POS3931-3

POS3931

Exam 3

Chapter 8

Campaign Coverage

I. Types of Media

a. Free media

i. News coverage that is “freely” available to candidates

1. news coverage

b. Paid media

i. Paid advertising on any medium used by candidates

1. newspaper and TV ads

c. Goal is to generate as much positive free media coverage as possible

i. Gatekeeper ultimately decide what makes the news

II. Which Campaigns Get Covered

a. High Stimulus Elections: elections that receive the bulk of national free media coverage

i. Presidency (highest), some senate races

b. Low Stimulus Elections: elections that receive little, if any, national free media coverage

i. House races during presidential years

III. What is the Media’s Role in Covering Campaigns

a. Mirror/Reporter of Objective Fact

i. Since the 60s or 70s, the media’s responsibility was to report and be a provide information

b. Screening Committee

i. Influence has declined because the party system has declined

ii. The media has taken on the role of weeding out candidates

1. Expose failures as public servant

2. Expose character shortcomings in private life

a. Has the person been divorced, cheated, drinking/drugs

IV. Phases of Coverage

a. Pre-campaign coverage

i. Begins after the previous election though the announcement period

b. Primary campaign coverage

i. High quantity/low quality, followed by a lull midway through until the conventions

c. General Election coverage

i. Picks up during conventions and gains steam during stretch run

ii. When media coverage starts to matter

iii. Many people watch debates

V. Media as King Makers

a. Through certain techniques the media implores, they have the ability to dictate who the nominees are going to be based on how they cover the candidates;

b. Casting

i. “cast” candidates to fill a certain niche

ii. Makes it easier for the media to cover and it makes it easier for the typical voter

iii. Positive – simplifies the process

iv. Negative – often wrong or skewed perception of candidate

c. Important to meet primary expectations

i. If you win by a smaller percent predicted, they will announce not just that you won, but that you won with a smaller percentage than you were suppose to

d. Debate coverage

i. Country puts a lot of stock into debates

e. Critical issues

i. What the media decides to be a critical issue could ultimate decide an election

1. i.e. 2004 – National security considered critical issue and Bush perceived as stronger. What if it would have been Health Care or Social Security

VI. Candidates in the Television Age

a. Crucial that candidates be telegenic

i. JFK v. Nixon debates – people who listened on the radio overwhelmingly thought that Nixon had won, but those who watched TV thought it was JFK because who looked better

b. “Posing” for office

i. What you say and the things you do aren’t as important as the way you look

ii. Looking presidential is more important than sounding because people pay more attention to the image

c. Images are vital

i. 1984 – Reagan gave a speech promising an increase in funding programs. Reporter put together a 6 minute report about Reagan saying that he was lying and that the things he was promising and his actions were different

1. The images did not match up with the tone of the report (images of him looking presidential) and ratings shot up because what was being said did not matter.



	POS3931 POS3931 Exam 3 Chapter 8 Campaign Coverage I. Types of Media a. Free media i. News coverage that is “freely” available to candidates 1. news coverage b. Paid media i. Paid advertising on any medium used by candidates 1. newspaper and TV ads c. Goal is to generate as much positive free media coverage as possible i. Gatekeeper ultimately decide what makes the news II. Which Campaigns Get Covered a. High Stimulus Elections: elections that receive the bulk of national free media coverage i. Presidency (highest), some senate races b. Low Stimulus Elections: elections that receive little, if any, national free media coverage i. House races during presidential years III. What is the Media’s Role in Covering Campaigns a. Mirror/Reporter of Objective Fact i. Since the 60s or 70s, the media’s responsibility was to report and be a provide information b. Screening Committee i. Influence has declined because the party system has declined ii. The media has taken on the role of weeding out candidates 1. Expose failures as public servant 2. Expose character shortcomings in private life a. Has the person been divorced, cheated, drinking/drugs IV. Phases of Coverage a. Pre-campaign coverage i. Begins after the previous election though the announcement period b. Primary campaign coverage i. High quantity/low quality, followed by a lull midway through until the conventions c. General Election coverage i. Picks up during conventions and gains steam during stretch run ii. When media coverage starts to matter iii. Many people watch debates V. Media as King Makers a. Through certain techniques the media implores, they have the ability to dictate who the nominees are going to be based on how they cover the candidates; b. Casting i. “cast” candidates to fill a certain niche ii. Makes it easier for the media to cover and it makes it easier for the typical voter iii. Positive – simplifies the process iv. Negative – often wrong or skewed perception of candidate c. Important to meet primary expectations i. If you win by a smaller percent predicted, they will announce not just that you won, but that you won with a smaller percentage than you were suppose to d. Debate coverage i. Country puts a lot of stock into debates e. Critical issues i. What the media decides to be a critical issue could ultimate decide an election 1. i.e. 2004 – National security considered critical issue and Bush perceived as stronger. What if it would have been Health Care or Social Security VI. Candidates in the Television Age a. Crucial that candidates be telegenic i. JFK v. Nixon debates – people who listened on the radio overwhelmingly thought that Nixon had won, but those who watched TV thought it was JFK because who looked better b. “Posing” for office i. What you say and the things you do aren’t as important as the way you look ii. Looking presidential is more important than sounding because people pay more attention to the image c. Images are vital i. 1984 – Reagan gave a speech promising an increase in funding programs. Reporter put together a 6 minute report about Reagan saying that he was lying and that the things he was promising and his actions were different 1. The images did not match up with the tone of the report (images of him looking presidential) and ratings shot up because what was being said did not matter.