Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, speaks to The League of United Latin American Citizens' (LULAC) 79th Annual National Convention and Exposition in Washington on July 8, 2008. (UPI Photo/Roger L. Wollenberg) | License Photo

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) answers questions at a presidential candidate forum at the UNITY 2008 Journalists of Color conference in Chicago on July 27, 2008. Obama returned Saturday from a week-long trip to the middle east and Europe. (UPI Photo/Brian Kersey) | License Photo

LOS ANGELES, July 27 (UPI) -- U.S. broadcast networks had more negative coverage of Barack Obama than John McCain during the first weeks of the general election campaign, a study indicated.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University in Virginia, which has studied network news since the 1980s, analyzed content on ABC, CBS and NBC news shows and found that when reporters and anchors expressed opinions they were significantly more negative toward Obama and more positive toward McCain, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.


The researchers found that most statements by anchors and reporters were neutral, but when opinions were expressed 28 percent of statements about Obama were positive while 72 percent were negative. The study indicated opinions about McCain were 43 percent positive and 57 percent negative.

Robert Lichter, the director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs, has been a preferred source of data among conservatives, the Times said.

"This information should blow away this silly assumption that more coverage is always better coverage," he told the newspaper.

The study is based on an analysis of content beginning June 8, the day after New York Sen. Hillary Clinton conceded the race for the Democratic nomination to Obama, and ending June 21, as Obama embarked on a trip to the Middle East, Afghanistan and several European capitals.