is the mainstream press will cover every crazy rumor and lie that flies by. In the day of Cronkhite, Huntley, Brinkley, Jennings and print media that adhered to journalistic standards, lies were not given ‘equal’ space and liars were exposed.

Of course in the final analysis, we have to bear some responsibility. If we refuse to support journalism as entertainment maybe we can get fair reporting,whether the news is good or bad.

Great answer, @galileogirl! Criticism sells ads, whether in print, on the web or on TV. Once upon a time, the press was separated (somewhat) from the ad sellers by the precepts of good journalism. Those precepts have been abandoned – but can they be recovered?

i’m with cak and galileogirl on this completely.

The media started in a long time ago. Before he was even President, Limbaugh was calling this “The Obama Recession.”

I think because he is the first black president people are afraid of being politically incorrect. you are afraid too!