The blog Smart Politics broke down broadcast media transcripts by ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, NBC, and NPR for the first six months of 2012 and found that Republican senators are mentioned in more than twice as many news stories as their Democratic counterparts. Here's the Top 20:
20. Dick Durbin (D) averaged .54 mentions per day in 99 media reports.
19. Susan Collins (R) averaged .64 mentions per day in 117 media reports.
18. Orrin Hatch (R) averaged .65 mentions per day in 118 media reports.
17. Tom Coburn (R) averaged .65 mentions per day in 118 media reports.
16. Olympia Snowe (R) averaged .66 mentions per day in 121 media reports.
15. Dick Lugar (R) averaged .83 mentions per day in 151 media reports.
14. Dianne Feinstein (D) averaged .85 mentions per day in 155 media reports.
13. Chuck Schumer (D) averaged .86 mentions per day in 157 media reports.
12. Joe Lieberman (I) averaged .89 mentions per day in 162 media reports.
11. Chuck Grassley (R) averaged .96 mentions per day in 174 media reports.
10. Scott Brown (R) averaged .99 mentions per day in 180 media reports.
9. Jim DeMint (R) averaged 1.04 mentions per day in 191 media reports.
8. Rand Paul (R) averaged 1.09 mentions per day in 198 media reports.
7. Rob Portman (R) averaged 1.11 mentions per day in 202 media reports.
6. Lindsey Graham (R) averaged 1.12 mentions per day in 204 media reports.
5. Mitch McConnell (R) averaged 2.01 mentions per day in 366 media reports.
4. John Kerry (D) averaged 2.36 mentions per day in 430 media reports.
3. Harry Reid (D) averaged 2.46 mentions per day in 448 media reports.
2. Marco Rubio (R) averaged 4.56 mentions per day in 830 media reports.
1. John McCain (R) averaged 10.76 mentions per day in 1,958 reports.
