(Thumbnail image: FOX News)

"The mainstream media hates the Tea Party movement almost as much as it hates Sarah Palin, and the reason is simple. That's because both are a threat. Palin is a threat down the road, whether it be in 2012 or beyond. The Tea Party is a threat because it is galvanizing Republicans."

This statement by managing editor of Fox News Washington Bill Sammon has sparked controversy over mainstream media coverage of the Tea Party Movement.

We're looking at perspectives from Fox News, Twitter, Media Matters and Hot Air.

On his FOX News show, Bill O'Reilly and Politico Co-Founder Jim VandeHei squared off on the validity of Sammon's comments.

VandeHei: "Bill Sammon should not have made that comment. He's running the news division, he's running your news division..."

O'Reilly: "So what? That means he can't be an honest purveyor of information?"

Vandehei: “He thinks all reporters - he thinks Chuck Todd, he thinks other White House reporters, other political reporters hate the tea party movement, hate Sarah Palin. He has no clue. You wouldn’t even be able to prove that charge to begin with.”

VandeHei: "Has he talked to enough reporters to state that empirically all reporters..."

O'Reilly: "We have eyes Jim, we have eyes..."

VandeHei: "... hate the movement and hate Palin."

NBC's Chuck Todd took the issue to Twitter.

"Come on Bill Sammon, an absurd attack and you know it: that "MSM" hates tea party movement? Please. Didn't expect a shot like that from u."

Sammon's shot also caused Media Matters, a site that claims to expose conservative bias, to ask for evidence of biased reporting.

"Sammon conspicuously neglected to offer any proof that the mainstream media "hate" Palin and the tea partiers, beyond the implication that they must hate them because the mainstream media are hateful liberals."

O'Reilly defended Sammon's statement with his own analysis during his FOX News show.

"After Mr. Todd's statement, The Factor began to research the mainstream media's coverage of the movement and we found two, only two, two positive comments amidst thousands of reports on the issue. One by the Detroit News and the other by the Associated Press. Two. I mean is that stunning or what? The establishment media cannot even admire the spirit of the movement."

Hot Air says mainstream media has just not bothered to try to understand the tea party movement.

"The Tea Party movement is a political Andromeda Strain to the media, a baffling outbreak of viral unhappiness which has thus far defied every attempt at diagnosis. This is unsurprising, since the media has little interest in listening to what the Tea Party is actually saying. Instead, they attempt to stuff this remarkable grassroots movement into a variety of scary costumes, so they can be conveniently dismissed."

Is the Tea Party movement being portrayed fairly? Is main stream media neglecting to give it a voice?

Writer: Amanda Klohmann

Producer: Newsy Staff