For all the hysterics from the McCain camp that the media is in love with Obama, a new study out reports just the opposite. While, indeed, Obama has received more column inches and network coverage - more than 70% of this coverage was negative the study found.

The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, where researchers have tracked network news content for two decades, found that ABC, NBC and CBS were tougher on Obama than on Republican John McCain during the first six weeks of the general-election campaign.

You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.

During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.

The study defines negative in a manner that would capture much of the concern troll comments. An example given in the above LA Times story:

For example, when NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell said in June that Obama "has problems" with white men and suburban women, the media center deemed that a negative.

The study also found that coverage was tilted against McCain, but with only 57% negative coverage.

The study's director, Robert Lichter, is apparently much loved by the Republicans for previous studies which drew conclusions they liked. Of this latest study he says,

"This information should blow away this silly assumption that more coverage is always better coverage"