Bernie Sanders vs Mainstream Media: Facts Arise Despite Coverage Limitation; Clinton Faces Challenge With Massive Funding For Sanders

After firing up the Univision Debate, Bernie Sanders has started his public war with mainstream media.

In his tweet on March 8, he wrote:

The corporate media counted us out. The pollsters said we were way behind. But we won. Thank you, Michigan. pic.twitter.com/Iywg9N3B1z

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 9, 2016

Bernie Sanders and his campaign were actually noticed by the public ahead of time, despite low media coverage. There was this editorial photo that illustrates how Bernie Sanders’ campaign were being ignored by major news organizations.

We heard you @BernieSanders #WeAreBernie pic.twitter.com/shrFLwzOq1

— Foreclosure Nation (@4closureNation2) January 23, 2016

For the past few weeks, mainstream coverage focused on “frontrunners” Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. Even The Economist had an in-depth discussion about Clinton vs. Trump. The publication even noted that “Hilary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee; the man most likely to face her in November on the Republican ticket is Donald Trump.” The statement implied that Hilary Clinton will be the fixed Democratic nominee, without taking into consideration that Bernie Sanders is still running in the race.

The only obstacle between Mr. Trump and the Oval Office would be Mrs, Clinton.

Though this has been the point of view of major media organizations, Bernie Sanders’s cause continues to rise. According to BoingBoing, Sanders has actually set a record for raising more money “than any candidate, ever.”

Though Hilary Clinton has been prematurely crowned as the Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders’ supporters continue to line up. It was also reported that he was able to raise “small money donations from over 5 million donors,” more than double of what Hilary Clinton’s contributors were able to gather.

All in all, Bernie Sanders’ campaign was able to reach $42.7 million donations from small-money donors, while Hilary Clinton has gained $30 million from the “one-percenters and finance industry donors.”

Burying Sanders in International Media

When Bernie Sanders won Michigan, everyone was astounded. BBC noted that there were very few leading online outlets that covered Bernie Sanders’ victory, and these included The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post. However, this major win has provided Bernie Sanders another opportunity for a new round of fundraising.

Fortune writer Ben Geier wrote: “this vote gives Sanders a legitimate reason to stay in the race.”

In public polls just like the one given out by FiveThirtyEight, Clinton is still way ahead of Bernie Sanders. Clinton’s national polling average is about 51.9 percent, while Bernie Sanders’ is at 37.6 percent. Meanwhile, the poll for Illinois Democratic Party shows only a one percent chance of winning for Bernie Sanders.

However, Five Thirty Eight writer Harry Eten noted that this was an unstable result from Bernie Sanders. He acknowledged that there have been disparities with the poll numbers and Bernie Sanders’ victories, but he added that it could just be “a fluke (which is possible).” On the other hand, if Bernie Sanders continues to rise, there must be something that the pollsters are missing.

Bernie Sanders’ stance on socialism hit his campaign both ways: large finance influencers tried to stray away, and blue-collar voters started to listen.

According to MSNBC, Bernie Sanders’ campaign team expected that it would be rough at the beginning. But, with the continuous winning streak, “Sanders’ campaign expects to sail into friendlier waters later in the month, beginning next Tuesday (when votes are held in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio).”

As more and more media coverage unravels the truth on Bernie Sanders’ campaign, Washington Post notes that Hilary Clinton’s team is getting more and more worried.

“This campaign is just getting started, and Bernie is going all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia,” said spokesman Michael Briggs.

“As Secretary Clinton demonstrated in her long campaign for the nomination in 2008, a contest like that can strengthen the party,” Briggs said. “It’s vitally important for the Democratic Party to bring in the millions of people who Bernie Sanders can get into the process by registering young people and independents who will vote for Democrats up and down the ballot in November. It’s the voters who should decide this process, not the numbers crunchers and Washington pundits.”

[Image Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Comedy Central]