Several news sites have reported on the results of a Gallup Poll that indicates the media may have generated a perception of “controversy” where none existed.

The poll indicated that, contrary to recent news stories, less than 10% of Americans disapproved of Obama’s choice of Pastor Rick Warren for his inaugural invocation.  In fact, even among liberals and Democrats, Warren’s approval was far higher than his disapproval.  By far the greatest number of respondents replied that they “didn’t know enough to say.”  This led Gallup to conclude that

News media accounts of negative reactions…reflect…vocal positions of interest groups [rather] than an opinion…shared by the majority of the American public.

Ironically, Warren himself said in December that he believed the media was responsible for “the demonization of differences” that is polarizing and destructive to America:

The media often fans controversy and conflict to create a story and we start yelling at each other so much, nobody listens to each other anymore.

In short, the news media limited its reporting to vocal activists, because outside of those groups, there wasn’t a story.  Some might say the on-again, off-again coverage of the military-religious “controversy” bears similar hallmarks.