Research shows that Cowboy State Daily gives significantly more positive coverage to politicians that their owner, Wayne Hughes, donates to.
Background
Wayne Hughes moved to Wyoming in 2017 and quickly became the largest spender on Wyoming state politics. During the 2020 and 2022 elections, he contributed over $595,000 in political donations, according to Wyoming State Campaign Finance records. In February 2022, Hughes bought one of Wyoming’s largest publications, the Cowboy State Daily. Since Hughes took control of Cowboy State Daily, many Wyoming voters have been concerned about political bias creeping into their coverage.
Biased Coverage
Independent analysis of Cowboy State Daily articles regarding Wyoming lawmakers and candidates (562 unique articles) published since Hughes bought the publication found:
- Lawmakers and candidates that Hughes supported with political donations received on average 100% more positive coverage than those he did not support.
- Lawmakers and candidates that Hughes did not support with political donations received on average 400% more negative coverage than those he did support.
Media organizations, including Cowboy State Daily, are not required to report positive coverage as a political contribution. Nor are they required to disclose in their coverage that their stakeholders have donated to the people they are covering.
But Wyoming citizens deserve to know when there might be a conflict of interest in the news they are consuming. There’s a simple solution: Cowboy State Daily could add a simple disclaimer to every article written by or about any political figures who receive funding from Wayne Hughes or his PAC to add transparency for readers.
If you think Wyoming citizens deserve greater transparency and respect from Cowboy State Daily, we invite you to share this information with your friends and family in Wyoming.