Unprecedented Bias: How Major Media Outlets United Against Mamdani’s Mayoral Campaign in Final Weeks

In the final weeks leading up to New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, the city’s major media outlets launched an unprecedented campaign against Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy, with editorial boards breaking precedent and super PACs flooding the airwaves with millions in negative advertising.

The most striking development came from The New York Times Editorial Board, which abandoned its year-old policy of not endorsing in municipal elections to issue what amounted to an anti-endorsement of Mamdani. The board urged voters not to vote for Mamdani, stating “We do not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers’ ballots”.

This extraordinary move by the Times represented a significant departure from traditional editorial practices. Nearly a year after announcing it would no longer endorse in municipal elections, the 16-member editorial board released a piece advising New Yorkers to not vote for Mamdani for mayor.

The Times editorial criticized Mamdani’s experience and qualifications, arguing that he “would also bring less relevant experience than perhaps any mayor in New York history” and had “never run a government department or private organization of any size.” While acknowledging “serious objections” to former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “ethics and conduct,” the board still favored Cuomo over the 33-year-old progressive candidate.

The media offensive extended beyond traditional print outlets. Fix the City, a Cuomo superPAC, launched a $5.4 million negative advertising campaign against Mamdani, with ads alleging that “Mamdani wants to move the homeless into our subway stations” and painting him as a radical threat to the city’s stability.

Television Networks Join the Fray

Television news coverage proved particularly aggressive in targeting Mamdani’s candidacy. Fox News led the charge with extensive negative coverage, running multiple segments that critics noted “ran like a campaign ad” against the progressive candidate. The network provided platforms for Republican lawmakers and Mayor Eric Adams to attack Mamdani’s proposals.

Mayor Adams appeared on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, calling Mamdani a “snake-oil salesman” who “would say and do anything to get elected.” Fox News also featured Republican lawmakers warning that Mamdani would be a “disaster” for NYC, with coverage focusing on his plans to tax “richer and whiter neighborhoods” and other progressive policies.

The network’s coverage consistently framed Mamdani’s victory as evidence of Democratic Party extremism. Republicans used the win to paint Democrats as extreme, with Fox News describing NYC as experiencing “a political earthquake” that provided “ammunition to blast Democrats.”

CNN took a more analytical approach but still emphasized the divisive nature of Mamdani’s candidacy. The network described Mamdani as delivering “a political earthquake Tuesday in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary” and provided extensive coverage of what it characterized as his “stunning victory.” CNN also detailed the collapse of Andrew Cuomo’s campaign, reporting on internal strategy calls showing “the Zohran Mamdani surge was real.”

Mamdani responded to the media criticism during press conferences, telling reporters that editorial board opinions represented “about a dozen New Yorkers” while “a democracy will be decided by close to a million New Yorkers.”

MSNBC provided more neutral coverage but still emphasized the unexpected nature of Mamdani’s rise, noting that “the state representative initially seemed a long shot but managed to close the gap against disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.”

The coordinated nature of the media campaign became apparent as multiple outlets adopted similar talking points. The New York Post editorial board had previously denounced Mamdani’s campaign, while television networks questioned his qualifications and progressive agenda, creating a multimedia assault on his candidacy.

Despite the media pressure, Mamdani’s campaign gained significant momentum in the race’s final weeks. The stunning success of Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, in the race for New York City mayor has exposed the fiery divisions plaguing the Democratic Party, with the state assembly member amassing a huge social media following and captivating scores of young voters as he championed progressive policies.

The media campaign against Mamdani highlighted the establishment’s concerns about his progressive platform. Mamdani has embraced that democratic socialist moniker at a time where Democratic Party faces an identity crisis across the country, with his campaign centered on a call to “put working people first” and provide a new direction for the city funded by tax increases on the wealthy.

Mamdani responded to the media criticism during press conferences, telling reporters that editorial board opinions represented “about a dozen New Yorkers” while “a democracy will be decided by close to a million New Yorkers,” according to reports.

The controversy surrounding media coverage of Mamdani’s campaign sparked broader discussions about press influence in municipal elections. Critics argued that instead of running a campaign based on “shunning our neighbors and bewailing our problems,” Mamdani’s campaign “embraced our differences while offering new solutions to old problems”.

The young Democratic socialist swept the New York Democratic mayoral primary thanks to an openness to talking to anyone — even the city’s conservative tabloid, suggesting that despite negative media coverage, Mamdani’s direct voter outreach strategy proved effective.

The media campaign against Mamdani ultimately failed to prevent his success in the Democratic primary. Zohran Mamdani delivered a political earthquake Tuesday in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, riding progressive demands for change in a city facing an affordability crisis to the brink of a stunning victory.

The unprecedented nature of the media opposition to Mamdani’s candidacy — including editorial boards breaking their own policies and super PACs spending millions in negative advertising — marked a significant moment in New York City’s political landscape, demonstrating the establishment’s resistance to progressive change in municipal politics.