Media coverage of the presidential campaign has geared up earlier than ever before, becoming the second-most reported news topic almost a full year before anyone votes on anything.
That’s different. But what’s being reported isn’t.
Research shows that almost 90 percent of stories regarding the 2008 election have so far focused on the political and tactical “horse race” aspects of the campaign, versus the candidate’s qualifications or ideas for leading the nation. Only 17 percent of stories have focused on the candidates’ backgrounds, only 15 percent on their policy proposals and only one percent on their records and past performance.
Part of this is due to the sheer number of candidates who want the job. There’s also the pre-occupation with the competition between Hillary and Obama. And there’s the belief by profit-minded media organizations that consumers have so many other choices and interests that they wouldn’t possibly pay attention to campaign coverage unless it was presented like a prize fight between reality show celebrities.
If asked, however, Americans say they want exactly the opposite. A Pew Research Center poll reports that some 80 percent of all Americans want far more news coverage on candidates’ positions and proposals, more detail on their records and backgrounds, and more information about their lesser-known competitors.
“Once again, the game of politics—rather than the ideas or even the background of the personalities—has dominated how the press has presented the race for president,” concluded researchers at The Project for Excellence in Journalism. “If American politics is changing, the style and approach of the American press does not appear to be changing with it.”
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- Project for Excellence in Journalism | A first look at coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign
- PBS Online Newshour | Early Media Coverage Focuses on Horse Race
