Utah media uses its influence to promote one third party candidate over the others. It is a well-established feeling among conservatives that the media has a strong bias, but according to polls, with 32% of Americans trusting the media, it seems everyone knows the media is not to be trusted.
News mentions in any industry is free advertising, but in politics, it can mean the success or failure of a candidacy. With this understanding, Defending Utah did a search of mentions of third party political candidate mentions on the two major news sites in the state, KSL and the Salt Lake Tribune. The results may shock you.
If the outlets were to make the excuse that one candidate has a “local interest” angle, then both the Constitution party and Independent American Party candidates would have as many mentions as the Utah establishment backed candidate since they are both from Utah as well. It would completely fall flat with the Tribunes disproportioned focus on the Libertarian candidate since neither candidates are from Utah.
There is clearly an editorial reason behind giving one candidate thousands of mentions while only mentioning other candidates a handful, or less, of the time. We must then ask ourselves, why? Why support a man who admits to supporting forced medical treatment without informed consent? Why is KSL promoting a man who is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations? Why are they promoting a man who has promised to not appoint judges that would overturn the federal ruling which violates state sovereignty by forcing states to marry gays?