News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) The Hebrew press's coverage of the Kadima leadership race has been biased in favor of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, according to a study conducted by media research firm Sikur.

The study examined the coverage received by four candidates for the Kadima leadership from July 31 to August 19 in the leading Hebrew-language newspapers: Yediot Acharonot, Yisrael HaYom, Ma'ariv, Haaretz and Globes.

Livni received more coverage than the other three candidates and more of the coverage she received was positive: 40 percent of the articles about the candidates were about Livni, 35 percent were about Mofaz, while Public Security Minister Avi Dichter and Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit received 12 percent each. Haaretz and Yediot were the newspapers most biased in Livni's favor, with seven more positive articles about her than about Mofaz. Ma'ariv preferred Mofaz, with three more positive articles about him than about Livni, but it also had three more negative articles about him than about Livni.