The Gap Between Media Coverage and Public Opinion

Summary of The Gap Between Media Coverage and Public Opinion

by The Daily Wire

13m•January 31, 2026
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Overview of The Gap Between Media Coverage and Public Opinion

This Daily Wire Weekend Edition of Morning Wire (hosts Georgia Howe and John Bickley) features Bill D'Agostino, senior analyst at the Media Research Center (MRC). The conversation examines how ABC, NBC and CBS evening newscasts covered recent ICE operations and Minneapolis unrest, arguing legacy broadcast coverage has been overwhelmingly negative and lacking key contextual reporting that independent outlets have highlighted.

Key findings

  • MRC study of the three evening network newscasts over an 11-day sample period found:
    • 93% of coverage was negative toward ICE.
    • 7% of coverage offered any leniency or context toward ICE.
    • Only 1% of coverage referenced crimes allegedly committed by the individuals ICE targeted.
    • CBS recorded the highest negativity (~96%) and, per the guest, included notably aggressive language in at least one report.
  • Networks largely did not investigate or report on:
    • Alleged organized funding/structure behind protests.
    • Minneapolis being a sanctuary city/state context for ICE operations.
    • Property damage, intimidation, or violent incidents involving protesters (rarely covered collectively by all three networks).

Notable examples discussed

  • Officer video coverage: Networks showed a cell-phone video of an officer involved in a shooting incident; CBS was singled out for not explicitly acknowledging the victim allegedly hit the officer with her car, and for strong language accusing the officer of murder.
  • The View: The panel briefly defended a form of Second Amendment reasoning in the Alex Preddy case; D'Agostino described this as an opportunistic shift in stance to support a narrative.
  • Nick Shirley (independent journalist/YouTuber): Shirley filmed Minneapolis Somali daycare centers that appeared underused; legacy outlets framed the broader Minneapolis fraud/healthcare-fraud story around him to minimize larger fraud allegations (MRC notes health-care fraud claims around $19 billion vs. smaller daycare allegations).

Missing context the guest emphasizes

  • Sanctuary policies: Minneapolis and Minnesota's sanctuary status was not being highlighted as central context explaining why ICE operations were focused there.
  • Criminality and enforcement targets: Very little network coverage explained the criminal charges or alleged offenses that motivated ICE arrests.
  • Protest funding and organization: Little-to-no legacy coverage examined who was organizing or funding protests or the tactics used by demonstrators.

Impact on public opinion and polling

  • D'Agostino argued the legacy coverage aims to shape a narrative that ICE is overreaching, but he suggested many national polls still show majority public support for stronger immigration enforcement or mass deportations.
  • He noted that media and polling groups sometimes try to phrase questions or select cohorts to produce results under 50% so headlines can claim waning public support.

Notable statistics (from the interview)

  • Sample period: 11 days of evening broadcasts.
  • 93% negative coverage toward ICE across ABC/NBC/CBS.
  • 7% non-negative coverage.
  • CBS ~96% negative in the measured period.
  • Only ~1% of coverage referenced crimes committed by targets of ICE enforcement.

Takeaways for listeners

  • Legacy broadcast networks, per MRC sampling, presented a highly negative, one-sided framing of recent ICE operations with limited contextual reporting.
  • Independent media outlets have focused more on background (sanctuary policies, alleged fraud, protest organization) that legacy broadcasts largely omitted.
  • When evaluating media narratives and polls:
    • Check multiple sources (broadcast, local, independent, official documents).
    • Scrutinize poll question wording and sampling cohorts.
    • Look for omitted context such as legal status, local policies (e.g., sanctuary designations), and specific allegations against individuals targeted by enforcement.

Notable quotes

  • “The coverage was 93% negative against ICE. Only 7% gave any sort of leeway to ICE.” — Bill D'Agostino
  • “There’s basically no interest whatsoever in investigating what is actually behind these protests.” — Bill D'Agostino

(Transcript contained sponsor reads and program framing; summary focuses on the MRC findings and discussion.)