The only thing media coverage will effect is how the public will perceive what is being reported. If the media report is slanted to one side or the other makes a difference on how the people watching or listening will feel about the report.
However, law is not supposed to be about feelings, it is supposed to be about the letter of the law. What is legal and what is not legal, as stated by the US constitution and the state statues. Law should be black or white (for lack of a better description)
When the media reports how bad this thing is, (what ever they are talking about) the people watching tend to agree, that IS bad. But if they say almost the same thing and say it is good, people will agree it IS good. However, I need to say again, the law should not have gray, (either it is against the law or it is not!)