Clinton gets the win, but Sanders gets the momentum

U.S. TV & print news, October 13 - 18, 2015

New York, October 20, 2015. While Hillary Clinton was given the clear win in the first Democratic debate, Bernie Sanders has best been able to maintain momentum coming out of the event, according to new research from Media Tenor International.

“Clinton’s performance in the debate was widely praised as both assertive and genuine, with her outperforming expectations. Media also praised Sanders, but the other candidates fared poorly,” says Racheline Maltese, a researcher at Media Tenor. “Some media outlets have urged Lincoln Chafee to remove himself from the race after tough questioning from Anderson Cooper suggested he voted on at least one bill without knowing its content. Meanwhile, Webb and O’Malley are framed as too far behind in the polls to catch up.”

Media Tenor also found that the ongoing scrutiny facing Hillary Clinton related to the email scandal and Benghazi cut into her momentum after the debate. “As the debate gets further from the agenda, the fact that Clinton achieved a winning performance is less and less relevant to her media image. Democrats, however, don’t necessarily care, but these risks may have a big impact in the national election if she gets the nomination.”

This research examined all 866 reports on political figures on four U.S. TV news programs and in eight opinion-leading print publications.

For over 20 years Media Tenor’s mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse and newsworthy media content by bringing together the diverse parties. Media Tenor’s global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences.

For more information, please contact Racheline Maltese at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1 212-935-0210.