Is the media biased against Bernie Sanders? Not really.

[Commentary] In early May, Hillary Clinton was clearly getting the vast majority of coverage. But that has declined over time, largely because coverage of Vice President Joe Biden has increased amid speculation about whether he will get into the race. Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) got an increasing amount of coverage through late May and June and has plateaued since then. Does the fact that, until very recently, Clinton has gotten more coverage than Sen Sanders reflect media “bias”? I’m not so sure.

News coverage will always focus on front-running candidates more than underdogs. Of course, I wouldn’t suggest that coverage of Sanders is always fair. (Nor is coverage of Clinton, necessarily.) But these data do offer some comfort to Sanders supporters.

[John Sides is an Associate Professor of Political Science at George Washington University]