The Foundation's polls and students' projects do not purport to be scientific. Our intention is to arouse interest and stimulate thinking--to make citizens aware of problems and inspire groups and individuals to work toward solutions. However, solutions may not be as easy as the following paper suggests:

"The first group is the people, or rather, the voting public. Their job is to confer with the media, form opinions about the candidates, and vote for those candidates. The second group is the media. Their purpose is to inform and educate the voters about the candidates' lives, ideas, and values. The third is the candidates themselves. Their task is to cooperate with the media, to get their views to the voters, and to try to preserve the welfare of their state once in office." (Submitted by a student from Illinois)

I admire the ability of this Illinois student to get to the heart of the matter. The situation is stated concisely and the solution appears to be simplicity itself. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way in the field.

Over a two year period I worked intensively on the campaigns of two candidates for national office. The campaign for U.S. Senate took up most of my time. However, when we failed to get my candidate, a little known independent, on the California ballot, I was free to respond to a poignant appeal which I heard on a San Francisco talk-radio station. The caller was distressed and enraged because of the media's shoddy treatment of her major party candidate. Because the caller identified herself as young, idealistic and involved in politics for the first time, I felt compelled to let her know that other people do care and are willing to put their time and energy behind their concern. Although she and her candidate, a little known challenger running against a 20 year incumbent, were not identified on the radio, I was able to track them down. My intent was not to work on behalf of the specific candidate, but to work on behalf of fairness in the political process. I believe every platform should receive a hearing. It is up to the voters, not the media to decide elections. I gave considerable energy to this congressional race, but because it was in a district which required a two hour drive on my part, I did not see it through to the end. The following is an edited version of the young woman's account of some of the frustrations encountered in this campaign. I have divided it into 3 parts:

1. "As the campaign wore on, it became obvious that we were getting almost no media coverage and, the extremely little coverage we did get, was more harmful than helpful to our campaign. Out of complete frustration, I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper suggesting a weekly column in which (a) candidates could either write on whatever they chose or (b) candidates would answer a question posted to them by the political writer or by constituents. In any case, all responses should be printed unedited. I preferred that candidates address issues of their choosing because even the questions reports ask, come from a certain bias.

   When I took Experimental Psychology in college they talked about the importance of double blind experiments. I learned that in non-double blind experiments the hopes or beliefs of the experimenters greatly affected the results of the experiment. The only way to get truly accurate results was to make sure the experiments did not know, for example, which rats were getting a placebo. Likewise, when it comes to political reporting, I think the only way for the American people to really know what candidates stand for and who they really are is to provide a column where candidates can write whatever they think is important and allow their answers to be printed unedited.

   Approximately 100 letters were received by the newspaper urging similar action and many were printed in the Letters to the Editor section. (Incidentally, the Hayward, California United We Stand, America group signed a letter asking for this same thing.) In a phone conversation with the editor, I was assured that because of the overall response from the public, a Candidate's Column would be forthcoming.

   A month passed with no column. With only four weeks to the election, I again called the editor. He abruptly told me that he never said there would be such a column, however they would run an article, a few days before the election, in which they would compare, contrast and endorse candidates.

2. My candidate sent out press releases to all the local papers stating he would only accept the district mean ($54,000) as salary and donate the rest to charity. He stated his reasons for making such a move. Not one newspaper reports on this! Finally I called and spoke with the editor of the Daily Review. I said that I was told that the lack of coverage of my candidate by their paper was because they did not feel that we were doing anything newsworthy. I told him that I thought giving up more than half one's salary was pretty newsworthy--especially for a politician. He claimed he was not aware of the situation and that he would get the political writer to get right on it. I then contacted the Oakland Tribune and spoke with the editor. He said they could not cover every candidate. "We decide who is a valuable candidate based on how much money a candidate has. Based on FEC reports (your candidate) has no money and therefore doesn't stand a chance." When I pointed out that a challenger invariably has less money than an incumbent and therefore they must be covering incumbents almost exclusively, making it that much harder for any challengers to win, he began making excuses. When I called the San Jose Mercury, I could almost hear the political reporter snarling as he spoke to me. He obviously hated my candidate and certainly did not think it worth his while to write about him.
3. This last incident is the most difficult to write about because of the way it so subtly played itself out in the media.

   Our opponent sent out several fliers the week before the election. Every time he sent out a flier it cost approximately $60,000. This was only for postage--this does not include the paper, printing and layout. A challenger would be thrilled if she or he could raise $60,000 to run her or his entire campaign! Well, the fliers were what I call hate pieces. They were complete lies and they were aimed at terrifying certain groups of people. For example, one flier said my candidate would destroy social security and increase medical costs. We had several frantic old people call us because they were so frightened. It was pathetic and tragic.

   Apparently the newspaper received many complaints about these fliers. I got a phone call from the political write, Ed Albro, of the Daily Review. He asked what I thought about opponent's flier and I told him that they contained blatant lies. I read from our Issues Statement which completely contradicted the hate flier. For the first time I actually looked forward to what Ed was going to write. I thought that perhaps, finally, there would be some justice in this ugly process of politics. I could not believe it when I read the article. I was horrified! The article did more damage than the flier. Essentially, the article validated the flier. I called Ed Albro and told him that I thought the article was terrible. I told him I felt good about telling him this, because with only four days left before the election, obviously my motivation in talking to him was pure--it was too late to rectify the horrible article. I wanted to try to help the next challenger who would run.

   Ed kept insisting that I tell him where he was inaccurate. I pointed out that instead of quoting from AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) and using them as the objective "expert," why didn't he call an expert on social security. Perhaps someone who had written a book on the subject, or a professor who teaches on the subject. He again asked me "what did I write that was not accurate?" This was impossible to answer because it is not so much what he wrote as much as it was what he didn't write. In the enclosed article the quote from AARP in the last paragraph is extremely damaging and leaves the reader with the idea that it is the definitive word on the subject. If this was objective journalism, why not ask someone who specialized in Medicare reform or budget reform to make the closing statement. Why was there not one expert asked to comment who would validate my candidate's position. Had an expert been quoted who shared my candidate's views (Editor's note: for example, Nobel Laureate, Professor Milton Friedman, who was close by) this would have been a very different article. It would have given us some credibility. As it ended, my candidate came off looking like a dangerous quack."

As you continue to read, you will encounter excerpts from many students who report similar findings from their own research. For instance, a student from Minnesota claims, "The media gives a lot of coverage to the people who are ahead and less to the people (candidates) that are behind...(the media) likes to support the winning side." An Illinois student says, "From the examples in my paper you can tell how much the elections are controlled by the media. It is very unfair to the candidate that is not being favored but is the way our country works."

To illustrate how important it is to question what you read, I have included some especially thought provoking excerpts in this introduction: "It makes...sense to even up the playing field with campaign spending limits and free television time rather than simply to bar from competition a whole group of candidates." This, according to a Michigan student whose classmate apparently shares this viewpoint: "Each candidate should be given a certain amount of time on TV..."

Another solution is offered by a Virginia student: "After studying this problem, I have come up with some suggestions of my own. One thing I feel is absolutely necessary is equal coverage for each candidate. The media could provide limited amounts of free time on television,radios, newspapers, and in magazines. I think equal coverage can be accomplished by setting a limit on the amount of money that can be spent by each candidate on public announcements and advertisements... Another thing that could be done is to put stricter regulations on campaign finance. Private contributions could be cut out...People can write editorials to their local papers and condemn the writers of unsubstantiated articles."

The italics in the above excerpts are mine and meant to highlight a possible controversy. Free? Someone must pay. Who? Given? By whom?

There was a misconception about setting limits on campaign spending in the above excerpt. James Buckely, Eugene McCarthy, Stewart Mott and the New York ACLU all brought suit contending restrictions imposed on spending (part of a 1974 attempt at election reform) were unconstitutional as against free speech. In Buckley vs Valeo (1976) the Supreme Court agreed. Congress subsequently got around the ruling by offering matching public funds only to those candidates who voluntarily submit to restrictions. Although restrictions on spending private money were declared illegal, the flow of money was simply rechanneled; proof that people will find ways around obstacles as fast as they are enacted. They will do what they want to do!

Another student in this same Virginia class, even though she may have never heard of Buckley vs Valeo, nevertheless suspected the principle could apply to a free press as well as to individual free speech when she wrote "If a law were to be passed to restrict in some way the freedom of the press, I believe it would be abolished in the Supreme Court."

"...(banning commercials) will also save the government money because it is required to supplement candidates that cannot afford advertising." Another misconception. Candidates that cannot afford advertising wish that were true!

In 1907 Theodore Roosevelt proposed public financing of campaigns and this suggestion was responsible for the 1907 Tillman Act which prohibited banks and corporations from contributing to federal campaigns. Although in 1909 William Howard Taft sponsored a bill requiring that political campaign expenses be made public, it took the Teapot Dome scandal of 1921 to get something done. The Federal Corruption Practices Act of 1925 required reporting of campaign receipts and expenditures. Unfortunately it was easy to circumvent and was rarely enforced.

The 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) was the first election reform in 47 years. It established a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to enforce the 1925 law. It offered federal matching funds for national candidates but required them to set up committees in at least 20 states and raise a threshold amount to show they were not merely frivolous candidates ($250,000 for the Presidency in increments of $250 or less, $125,000 for the Senate and $10,000 for the Housein increments of $100 or less. Loans and services would not be counted.) The FECA limited a candidate's contribution to his own campaign to $50,000 and imposed spending limits on media advertising.

Public Law 93-443 was signed into law 3 years later on October 15, 1974, reforming FECA. Since the spending limits set up by the 1925 law were never enforced and the 1971 law was repealed, October 15, 1974 is the date of the first actual spending limits in this country. The 1974 amendments made other changes and in 1976 and 1979 additional amendments were enacted. Every year since new reforms for the election process are proposed in congress.

In the following pages you will discover many reforms proposed by students--some of them quite explicit and most concerned with protecting officials from influence by those with money and power.

George Will told David Brinkley's television audience on April 6, 1986 "There is no substitute in government, in the end, for trusting the integrity of your office-holders." Others believe if an official votes in a manner inconsistent with his observed philosophy he should be called into account. If he is unable to explain, to the satisfaction of the public, his conversion to the point of view for which he voted, then, and only then, should the lure of money be suspected and he should be voted out of office--pronto. However, to ascribe money as the motivation for all political acts, and therefore to indiscriminately bind politicians hand and foot with detailed rules and regulations, is to act irresponsibly. Even worse, it is to deprive the citizenry of the role intended by the Founding Fathers.

"The Constitution, as I understand it, trusts me with my own life within a set of laws and checks and balances that relieves us all from the need for great men and asks only, for our government, decent men."
John Updike, Time 1987

My final illustration comes from a student in Illinois:

"...newspapers and television stations all over the country leaned toward Bill Clinton rather than George Bush or Ross Perot. This happening is peculiar because the family of Dan Quayle owned two-thirds of the nation's newspapers."

I asked Jim Quayle, Dan's father, to set the record straight. This is what he said:

"The perception that Danny was rich was nothing more than one of many false images that the media portrayed. Danny does have a few shares in a corporation his grandfather founded, Central Newspapers, Inc. CNI has a total Sunday circulation of 999,577 compared to Gannett, for example whose circulation exceeds six million. There are 132 U.S. newspaper groups with a total circulation of well over 50 million, so the student was off just a tad."
Jim Quayle, March 14, 1993

We cannot continue to accept rumors without question. Indeed, as many students point out (pp. 124-133) we can no longer naively accept what the media presents. CBS was properly embarrassed recently when it was revealed that it had aimed rockets at a fuel tank to produce smoke and simulate a collision. This was more than an unscientific demonstration; it was deception. Many people believe CBS only apologized because its trick was discovered. Their supposedly scientific report was staged!

But perhaps the most widely quoted indictment of the media comes from Ben Bradlee, editor of the Washington Post:

"To hell with the news! I'm no longer interested in the news. I'm interested in causes. We don't print the truth. We don't pretend to print the truth. We print what people tell us. It's up to the public to decide what's true."

Mitch Snyder, former advocate for the homeless, may have felt the same way when he purposely exaggerated the number of homeless people nationwide. His avowed goal was to arouse emotions and illicit action on behalf of the homeless and he was not ashamed to use lies to accomplish his purpose.

Steve Schneider was quoted in Discovery magazine: "We have to offer up some scary scenarios. Each of us has to decide what the right balance is between being effective and being host.", to which Professor Richard Lindzen of MIT replied, "You can't just say 'the hell with the news', you're only interested in causes. A noble attempt to wake people up and make them aware of possible future problems does not justify those means." As one student said, "The media is scary!"

Several years ago I wrote a book titled The Election Process. I would like to share with you the quotation I used to close that work:

"The wonderful but awesome thing about America is that it all depends on us, on We the people. On the decisions we make, the examples we set, and the practical, far-reaching leadership we provide in the years ahead. That means electing men and women like those brilliantly practical bands of patriots that met in Philadelphia two centuries ago. Between them, they wrote an inspiring first chapter in the story of America. But the beauty and the challenge of the American story is that it's a never-ending one. Its greatest passages may be written in the century ahead... It's up to us to write them." Robert Dole, 1987

Margaret Bohannon-Kaplan
Carmel, California

On the one hand
"There is a need for good analysis of the tangle of issues facing the electorate. Political games and evasionary tactics help politicians steer clear of hard stances while still appearing favorable to the voter. This sort of behavior is what editorials are needed for: to sort through the political rubbish to find the true candidate." OR

On the other hand
"It is hard to think for yourself when you hear people telling you what is good or bad, right or wrong. C-SPAN's coverage of the GOP convention was a perfect example of good media coverage. There were no commercials or commentaries polluting the event. Just the viewer and the convention. With this format, a person is more likely to form his own opinions. Maybe the media should take a small step back and cover the election as it progresses but not try to analyze every move a candidate makes. Let the people explore the candidates themselves. A person could learn more by collection and evaluating their own opinions." AR

On the one hand
"If the television reports wish to broadcast information on one candidate, they should avoid using excerpts from a speech and televise the entire oration." NE

On the other hand
"We should also praise organizations like CBS which has employed its new procedure not to air a quote from any candidate that is less than 30 seconds long on its evening news program. This strategy aims to minimize misunderstandings that occurs when a very brief quote is presented, often totally out of context." NY

On the one hand
"I feel to limit the bounds of the media is the only way the American citizens can feel there has been a fair and proper election process." OK

On the other hand
"...a free press is one of the foundations of our country. Any regulations would undermine our democratic ideals." PA

On the one hand
"Political campaigns in earlier times were run more honestly, but now they are dirty and basically uncontrollable." KY

On the other hand
"If the media of the late 19th century was anything however, it was biased. Almost all forms of the primitive, yet fledgling, mass media were controlled and owned by politicos with their own private agendas, of which the truth usually had little part. Those early newspapers were primarily interested in swaying readers toward the paper's, and ultimately the editor's, political philosophy or party. They featured extremely prejudicial articles whose sole intent was the degradation of any opposing party or opinion." MD

On the one hand
"I feel that it is better to be misinformed, instead of just not being informed." WI

On the other hand
"The man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them, inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors." Thomas Jefferson, VA

On the one hand
"Bill Clinton was...picked on...because he wanted to raise taxes on the rich people. How else are we supposed to take care of the national debt if nobody raises taxes?" MI

On the other hand
"In the Reagan-Mondale election the issues were seldom brought up and often forgotten. Most of the time it was impossible to speak with Reagan at his photo opportunities. Reagan held fewer press conferences than any of the past presidents. Mondale attempted to bring up his ideas of a tax increase to help remove the debt, but the media decided that tax plans are dull and don't make a good story. Mondale attempted time after time to bring up the issues but the media did not want to focus on them. Instead the media brought up the bad financial record of Mondale's running mate's husband. All the media cared about was getting a good story." MD

On the one hand
"Who gave them the right to control the news; only allowing certain material to be said about certain persons? I ask this because today's media coverage has completely changed society's views of all campaigns...The media has made the Presidential campaign a living nightmare for all participants." NY

On the other hand
"If the press doesn't do something to try and alter the appearance of public figures positively or negatively, especially those running for national office, then they are not doing a good job." NH

On the one hand
"Some people may want to know if a politician is having an affair or if he cheated on his college final, but I want to know if the politician is going to accomplish what he says he will do. To me the politician must be productive at the job. I want official that will get done what they say they will do and not just make a 'campaign promise' on television or in the newspaper. So I believe that the media should concentrate on the history of each candidate and present some of the different issues and the problems that need to be solved by our soon-to-be-elected officials instead of focusing on all the gossip and garbage that is said about our candidates." OH

On the other hand
"My opinion is that an election is boring or even just some news is boring. But by the media interfering in people's pasts, it makes it more interesting." NY

On the one hand
"The media has become a filter for the information rather than the direct channel that it should be, giving the public a cut and paste version of reality, rather than the straight information that should be presented. The media has too much influence over the Americans of today, dictating, possibly even more powerfully than the laws themselves, what the People should do and think." CA

On the other hand
"Johnathan Alter writes: 'The real fault of the press is not that it leads too much--tells the public whom to vote for--but that it follows too much; it wires itself to polls, then reverberates with an amplified impression of what it thinks the public already believes.'" TX

On the one hand
"...quote from Steven V. Roberts, 'Choosing a president is a deeply personal process. The key to the campaign is the man, not the plan.'" IL

On the other hand
"Lyndon Johnson once said, 'A president's hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.'" PA

On the one hand
"Bush was favored because he was the incumbent." AL

On the other hand
"I rarely heard anything in favor of Bush while even Clinton's occasional job was glorified as a monumental event." OR

On the one hand
"In the recent 1992 election the media did an outstanding job of impartial candidate coverage..." IL

On the other hand
"The media's support for Clinton was probably the clearest example of bias that evolved. It seemed to me that the media could have made their position so much clearer if they just would have come out and said: 'We're for Bill!' or 'Vote for Clinton for Change!'" OH

On the one hand
"We don't need someone to tell us what we just heard. If you switch channels and listen to different analysts they sometimes have different opinions on what the speaker said. They can influence voters and I don't think someone should have his vote swayed just because he was watching an analyst who aired his opinion." MN

On the other hand
"The journalists and reporters are, in fact, translators and judges of what the aspirants stand for and of what they are saying. It's sometimes very hard to understand what politicians are really saying. . Afterwards, the anchorman can go back and explain, and in effect translate what each particular statement means and how it will effect certain groups of people and specific areas of life. This, of course, is very helpful. With the ability to tape news conferences and debates, commentators can reflect on the veracity of one individual's charge of another one's record. They can judge an outright lie from one that is the absolute plain truth. This is very beneficial too. As long as this privilege is not abused, and objectivity is maintained, media men and women can be held in high regard and respect." MD

On the one hand
"Not only is the media a tyrant, it is a peddler of sensationalism and lies rather than the necessary truth." OH

On the other hand
"Sensational journalism deservedly took a back seat in (the) 1992 Presidential election." MA

On the one hand
"The media should be restricted in what they are allowed to publish." TX

On the other hand
"I would hate, as would many other people, to see any more government controls on the media." OH

On the one hand
"First, each candidate should receive equal coverage, whether it be three minutes apiece on television or two columns in the newspaper. Second, the candidates should not be able to buy advertisements. If America would provide free prime time television for candidates during elections, campaign budget would be cut in half and the influence of private money in campaigns would be curbed. " VA

On the other hand
"Too much of the press is entirely free as far as advertising. If the press would charge for all publication or viewing of any voting material such as debates, it would reduce the amount of mudslinging as a whole for reasons such as lack of funds or support. one problem with that is the candidate with the least amount of cash or support at that time may be at a very large disadvantage. Another problem that may occur because of lack of funds may be an insufficient amount of publication." SD

On the one hand
"I feel like I have been blitzed by a liberal media shoving Bill Clinton down my throat. The television news reporting has constantly shown how Bill Clinton has persevered through the Geniffer Flowers and draft evasion allegations to survive, while they, in turn, blast George Bush for his treatment of Saddam Hussein. Also, while continually showing the poor side of Bush's record over the course of the last four years, either through Clinton's speeches or with their own data, no member of the television or radio media has yet to closely examine Clinton's Arkansas record...This year's media coverage has come with a liberal bend to it." MD

On the other hand
"The nature of media is to question, analyze and criticize the status quo...They have done it with President Bush, President Reagan, President Carter and everyone else who has held office and will continue to do so with President Clinton. That's not bias, that is the role of media...The liberal media is a conservative creation, created as an excuse for their inability to reach the people. I won't deny there are incidents of bias, of course there are, reporters are only human; but it all equals out. The media is neutral. The media should be neutral." OK

On the one hand
"I was amazed in how updated on the economy seemed to change overnight with the election of Clinton...The media scoffed and warned that George better face up to the issues. Then November 3 rolled around and Bill Clinton became the president-elect. All at once signs of recovery flowed through the airwaves, when in actuality, nothing had changed. There are more examples. Pro-choice conventions are given extensive coverage by the media while Pro-life rallies and rescues made of up what the media calls fanatics are often ignored. Conservative politicians are labeled extreme rightists while liberals on the left are simply called activists...believe that the media's biased coverage did have a great impact on 1992's election and will continue to in years to come." SD

On the other hand
"The fallacy underlying the arguments of the media critics is the assumption that the goal of most reporters in writing is to swing the public toward their political convictions. This rules out the possibility of any kind of professional ethics...The insistence of some conservatives that the media is an army of liberals desperately trying to win their liberal war is ludicrous and vastly overplayed....I think it's time to easy up on the phrase liberal media, in fact, if anything, their economic principles are very conservative." KY

On the one hand
"The media's ability to cover candidates fairly and not take sides is a joke. The media is biased." IL

On the other hand
"The five Newsweek magazines published between June and August 1992, contained a total of 21 articles on presidential candidates, Perot, Bush and Clinton. Either through coincidence or editorial planning there were seven articles each covering the three candidates. Each of the five magazines contained a one page cartoon section humorously depicting all three candidates and/or their running mates in various situations. It would be difficult to conclude that one individual or party was abused more than the other." WV

On the one hand
"The major networks were covering election results as early as 7 P.M. central time after only about four states had closed their polls. These projections could encourage the midwest and far west to vote a certain way, or if the race seemed far apart, it could influence west coast voters not to bother going to the polls at all." WI

On the other hand
"All the news anchormen and women deserve a standing ovation. They let all the viewers believe that President George Bush could win, when it fact virtually everyone we saw on...television knew that Bill Clinton had won way before most of the midwest had voted. The reports all pretended to be ignorant to the fact!" OH

On the one hand
"The media should give more accurate polls. The people want the media to ask the people's questions." WV

On the other hand
"Media polling accuracy does not matter, because the more outlandish the prediction, the more interested the people...Unfortunately, this type of polling is...printed in newspapers and seen on daily news shows rather than the more precise poll...used to prepare (campaign) strategy..." MA

On the one hand
"Obviously it would take longer to accomplish a presentation of information on all candidates, but, in my opinion, each candidate is of equal importance and it should be a responsibility to cover each of their campaigns thoroughly." MN

On the other hand
"As the number of candidates is unreasonably high to allow the ample coverage of everyone, a qualification process, involving collection of signatures or a similar method of public input, should be introduced prior to extensive media coverage." NH

On the one hand
"The media has also made people more aware of minor candidates and what the minor parties they represent stand for...Andre Marou represented the Libertarian party and received more votes than anyone else who has ever ran under that party. That was due largely to increased minor party coverage." MI

On the other hand
"I...was astounded when I saw a candidate from the Libertarian Party on a sample ballot. I had heard of the party and new of some of their basic beliefs, but only through word-of-mouth. I had not heard even one thing mentioned about the Libertarians in the press." NY

On the one hand
"The media obviously cannot be expected to give a detailed and comprehensive analysis of each individual candidate running for national office. This would be an impractical and overwhelming task. The media should and usually does choose the candidates with the most widely appealing platforms." IL

On the other hand
"...the media has an obligation to notify the public of all candidates for major elections. The media, in general, have a tendency to concentrate solely on the major party candidates and ignore the others. This essentially keeps the large Democratic and Republican parties in control while leaving the smaller Libertarian, New Alliance, and other parties struggling in their wake, stifling any positive change that could occur. The smaller parties naturally receive less news coverage because they lack the finances to stage large media events, such as press conferences and debates. But this does not mean the media should pretend that these candidates do not exist. The press should strive to become more equal in their representation of various political organizations and their activities." OR

On the one hand
"A third candidate in the form of a little Texas billionaire really shook things up. His name is Ross Perot and I don't think we've seen the last of him...He offered hope by making people realize that maybe the American public really can regain control of the government." OR

On the other hand
"Perot's campaigning didn't do much except smear his face (or rather his ears) all across the United States. Running for President is great for publicity, but it's serious business, no place for Mr. H. Ross Perot." OH

On the one hand
"...polls are done scientifically..." MD

On the other hand
"...polling is not an exact science." WI

"The credibility of polling has continued to be questioned with the evidence that the results of polling are influenced by the pollsters. Pollsters are aware that they are able to influence the results of their poll just by the order in asking the questions, word choice, and timing bias." OH

On the one hand
"I think the media has done a pretty good job so far, getting all the needed information across to the viewers." NY

On the other hand
"The media, in trying to present both sides of the issues, has (produced) a teeter-totter of opinion and fact that simply destroys all credibility."

On the one hand
"For now the media is adequately playing its role in providing equal coverage of opposite opinions." KS

On the other hand
"Election of 1992: Bush-Quayle vs. Clinton-Gore. Rather, should we say, Old Stupid vs. New Smart. This was how the media perceived this past election." NE

On the one hand
"Even though there are some media personnel who have given journalists a bad name by stepping over the boundaries of privacy, the media on (the) whole tries to report stories with tact." OR

On the other hand
"One of the networks even concentrated on the individual characters of each presidential candidate for three straight nights. The correspondents and reporters probed into past videos excerpting sound bites and airing them out of context. (They) researched into biographical history of the candidates, citing any instances that could spark yet even more controversies." MD

On the one hand
"Despite the defect of biased coverage, television's plentiful coverage of the campaign helped to make clear how the candidates stood on the issues, revealed the character of the candidates, and more than likely, encouraged more people to vote." IL

On the other hand
"Instead of saying: 'Here you go, you have to choose between these losers, who all favor the status quo, and no matter which way you go, you lose.' Give us knowledge that the American Dream is still alive and kicking and this or that candidate is ready to give it to us." IN

On the one hand
"The other winner of 1992 is the media, demonstrating its control on national politics and its unnecessary involvement in the personal affairs of the candidates. Its biased views and negative reporting have proven that is has become a bothersome, unfair, filthy institution, with its rightful place long since forgotten. When Thomas Jefferson made the comment, 'Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press.' he meant for the media to be a check on the government and watchdog of the peoples precious democracy, not an aid to the corruption and an accomplice to the thieves." OH

On the other hand
"I believe that the media is doing a fine job and should continue to do its job in the same manner that it has always done." IL

On the one hand
"The American voter, assailed by an overload of information in the election, finds it all too easy to read the convincing words of a columnist and believe them. People need to understand that analysis is merely opinion; the writer is just arguing his stance to the public, not printing perfect fact. The reader can weigh the opinion on the writer, but does not have to accept it or reject it. Indeed, that is the premise of the editorial: allowing the reader to see a different viewpoint without subjecting him to wild speculation. As long as editorial information is taken with a grain of salt, the reader can protect himself from the pitfalls of opinionated writing." OR

On the other hand
"The media should live by the slogan, 'Just the facts.' Reporters should be required to report the news, not interpret it. The public wants hard facts, not a pompous editorial from an arrogant, over-paid network anchor. People have minds of their own, and they should be allowed to use them freely." PA

On the one hand
"To give the media their due...They covered the major candidates pretty much equally. They did not print harmful information blatantly. The election itself was covered very well. America, as a country, is fortunate to have free press. Generally, the media does give equal time to major candidates. Journalists do keep most opinions out of news reports and broadcasts. One must understand, though, that as long as journalists have opinions, their opinions will show up in their work. Our media is one of the most informative and unbiased in the world. It is a proud profession where people work hard to find the truth, even though it threatens their position. The people of the press are to be commended." SD

On the other hand
"The people in the media, like everyone else, have their own personal opinions, feelings, and biases. Though they are supposed to maintain a professional objectivity, oftentimes these opinions come through in the writing or deliverance of the news. They conveniently exclude 'minor' details, and when showing news footage, show to best advantage whatever or whomever they happen to support." PA

On the one hand
"The media system, for the most part, deserves to be commended. Millions of people were informed, influenced and drawn to the polls. Although the pressure of trying to balance the conflicting demands of the candidates and voters is almost impossible, the coverage of the 1992 Presidential election was one of the most successful of its kind." OR

On the other hand
"I feel that this past election was wrapped around Clinton. Everyone was Bill Clinton in the media's eye. Bill Clinton was going to win. So if the media thought he was going to win then (this) opinion rubbed off on the people." NY

On the one hand
"...the facts of the election are never tainted..." MD

On the other hand
"...There are many ways to lie without technically altering the facts. This can be done in print and on television. Reports use language, tone, and emphasis to accomplish this. There are much sneakier techniques used. Reporters sometimes select quotes that are harmful or beneficial to a certain candidate. They also deceive the public by dishonestly omitting certain facts. For example, reporters focused exclusively on all of the areas where George Bush failed over the last four years. There was absolutely no mention of the improvements that were made during his presidency." OH

On the one hand
"...the media has become enormously powerful, yet their power is not abused." MD

On the other hand
"In a survey of people who viewed the 1976 presidential debate, statistics taken within 12 hours of the telecast showed that 53% of viewers felt that Gerald Ford had won the contest, as opposed to 35% who felt that Carter had won. When the same survey was taken between 12 and 48 hours after the debate, a marked change had appeared: 58% stated that Carter had won, while only 29% proclaimed Ford the winner. The longer lapse in time after the debate allowed people to view the news on television, where journalists reported that Carter had won due to Ford's mishandling of a question on Eastern Europe. And while only 10% of those surveyed remarked on this detail within 12 hours after the debate, 60% recognized Ford's blunder after the 12-hour span. Elections are all about winning and losing, and in this case, as in many others, the media depicted a winner and thus had a firm hand in choosing the nation's President."

On the one hand
"I think there should be a better distribution of all the political advertisements. For example, a maximum of only two commercials per hour should be permitted, in order not to persuade the people's votes too much...Perhaps some sort of television station could be paid for by the candidates for political advertisements, and then when the press conferences and debates are scheduled, they would be televised on this special station." PA

On the other hand
"Ban all advertising. This will help to keep people interested in the election...A band would also help force the issues because politicians would no longer be able to "bad mouth" their opponents through radio and television ads." IL

On the one hand
"The incumbent always has an edge while a contender has a harder time." NY

On the other hand
"The challenger gets more recognition than the incumbent because the citizens of this country know what the incumbent has to offer." WV

On the one hand
"In each of the first two parts of my survey, the incumbents were recognized three to one over the challengers." PA

On the other hand
"One hundred percent felt that they were more informed on the challenger versus the incumbent. There was more to be learned from a newcomer than an old-timer. The person who was already in office had pretty much shown the public what they could and could not accomplish." FL

On the one hand
"The media presents the issues that are in the best interest of the American people. The media must continue to provide fair and accurate information regarding issues because the American people have come to trust and depend on the media." MD

On the other hand
"In the August 24, 1992 issue of Newsweek, we saw a cover that shoed President Bush and was entitled Dog Days. In the article were results of a poll that Newsweek gave to 750 registered voters over the phone on August 13 and 14. The question stated, 'Have things become worse, better, or stayed the same because of Bush's policies over the last four years?' The report showed only those who thought it was worse. They never shoed who thought it stayed the same or who thought it got better." SD

On the one hand
"The role of the media is generally a positive one. They try to find the truth, the real story and nature of events, and to inform the public of what, how, and why exactly something is happening." MD

On the other hand
"The media can 'pick and choose' words spoken by a political candidate in order to represent the person in a manner other than what he or she stands for or believes. Facts can often be totally misrepresented with the addition or deletion of a few simple words. While this fraudulent practice is extremely illegal, the media can usually work around the formal legalities and avoid prosecution." MO

On the one hand
"...the media is biased towards female candidates....Reporters from papers like the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times wrote almost nine paragraphs more each day about races with female candidates." TN

On the other hand
"If a woman were to receive as much publicity as a man, would a woman have been President by now? If not, at least women would have had a better chance than they have had so far." OH

On the one hand
"With an editorial, a reader can learn the opinion of a person without getting opinions and facts confused. Editorials should definitely be the procedure newspapers and magazines use to keep from taking advantage of, and manipulating its readers." KS

On the other hand
"...the coverage of national candidates should be no place for editorializing. The public should be given objective factual information regarding the issues and then be allowed to make their own intelligent decisions." IL

On the one hand
"The more impressive and overall influential source of information regarding the campaign would be the many television debates programmed nationwide. By tuning into these debates, the American public was able to understand the true nature of the three candidates and their economic, social, and foreign policies. The candidates were forced to legitimately and directly answer all questions proposed to them since the program was aired live and their reputations were at risk." NY

On the other hand
"Debates are image-promoters instead of a chance to voice views. The planned issues and unequal allotment of time for specific matters is proof that debates are beauty pageants and not information sessions. The platforms are nearly forgotten and appearance becomes the full focus." KY

On the one hand
"I feel the debates are some of the best things that the media covers....The candidates that do the best in the debates show that they have some of the necessary skills that are needed to successfully run a political office. They show that they can communicate their ideas, stand up for those ideas and speak under pressure to large audiences. The debates also show some of the character of the people involved." MN

On the other hand
"Debates are another way in which the media creates a false sense of reality. To most Americans a debate is a challenge, two people spontaneously expressing their ideas and opinions. Not in presidential debates! The entire process has been altered so that each candidate can present himself in a positive way. The candidates simply repeat the same rehearsed answers to the same questions we've heard. They know the questions beforehand and their answers are perfected. They no longer truly debate each other. They simply answer the questions from a panel, and have very little interaction with each other. With no worry as to how they will perform, their attention has turned to how they will look while they are performing. The question of whether or not to wear stripes or solids in the artificial lighting, or how far from the candidates to place the panel of questioners, has more impact than the arguments. We have begun to place more value on the appearance and speaking ability of the candidates than the issues. A candidate could give a great speech, but if he stuttered or appeared fatigued, these negative aspects would be the main focus of the evening news. The media has changed the art of debating into the art of acting. It no longer really matters what you way, but how you say it, and how you look while you are saying it." KY

On the one hand
"The press does a great job making the presidential debates fair and equal for every candidate. All candidates are asked the same questions and they all have the same amount of time to answer each. This course of action is what the people of America need in order to make their own true decision." CA

On the other hand
"Not only is bias evident during the news shows, but also during coverage of such important occasions as the presidential and vice-presidential debates. Perhaps if the candidates were actually allowed to debate with each other rather than be allotted a certain amount of time in which to make a statement, the American people would better understand each candidate's stand on the important issues. That way, the public could decide for themselves whom they would rather support instead of relying on television personalities, or other members of the media, to make the decisions for them." MD

On the one hand
"Anchormen and women for the major networks were not biased toward any party or candidate. Each party and candidate appeared to have been treated fairly..." MA

On the other hand
"Broadcasters tend to promote their favorite candidate and often the other candidates are referred to negatively." OH

On the one hand
"Voters are also influenced (by) debates. We hear the debates and develop an opinion, but then immediately following, hear from these 'spin-doctors' on who won this debate, or who won that issue. Our opinions can easily be influenced (after hearing) what they have to say. Their job is to control (our) perception of what (we) just saw, to what they wanted (us) to see." OR

On the other hand
"It seems that even in a debate there is a journalist telling the viewing public which candidate has answered a question correctly, or which candidate has won the debate.

This input from the media is due to the fact that the reporter covering the debate covers political affairs almost daily. That journalist is an expert in the field. That reporter makes a living watching the candidates day in and day out. The livelihood of the reporter rests on how well versed the reporter is on the behavior of the candidates for national office. While the general public sees the candidates only at a passing glance, the reporter sees those candidates daily, and is therefore a highly qualified judge of a candidate's performance....The media has a responsibility to the American people to (provide) those citizens who choose to vote with all of the unbiased, impartial information needed to make an informed decision on election day." KS

On the one hand
"Instead of the usual mudslinging and bashing, we got to hear the viewpoints of all the candidates involved. The media, therefore, began to embrace those who talked about the issues, and destroyed those who tried to mudsling." MD

On the other hand
"The issues were pushed into the background as the race became a contest to see who could get out the most scandalous piece of information. The media turned what is one of the most important activities in the entire world into a three ringed circus." PA

On the one hand
"The media must learn just how powerful its influence over the people is...Just like when War of the Worlds was originally aired and people committed suicide because they thought the Martians were coming, so still people are following the media like lemmings over a cliff." PA

On the other hand
"...not all mass communications are successful in affecting opinions, attitudes, knowledge, or behavior. The process of mass influence is far from sudden or automatic, and the public's role in this process is far from passive." NH

On the one hand
"...reporters must set aside their own thoughts, feelings and opinions along with the opinion of the network and just do their job. Report the news fairly. Nothing less and nothing more." CA

On the other hand
"Honestly, when did voicing an opinion become a crime in this country? ...See, no matter what the media says, whether it agrees with the reader/viewer or not, those readers and viewers, along with every other American, makes his or own decision." OH

On the one hand
"Our earlier Presidents did not have to worry about their private lives being broadcast all over the television screen or in the newspaper." AL

On the other hand
"Media has had control of presidential elections as early as the 1800 contest between Thomas Jefferson and John Adamas. Supporters of Thomas Jefferson passed out handbills that accused John Adams of being an aristocrat. The Federalists countered by calling Jefferson an atheist and an enemy of the Constitution...Andrew Jackson was accused of stabbing a man in the back and personally shooting a soldier that disobeyed him." KY

On the one hand
"We have gone from a time when the personal lives of candidates were more or less off-limits to a time when they are discussed in detail. In a way, I think this is good; however, we cannot believe much of the propaganda that we hear. We should be alert and disciplined in the way we deal with this material." OK

On the other hand
"There are records stated that the media called (President) Jackson a murderer for once killing a man in a duel. Statements were also made saying he and his wife were adulterers because his wife had been married once before. Newspapers even brought Jackson's mother into the mudslinging, by calling her a prostitute. Usually during those times a President would have about sixty to a hundred journalists on the payroll, ensuring satisfactory stories about the administration." OH

On the one hand
"Take the Clinton issue for instance. Does the possibility of his having an affair really affect his ability to rule the country as a good leader? I do not agree that it does after I think of all the other Presidents who have had affairs and have still proven to be good leaders." AR

On the other hand
"Some people believe that a candidate's personal life has little, or nothing to do with the way that person will perform in the office. They believe that if a person has tried drugs in the past, or has cheated on his wife, it will not have any effect on his performance, and when such things are brought up they accuse others of not sticking to the issues. This, of course, is not true. Is it possible for a person's private and public life to be so separate that they do not interact? Is it possible for a person to be dishonest in his private dealings, and yet be an honest, upstanding public servant? The answer is no If a person is dishonest in his private life, he will also undoubtedly be dishonest in his public life in office. It should therefore be the responsibility of the media to inform us of the personal character of the candidate so we can make an informed decision." SD

On the one hand
"The President of the United States can still veto a bill, settle foreign disputes, balance the economy, and improve the state of the nation, even if he has the worst personality or the dirtiest character of all. The job is separate from the man." PA

On the other hand
"Americans judge public officials on the wrong aspects of their private lives. The fact of adultery is not in itself necessarily significant. However, its circumstances may be condemning, because it may reveal a flaw -- weakness or bad judgment -- that constitutes a valid reason not to vote for a candidate. As far as the candidate is concerned, the courage to be honest is a far more real test of ability to govern than is lifelong fidelity." OH

On the one hand
"In my opinion, the media should present all the candidates that are running for national office...Maybe the people to not like the views of either the Republican or Democratic candidates, but end up voting for either one just because they do not have the knowledge of the other candidates." PA

On the other hand
"If candidates are covered indiscriminately, every publicity-hungry candidate might be encouraged, and the media would be overwhelmed and forced to make subjective decisions." AL

On the one hand
"I do not understand why a media person goes over a speech a candidate just gave. To me they are insulting my intelligence by explaining what I already understand. Many times the media person puts his own opinions in his explanation." PA

On the other hand
"If the media explains the issues...people could make their own choices. This would reduce the go with the flow or bandwagon effect. People do not understand...the candidates' positions...(or) their plans of attack...Bill Clinton promised to reform health care, and yet, no one (knew how). Voters, not knowing who or what they are voting for, make blind decisions and our country suffers the consequences." SD

On the one hand
"...the media has become a commonplace for tabloid journalism. It is a system where there is such great attention drawn towards gossip stories and other inconsequential information that the media has lost touch with the public. The media sources have, in effect, become vultures, simply harping on the negative aspects of political issues." MD

On the other hand
"The media at this time does a very accurate and efficient job. They sometimes go a little biased for their choice candidate but that is just human nature. The media handles their important task in a professional way by making the truth known about all the candidates, good or bad. The media gives each candidate a fair amount of publicity time and takes the contemporary campaigns right to the voter's homes. The media deserves two thumbs up for involving the voters and keeping them aware of what the candidate and officeholders are up to lately." PA

The Way Things Ought To Be

"What role does, and (what) role should the media play in choosing our candidates for national office? This is a question that should be asked more than it is." PA

"The use of media began back in 55 B.C., when the first written tablet The Actus Diurnus was published. This was a daily written spectacle which was printed during the time of Julius Caesar's empire, and hung in the forum to detail daily happenings." OH

"Media, noun, (1) a channel of communication; (2) a publication of broadcast that carries advertising." SD

"The media is playing the role it should in choosing our candidates for national office. They provide live political debates on TV, and they provide daily updates on the candidates on the news. This is the only role the media should play in choosing our candidates for national office." OH

"When pondering the role of the media in elections, it is of significance to examine its historical ramifications. During the French Enlightenment, the philosophers Locke, Rousseau, and others, through the media, laid the framework for the American, and later the French Revolutions. The media was, in essence, the bellows that fanned the flame for the American insurrection. James Madison's toil in the passage of the Bill of Rights was a direct correlation to his belief in the principle of the free press. That the media could influence elections was undoubtedly realized by our forefathers and deemed to be acceptable and necessary." MO

"What is the role of the media in politics, and for that matter, society today? That is a good question. But first, we should try to get a feel for what its role was in the past. It served as an informer of the people, as an aide to the public, and it did not serve as a political indicator." MD

"The media's role in my view is to inform the public, not to be used as a tool for advertisement." MN

"The original intent behind forming the media was to inform the public of the events and people that surround them in their world everyday." IL

"The media's goal should be this: not to print any information that does not directly relate to a candidate's ability to execute the duties of the office for which (he is) running." OR

"The truth should be revealed and nothing kept hidden. The media should be an institution separate from all outside influences. All opinions should be labeled as such. . ." CA

"While I agree that the media plays a vital role in providing its readers and viewers with information, freedom of the press as mandated by the Constitution provides a license to paint either a positive or negative image of people. The power of the media cannot and should not be underestimated for it has many times made the difference in the selection of candidates for public office. The media today plays an even greater role in that it provides instantaneous information which can help modify the position that people will take in the voting process." NY

"It's (the media's) job to inform and educate the public on not only the issues of importance but also on the persons running for office." KS

"We are a society raised on TV's images, bombarded by them since infancy. And whether accurate or inaccurate, it is what most voters rely on to choose their president." KY

"To compare it, journalism to other news makes the question should the media persuade or inform? Absurd. Weather reports are given by journalists. The report gives you the information that tells you how to dress or what appointments to make. It's not the job of the weather man to convince people what clothes to wear or appointments to cancel. It's his job to provide the information needed." MD

"The media's most difficult role is that of a governmental watchdog. Watergate and other political dramas are proof that without the media being there justice would not be served." IL

"But after years of being barraged by the media telling us everything that is wrong with the candidates and nothing is right, the public might decide: 'Fine, if they are not worth it, then neither is my vote.' Who will lead us then? Instead of perpetuating the cynicism of the American people, as far as government is concerned, the media should give us hope for the future. Instead of saying: 'Here you go, you have to choose between these losers, who all favor the status quo, and no matter which way you go, you lose.' Give us knowledge that the American Dream is still alive and kicking and this or that candidate is ready to give it to us." IN

"The media should inform the public on election topics by covering all of the candidates on all levels, not just presidential, and also through objective fact reporting and overall fact accuracy...the media should become an unbiased, reliable, knowledgeable source for people to turn to for election issue information." MD

"The media does not like to be manipulated. Try to step on its toes and it throws freedom of the press in your face. But what happens when the manipulator is manipulated? You have political coverage. Politics manipulates the media. The media and politicians, especially in national matters, are co-dependent. The media depends on politicians to create 'news,' the politicians depend on the press to report 'news.' One role of the media in choosing our candidates is one of manipulation." PA

"Reporters, newscasters and authors are human also. They will have opinions concerning their choice for a leader, but it is their job to monitor these and not let them appear in factual broadcasts or articles." KS

"When this nation was young...The American people knew little about many of the men they elected or their policies, but these men had proven themselves on the battlefield or in some other fashion." CA

"Any survey will support the fact that today's public knows much more about their candidates than the common man of 100 to 200 years ago knew about theirs." OK

"The media should report the stories that the American people need to know, not what the American people want to hear." MD

"The newspaper should not be considered a reliable source of facts. The newspaper, more or less, can be used as a paper to open one's eyes to different angles that may not be so apparent to the readers." IL

"...the media controls the appearance of everything it shows; its purpose is to inform and influence. While it is a major resource for marketing and communication, it can also become a dangerous weapon. When a society such as ours revolves mainly around the media, the people can be easily misled." OH

"In my opinion, the role the media should take in national elections should be very little, if any at all." PA

"The Watergate proceedings and the media's role in the bloodless coup of the Nixon administration was undoubtedly the media at its best. A corrupt government was undermined by two members of the press. In All the President's Men, one can see how a single newspaper, The Washington Post, changed the course of the political proceedings in this nation." MO

"The media is the bridge of information that crosses between the candidates for national office and the public...The media would not be so powerful if it were not the only link that most Americans have to politics. KY

"I agree that everyone should have freedom of speech and freedom of the press, but this selection process is not a job for the media. It is much too persuasive. The media should present equal information, good or bad, about every candidate and not show any favoritism." PA

"Although it is impossible, the media should be offering equal time and nonbiased coverage of all candidates" CA.

"It would be more beneficial to us if the media attempted to be as objective as possible, and focused on what our candidates could do for the nation, and their significant credentials, rather than biased, irrelevant facts - or allegations." NH

"If a paper only did what it had to, it would report only the bare facts. But if it did what it should it would report everything it could to get a rounded, equal view of the issue. An example is: A reporter stated that a girl is 17 years old, attends Bloomfield High School and is a senior. Another reporter, speaking of the same girl, states that a 17 year old senior at Bloomfield High School, has good grades and is very active in many activities. The first reporter told the facts, which is OK. But the second told the facts and a few more details to give you a better picture." IN

"Reported news should not be acepted blindly and at face value. There must be, however, a point at which we stop our questioning, because, if there is no such point, we will never find any answers to believe in the end; the questioning will go on and on." OH

"If the media gives only the facts and nothing else, it forces the people to think and form their own opinions based on those facts and therefore vote intelligently." IL

"The media should live by the slogan, 'Just the facts.' Reporters should be required to report the news, not interpret it. The public wants hard facts, not a pompous editorial from an arrogant, over-paid network anchor. People have minds of their own, and they should be allowed to use them freely." PA

"At times people confuse the fact that editorials and commentaries are not hard core news. When this happens people may mistake opinions as fact." OH

"There is no longer a division between editorial and fact." MD

"Conflicts between facts and opinion often arise in the media. One of the major reasons is due to the opposing demands from the voting audience. There are people who believe only confirmed, accurate news, unpolluted by a reporter's background or particular views. Still others appreciate an intelligent and well-supported commentary. Journalists need to find a balance between straight facts and covering conflicting opinions." OR

"There are a few reporters who express their opinion in a story and try to pass the opinion as fact. Reporters of this type are abusing their rights as members of the press. The press should only be used as a vehicle to relay information for people to read and form their own opinions." OH

"The media should present only straight-forward, unbiased facts; opinionated statements made by media personnel should be clearly shown as opinions, and they should not be presented as a fact in any way." MO

"They need to tell the facts, and nothing but the facts. There is no need for the rest." SD

"'Just the facts ma'am, just the facts.' Friday was no Sherlock Holmes, but he knew what was important." PA

"Conflicts between facts and opinion often arise in the media. One of the major reasons is due to the opposing demands from the voting audience. There are people who believe only confirmed, accurate news, unpolluted by a reporter's background or particular views. Still others appreciate an intelligent and well-supported commentary. Journalists need to find a balance between straight facts and covering conflicting opinions." OR

"The press should provide people with straight facts. Its opinion should not be involved in news coverage." OH

"Good news reporting should be strictly factual and never subjective, except, of course, for editorials." MA

"The media's job is to inform the public with the truth and the facts and leave society to form its own opinions and conclusions on subjects." VA

"The role of the media should be one of an onlooker. The media should stand by and report on a story with impartiality and composure, with equal air time for both candidates. If the media would stand back and let the public view a scene without the extra media dramatics, it would be easier for the public to make their own interpretation. In today's society, with anyone being able to make a statement or print what he wants, it is getting harder and harder to formulate your own interpretation." MD

"While the media does have the freedom to say what they want, they should use common sense and fulfill their status as unbiased newscasters. If they wish to voice their opinions, they should do it through the proper forum such as an editorial or similar medium. This does not mean they cannot show the negative information about the candidates. On the contrary, this means they should give the people this information, but they also must share the negative material that pertains to all other candidates. They must not consistently repeat one candidate's bad points while only making a passing remark about the other's. They must balance their remarks so that they will have an equal impact upon the voters." OK

"The media play an important role in the outcome of an election. But they need to be more bi-partisan and unbiased in their reporting on the candidates. The press should use its power to inform the American people not to influence them." AL

"In short, the media needs to stop gossipping and telling private facts about a candidate's personal life. Instead, they should provide fair, objective reporting for the voters." MI

"The media should be an institutional place from which any person can draw true and important information that can and should be used to help every individual make a decision about which candidate to vote for." KS

"The public reads and listens every chance it gets, hungry for information about the candidate's opinions and views. It is up to the media to present to the public the facts, and not direct their attention to other unimportant nonpolitical issues." WI

". . . The media did not adequately cover the candidates' stands on relevant issues." PA

"In order to increase public awareness of the issues, all networks should have a minimum of no less than three minute clips of a candidate's speech." NY

"Just like it is the candidate's job to become elected, it is the journalists' job to make sure the public knows everything about the candidate before election day comes around." OR

"The media needs to realize that they are the general public's eyes and ears. They need to give the citizens of America all the facts so the people can make up their own mind without the media's little hints. Remember, the citizens own the airwaves, so they should get what they want." IL

"No one can deny the 'power of the press.' But that power can be abused and corrupted. . . .The media does not belong at the helm of political thought and political elections. Its job is to keep the people informed and aware of political events." OK

"Who will lead the people? This question must be decided by the people and the people alone. The role of the media is to present facts to the American voters and let them make their own decisions. Their job is to inform the public of each candidate's qualifications that pertain to his character and to his capacity to lead. The media are supposed to be the purveyors of truth. . .They should always present both sides of the story. In this way, they cannot be accused of unjustly influencing an important public decision. These are ideals that need to be kept in perspective by responsible media reporting." CA

"Although slime sells papers and boosts TV ratings, one must sit back a minute and realize that the media was made to inform and enlight, not to manipulate and control." OH

". . .when candidates decide to run for office they must be very conscious of their actions, being aware that anything they do could open themselves up to the press. And hopefully, when it's all said and done, the media will get a hold of the dishonest, unfaithful and cheating politicians, sending them home where they belong, not in Washington running our country." SD

". . .in the realm of politics, is not the primary function of the media to educate and enlighten the people rather than to entertain? PA

"The purpose of the media during elections is simple: give us the facts, and tell us what is important. Unfortunately, this is not the role the media currently chooses to take." SD

"The media is the life-line of politics. Political candidates depend on the coverage they receive through the media. The public depends on the media to tell them who is running for what office. The sole purpose of the media is to inform and possibly educate the public. We, the public, rely on the media to give us unbiased and well researched information. We develop most of our opinions based on the information provided by the media. It is the responsibility of the media to provide truthful and completely unbiased information." OK

"The role of the media should strictly consist of informing the public of facts and incidents that have importance. Importance doesn't mean who's with whom or who has done what years before, but importance means ideas, possibilities, and plans that may affect the future. The news should show no signs of gossip or unfocused facts." OR

"It should serve as a resource that people can use to find out about the candidates with relative ease, but at the same time, it should make an effort to keep its reporting as unbiased as possible, leaving the voter to make up his own mind." MD

"That role the media should play in the campaigns is that which they pretend to play--a simple informer. The only opinions which should be expressed through the media are the candidates' opinions on the issues. The only influencing should be done by the candidates. . .(But) 'Joe American' cannot just walk up to a candidate and have a one-on-one discussion. For this reason, the role of the media is much greater than that of informer to the American public. The media has now become our political adviser." OH

"Although the press is also entitled to freedom of speech, their personal views should not be brought forth to influence the public. The candidates' future plans for our country should be presented, and then left to the people to determine their own opinions. . .The role of the media should be to present the important information as simply and as truthfully as possible." MA

"The media should show both sides of a contest and show them fairly." IN

"The media should give the public a fair overview of the candidates. They should let citizens know facts about the candidates, and aid the citizens in researching the candidates. The media's job in choosing the candidates for public office should be straight forward factual information." IL

"In trying to reason out what role I feel that the media should play in national campaigns, I realized what a difficult position the media is in. On the one hand, it has a responsibility to report information about the personal lives of the candidates because it may affect the way that they perform their jobs. However, reporters also have to use discretion in choosing between what is reporting and what is slander. The effects of the decisions that reporters make regarding the coverage of personal issues are so far-reaching that they inevitably make or break the candidate. If people set up guidelines as to the parameters of reporters' responsibilities and force them to stay within these boundaries, then the quality of national election coverage will gradually improve. We, the people, have a right to know the truth about our candidates." PA

"In order for the media to fulfill its duty, it should release only the facts that deal with the election, not with lifestyles, history of the candidates, and their personal opinions. The events should be reported as they happen and they should report only on what the candidates say, not what the reporters interpret. When the candidates aren't campaigning or giving speeches, the news reporters should do as the former president of CBS News, Richard Salant, suggested, and that is to report on the candidates' 'record in public office or his past statements on the budget deficit.' He also said that the news reporters are sometimes '. . .just too lazy. It is easier to cover the mud-slinging.'" OH

"Who will lead the people? This question must be decided by the people and the people alone. The role of the media is to present facts to the American voters and let them make their own decisions. Their job is to inform the public of each candidate's qualifications that pertain to his character and to his capacity to lead. The media are supposed to be the purveyors of truth. . .They should always present both sides of the story. In this way, they cannot be accused of unjustly influencing an important public decision. These are ideals that need to be kept in perspective by responsible media reporting." CA

The Media and the Issues
"Something we heard a lot about during this election was the issues, not so much about specific issues like health care or taxes, but the issues as a general topic. The media constantly charged that the candidates weren't addressing "the issues". The candidates complained that the media wouldn't cover the issues. In order to get their stands on the issues known, candidates have resorted to everything from publishing books to buying prime-time television spots to air infomercials. Unfortunately, both of these methods, as well as many others can prove to be costly, thus forcing a candidate to accept large sums of money from special interest groups if he wants to be taken seriously." MD

". . . I think this past election proves that people are tired of hearing the trash and want the issues. This message was sent to the press as much as it was to the candidates." OK

"Does the media take sides with the issues battled by the candidate, or does it take sides with the candidate's wallet?" CA

"Newspapers also become active participants in the political mudslinging battles of the candidates. One of the earliest examples of this was the 1884 election between Grover Cleveland and James Blaine. Blaine was suspected of having some shady deals involving railroad stocks and bonds. Later in the election the Buffalo Evening Telegraph discovered and published the discovery of Cleveland's illegitimate child." PA

"...through all the mudslinging and gossip, the media managed to thoroughly inform us on the candidates' stand on major issues." AR

"Clinton was busy developing a new form of election communication---The Bill Clinton Interactive Kiosk. This disk for computers outlined his plans for the country, which included health care, the economy, welfare reform and affordable college education." OH

". . .the media should explore the issues on hand rather than the skeleton clanking in someone's closet." VA

". . . (the media) would prefer to cover a scandalous story about Bill Clinton being a communist rather than a story on his plan to improve health care. . . I believe that the people are wearying quickly of scandal; they want issues. If an elected official doesn't do what people want, the people vote for someone else. What can we do when the media doesn't give us what we want?" PA

"It wouldn't be surprising if some people in the United States don't know anyone who is running for Congressional or state offices, or even that certain offices exist. Half of the issues that will take their toll on American voters this year will be state issues. Where does a concerned citizen go to find out information about such issues?" MD

"In Indiana's recent senatorial race between incumbent Dan Coates and challenger Joe Hogsett, Hoosiers were swamped with campaign ads challenging voters to decide which was the true Joe Hogsett. We were told that Dan Coates had a life outside of politics - he was a grandfather. Hogsett's campaign ran similar personality ads favorable to Mr. Hogsett. Unfortunately, due to the mass media, Hoosiers may have been voting for a candidate they viewed as the grandfatherly type rather than evaluating the candidate's stands on the critical issues facing our state and our nation. All this, thanks to too little public demand for coverage of issues by the various media." IN

". . . if the press only reported issues such as Clinton's economic agenda or Bush's foreign policy, the collective nation would probably fall asleep." IL

"A study done by Marjorie Hershey revealed that, on the average, print media coverage from September through election day in 1988 only dealt with issues one-third of the time, while two-thirds of the content was devoted to campaign strategy." PA

"In the Reagan-Mondale election the issues were seldom brought up and often forgotten. Most of the time it was impossible to speak with Reagan at his photo opportunities. Reagan held fewer press conferences than any of the past presidents. Mondale attempted to bring up his ideas of a tax increase to help remove the debt, but the media decided that tax plans are dull and don't make a good story. Mondale attempted time after time to bring up the issues but the media did not want to focus on them. Instead the media brought up the bad financial record of Mondale's running mate's husband. All the media cared about was getting a good story." MD

"The idea of the juicier, the better, is what leads many members of the media to report stories with little or no bearing on the campaign. . . the media can easily sway the opinions of the public by reporting the dirt on candidates and paying less attention to the issues." TX

The Way Things Really Are -- Does the Media have Undue Influence?
"In recent years, the media has changed its role for the worse. Today it is the reporter of private lives and scandals along with the issues of the campaign." NH

"The media has photographers follow the people around that are running for president of the United States to take a picture of their every move. The press takes pictures, for instance, of Tsongas in the swimming pool, Clinton getting off an airplane, Clinton holding a saxophone in the crowd of people and also Clinton and his wife standing by a tree and hugging. The media should stay out of people's personal lives; they can't even go swimming without a person from the news team there taking a picture." SD

"Jerry Rothman Serot and her opponent were running for a Missouri State Office. The campaign ads were not about the qualifications or important events that would help in office, but how much money the other spent on a house or child care." MO

"Intertwining TV and politics, journalists have gotten into a vicious battle to keep up with each other and learned an important factor on the way--- gossip sells." VA

"Reading the newspaper and magazines or watching the news on television is no longer only about trying to learn more concerning our nation and world news; it's more like reading or watching a soap opera to see who is stabbing whom in the back" WI

"The candidates of the 1992 election year treated the media as a pet. They fed it whatever lies and smut their campaigns could discover and hoped it would not devour the hands that gave it life...The media has gone from being an organization of truth, to one that forces people to cover it up." OH

"If candidates want to dig up trash and put each other down they should do it face to face. I think cutting a guy down is a total misuse of the media." MN

"One of the networks even concentrated on the individual characters of each presidential candidate for three straight nights. The correspondents and reporters probed into past videos excerpting sound bites and airing them out of context. (They) researched the biographical history of the candidates, citing any instances that could spark yet even more controversies." MD

"Media personnel are spending far too much time trying to make an interesting story and end up not covering the real issues adequately." KS

"Many times the dirt is not brought to the surface by the media, but rather from tips of campaign opposition investigators." OR

"The strengths and positive qualities of the presidential candidates are often drowned out by the dirt that is dug up on each of them." IL

"Mud-slinging is a proper term for journalistic attacks because mud sticks to a person, dries, and is sometimes difficult to remove. That is what happens when the media attacks a candidate with a negative journalistic review--it sticks to the person, stays there through continuous reference to it, and try as they might, it is very hard to overcome it." OH

"Reporters were bumping into one another here in Arkansas trying to dig up some dirt on Bill Clinton. When he started getting ahead in the polls . . . it really got bad." AR

"It is a sad fact that people are more knowledgeable about Bill Clinton's alleged infidelity than about his national health care proposal." WI

". . . the fact that Bill Clinton had an extra-marital affair should not be public knowledge. It will not make him a worse President." KS

". . . it is none of the voting public's business what candidates for national office do after the lights go out." SD

"For years, there was sort of a gentlemen's agreement among reporters who covered public figures that certain issues were off limits. Many presidents, ranging from Warren G. Harding to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy were widely known to be conducting extramarital affairs. Yet reporters, for the most part, avoided the subject in print." PA

"We have gone from a time when the personal lives of candidates were more or less off-limits to a time when they are discussed in detail. In a way, I think this is good; however we cannot believe much of the propaganda that we hear. We should be alert and disciplined in the way we deal with this material." OK

"Scandal stories were first routinely seen in tabloids, then they were carried somewhere deep inside a newspaper; however, now they are slated for the front page. Why the change in standards? If this pace is to continue, what will the next generation see on their front page? The same standards apply to television; the more salacious the story, the more coverage. The new standard seems to say 'A rumor's circulating; dig something up about it. Being first to cover it or print it is better than being right.'" MO

"Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Dwight D. Eisenhower had sexual encounters that the media never touched. Why the change? They (the media) no longer live by a code. Today, the media doesn't just inform us in order to regulate criminal acts, they do so to gain listeners or readers and fame. As a result of this immoral form of reporting, the campaigns have resorted to dirty pool. If something horrible comes out about one candidate, that party makes sure the same happens to the rest." SD

"Bill Clinton's success in candidacy shows that the Americans can distinguish public life from the private; Clinton's personal scandal as reported by the media did not destroy his campaign." MN

"As the election is drawing closer to an end, the media is realizing that the American people are disgusted with all the rubbish being dug up on candidates and they are now more interested in the issues and the candidates themselves than all the name-calling and mud-slinging that has been going on recently." MD

". . . a lot of the people in the press do not know when to use their best judgment, such as printing what the president's cat is doing! During the time that the reporters wasted, they could have used this precious, expensive time to tell more about Clinton's qualifications and if he can run this country effectively." SD

"In the few weeks before election day, Bush was always proclaiming that 'We don't care about the polls!' But what he did not realize was that the polls are also a powerful device in the shaping of public opinion." OH

"If the voter is somehow manipulated or controlled into forming his opinion about the candidates, and thus casting his ballot in a certain way, then in actuality, the. . .voter's opinion, and consequently, his vote, is determined largely by the information that he absorbs through TV, radio, newspapers, etc. The voter is unable to contest the control of the media simply because he lacks the resources and the time to do his own research on each of the candidates. Any information that the voter uses to form his view of the candidates is spoon-fed to him by the reporters, and so, just as the puppeteer is responsible for the movements of the marionette, the media is responsible for the decision of the voter." MD

"The way the media convinces people is through a kind of brainwashing. How many times have you fallen asleep watching TV or sing a song you heard on the radio all day long because you could not get it out of your head? When you hear things over and over, you accept them as your own thoughts." PA

"Influence is what the media gives us. They say to us pick this candidate because he was a Boy Scout, and he supports the death penalty. Support him because he was a blue collar worker like most Americans. The media gives us reasons for support that we can relate to but sometimes leaves out important details. It is a proven fact that if a person is told something over and over again, the person will start to believe it. If you don't hear about anyone else or an opposing opinion, you may start to believe what they are telling you. Repetition is also a tool used by the media, and if we aren't aware, they may get to us." OH

"The news is followed with commentaries on what the news really means. Not only does the media present the issues and campaigns of their choice, they also tell the public what to think." SD

"Excessive media influence in elections undermines the very foundations of our democratic government." OR

"Whether it be intentional or accidental, news agencies tend to show partiality towards their favorite candidate. The information that people living in small cities and communities learn about politics may depend on the decisions of just half a dozen men and women a thousand miles away. Even in major cities where the media have access to several news agencies, the number of people who ultimately decide what to use is relatively small. They have the ability to shape the public's view of the world according to the stories they choose to release." AR

"The media has a hypnotizing affect on how we think. They should be a little more careful.. . . This isn't a game." SD

"The media has a thousand faces and they are all believable. . . The power of the media lies with the public's willingness to believe." WI

(QUESTION) "Who does elect our president? Did we formulate our own opinion or did we borrow opinions formulated by the media?" MO

(ANSWER)"In the end, it was really the media who elected Governor Clinton." PA

"I would have loved to have seen the results of the 1992 election without the media, reporters, and everyone talking on television about a certain candidate." IN

"Shimkus, who is running in the 20th District for U. S. Congress (IL) sent out a video tape on what he believes. We watched the video in our American Government class. Our class didn't see a video on Durbin who is running against Shimkus. So, automatically, the students started to choose Shimkus. The media should make sure it covers each candidate with (an) equal amount of time." IL

"We all carry a picture in our heads. Who puts it there, why, how and under what circumstances? Beyond our limited daily experiences, it is television, radio, newspapers, magazines and books (the media). The media brings to our conscious ness the events, people and(determines what) we call 'reality.' Though reality is what happens to three and a half billion people all over the world, 24 hours a day, we receive from that total experience only fragments that are deemed significant." SD

"In 1898, before photographs could be put into (a news)paper (and) artists were needed to draw events, an American steamer was fired upon by a Spanish ship. An artisit drew a ship being torn in two by the blast. The public's outrage pressured President McKinley to enter us into a war with the Spanish." MD

"The media has taken on more than just the task of reporting the news to the public; it has now assigned itself the task of deciding which stories constitute news and which do not." VA

"The media used its position to influence potential voters rather than educate them." OH

"The problem is that it is too easy for people to read an eloquent commentary on the issues of the day and have an opinion formed for them, rather than drawing their own from the facts of the campaign. People swing back and forth on their stances of candidates by who happens to have a column on the editor's page that day in their local newspaper. Opinion polls swing from high to low from what television analysts say in the closing five minutes of their newscasts. Radio fans find talk shows that favor candidates and find themselves favoring the candidate also. The individual minds of the electorate become so dulled by crossfire opinions that they will believe anything set before them." OR

"Today, because such a large percentage of Americans own a television, the media's influence in politics has been boosted." SD

"The media system is splitting into two parts. There is the Old Media and the New Media. The Old Media consists of the networks, news magazines and widely known newspapers. The New Media consists of CNN, C-SPAN, talk shows, satelite hookups and computer bulletin boards. The New Media is less elitist and more democratic. These aspects are good, but the New Media is less analytical, which is bad." VA

"People today rely too heavily on the media to help them crystalize their personal opinions. . . people would rather take on the feelings of the television station. The media is to blame for spreading this apathy." OR

"It seems that in this day and age, the way that the media sides in an election is the way the election will go. Whoever they throw their support behind, is the one who will win. The people have no say in it anymore. They will vote with the candidate who has the most media backing." MD

"During the hard economic times this past year, deep budget cuts at news organizations is felt to have lessened some of the media overkill. This sounds somewhat positive. Perhaps with less overkill, the public will finally get only useful coverage of the campaigns. However, this may cause a potential danger. With political coverage viewed as an unaffordable extravagance, wide leads in polls can form the basis of an excuse for not really covering campaigns. . . Campaigns are. . . the only time the public can fully explore the condition and future of the country." MA

"The media also can take too much time covering the candidates' events, such as with three hour television specials and everything that the candidate does. There are even news programs with the history of a certain candidate's life." SD

"The role of the media seems to have become one of selling candidates, as if they were products, not person running for President." KS

"The role the media plays is clear, but unfortunately, it is the role of a manipulative tyrant." OH

"Numerous random events occur daily. Journalists face the dilemma of determining what is newsworthy and what isn't. They must answer the big question, 'Should it be covered at all?' They must become gruff football coaches. They pick and choose the stories they cover, just as a coach picks his players. And like a coach, some stories are cut, determined not to be in the audience's interests. Whatever the media determines to be news, becomes news.' The audience's attention is focused on these issues, while everything else is thrown away and forgotten. . . a major problem arises (when). . . the political stories and candidates which the media publicizes aren't what interests the public." PA

"Newspaper reporters, radio talk show hosts, and television news anchors play a very substantial role in the presidential elections, but not as large as (in) past campaigns. The public is more cogitative and forgiving of a candidate's past errors." OR

"Since many voters are not able to hear what each candidate has to say first-hand, they seek other sources to provide them with the information they need. . . the sources which many rely on are not relaying all the information essential to make a fair judgment of a person running for a national office. In fact, the credentials of newspapers have been doubted so frequently, call-in radio and talk shows became popular in the 1992 elections. . . (the media) decides what is 'news worthy' and what is not . . . I think the media covers candidates based on the interests of a rough majority of its viewers, the candidates chance of winning, and the candidates' popularity." NE

"In 1975, shortly after he left the governor's office, Ronald Reagan had his choice of two offers to start doing news commentaries. One was to alternate with Eric Severed on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. The other was with Mutual Radio. Reagan chose radio explaining to his media advisor, Michael K. Deaver, that he thought the medium was a better way to reach people because it had more credibility with many Americans than the network news." IL

"Is the media too intrusive? Maybe they are just doing their jobs, but whichever way the voters look at it, the media is still overexposng too many unimportant facts and not enough of the important issues." KS

". . . because of all the jokes about Dan Quayle, voters pay more attention to whether or not he makes an error than to what he says about today's pertinent topics." WI

"(Regarding) Dan Quayle's misspelling of the word potato in a recent spelling bee: Granted it was funny, but was the public aware of why he was there or even where he was? The media used the potato event over several months to discredit and belittle the Vice President." OK

"The media should have been reporting on candidates and issues, not on misspellings and rumors." TN

"What the media must understand is that they are the catalysts for improvement." MD

"It is the media's job to inform the viewer and listener, not to educate his opinions. . . Most listeners have full-time jobs and families to support. Some have very little time to find the facts about the election themselves and depend on and turn to the media to do the job for them...It is much easier to flip on the television than to spend hours reading and researching and newspapers and magazines. Consequently, if the media's information is false, the viewer suffers." SD

"Like the antagonist of a well written novel, it (the media) slowly increased its power over the candidates until it had almost full control. It searched for well hidden secrets, from avoided drafts to Nixon connections." OH

"The media amounts to a fourth branch of the government. It is a branch which holds the same powers of checks and balances, although the checks outweigh the balances. The media continuously checks the government by reporting to the people, while the government tries to maintain balance by using the courts, ruling on the ethics of the media. The point being made is, how much better suited is the media, another branch of the government, in choosing a candidate than either of the major parties? How well can this judgment be trusted?" PA

"Because of our government's size and complexity, we the people cannot simply investigate every questionable matter in our federal system. If we are unable to be the watchdogs, then shouldn't an institute that was not mentioned in the Constitution be used to monitor and report the doings of our government? MD

"These three topics: lack of coverage, too much emphasis on unimportant issues, and the making and breaking of campaigns show the large role the media have in choosing our candidates for national office." IL

"The media is vital to the election process. It is the most important communication we have. While free press should always be preserved, so should media standards. Character bashing and manipulation are useless to voters. Voters should be given only important information and the candidates' plans." KS

"In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt was slowly dying. This fact was known by the press but it was kept from the public. The press felt that it was not in the best interest of the country to report that the president of the United State was dying." MD

". . . the press is the one source of public information that a politician cannot control and should not be able to control." PA

"If the media is biased it is because they are only responding to what the people want . . .When the media restricts themselves to what they perceive the public wants, they are in a way restricting the very freedom of press often used to defend themselves." TX

"The media's power to report and cover what it deems important may be healthy for the media, but is unfair too and bad for the political process." IL

"The issues were pushed into the background as the race became a contest to see who could get out the most scandalous piece of information. The media turned what is one of the most important activities in the entire world into a three ringed circus." PA

"(How does one know the future? Isn't the past the only indicator?) "When a voter goes to the polls the focus should be on the future not on the past. But because of the the media and also the voters, the whole election is focussed on the wrong things." MI

"Former Senator John Tower of Texas was nominated to be Secretary of Defense, but was rejected for that position after being charged with 'decades-old, unverifiable boozy womanizing.' He was unpopular with his colleagues in the Senate and the relevance of his private behavior to the Pentagon duties was never made quite clear. Another such case was a rumor that (Senator) Charles Robb had observed illegal drug use at parties he attended several years ago in Virginia Beach. However, the Washington Post stated its inability to confirm the truth of that rumor while still placing it on the front page. Whatever happened to the American right of 'innocent until proven guilty?' Even though the media doesn't directly say 'Yes, the candidate did it and has no right to be in a public office,' that candidate will be scarred. . ." MO

"The media can determine elections in several different ways. First, they can report on a candidate's past record and personal life. Second, they can incorrectly release information on a candidate who is trying to run for office. Next, they can back a candidate by declaring their support for that candidate. Also, the media can take polls that supposedly show how people will vote on election day. Finally, the media can declare a candidate a winner before all the results are tallied." KS

"Numerous political magazines and news stations state their opinion of who they think will win, who they think should win and who, in their opinion, is winning. These statements (influence) . . ." KY

"When the press starts tainting the facts with its opinions or becomes involved in the mudslinging, it starts to program the people. This programming comes in the form of propaganda. This propaganda consists of articles that catch your attention with flashy titles. . . Finally on election day, when the people go to the polls, they pull the levers that they were programmed to. They do this with the same lack of consciousness that a rat has when running a maze. In essence, the media is completely undermining the democratic system. By programming us to their way of thinking they are attempting to personally decide who wins the election. If this is the way we want things to be, then we should just drop the election process and turn the decision over to the media." PA

If You Can't Say Anything Nice . . . Is the Media Too Negative?
"Sixty-four percent of the people polled in a class questionaire stated that the media should not report on the negative aspects of a candidate's personal life, but rather on the issues that are important to the welfare of America." VA

"The only stories that usually make the news are the things that are bad. Often the good points are overlooked, and something that is very minor may be blown totally out of proportion. . . It has to have an effect on a person to always be hearing the bad things about a certain candidate." MN

"I radomly picked some political cartoons from the Oregonian starting with the month of September to the month of November 1992. The political cartoons seem to focus on the negative aspects of each candidate, but I believe that these negative views is what makes the cartoon funny. I think it would be hard to get a laugh off the good things the candidates did rather than their mistakes. Although political cartoons have been around longer than the radio or television, they are still, I think, the best way to enjoy the elections along with giving you some information to form an opinion and choose a candidate." OR

"According to. . . Dr. S. Collier who conducted a recent survey, people are most likely to vote for the person about whom they see the most positive things. With fifty percent of the readers of magazines only flipping through the pages catching the pictures and the bold print, this could prove to have an extreme impact." KS

"Try to imagine these two events occurring in your day: first, overhearing a man teaching his son the importance of education in a heart-warming and inspirational speech; second, witnessing a drug-deal turn into a murder--two totally opposite events that create two totally opposite feelings, hope and fear. Which story would you be more prone to tell first to your family and friends? It is and always has been human nature to emphasize the negative rather than the positive. . . we must not blame the media for doing something that we are guilty of doing ourselves." TX

"The money from the research and air-time candidates spend saying bad things about their opponents, they can say twice as much good things about themselves." IL

"The important issues, like the national debt, taxes, and foreign policy, took a backseat to the media's scrutiny of the candidates' early lives. It is true that the candidates' individual flaws should be brought to the public's attention, but the bad qualities should not be the center of attention." AR

"(Pessimistic) reporting keeps the American voter from feeling secure about the candidate he or she chooses." WV

". . . the media should offer a positive image of our country instead of always looking for the faults." CA

"I find it extremely frustrating that all we hear and see are the negative aspects about the candidates. Therefore, we have a hard time choosing a candidate we respect for his positive side, and instead vote for the lesser of two evils. We should be hearing more of what they can do for our country, rather than what they are unable to do for it. This negative reporting tends to develop an uncomfortable feeling that anyone we decide to vote for will be insufficient and make poor decisions." OR

"Is Carol Mosely Braun really a thief and a racist, or does she have good ideas about how the government should be run? These are questions that cannot (or will not) be answered by our local media, because our local media has been concentrating more on her negative points during the past pre-election weeks." IL

"The media spends most of its time reporting on the negative side of the candidates' lives and very little time on building them up and showing what they can do for the country. They seem to show only what they cannot do. Rarely, if ever, does one see a news story giving a positive report on the private life of a candidate." SD

"One of the biggest problems in the news today is the amount of time spent covering the negative. Even issues such as Bill Clinton smoking marijuana and the Dan Quayle/Murphy Brown incident, that the public seemed to have lost interest in, were kept on a respirator by a scandal-hungry media." OR

"Reporters are sometimes too caught up with what the politician did wrong, than what the politician could do to make our country a better place." NY

"Reporters often ask a question so that the candidates cannot respond in a positive manner. This method of reporting causes a negative reaction towards the candidate from the viewers. The media also changes the context of a candidate's statement, sometimes only using parts of the statement." WV

"In my opinion, the role the media plays in the election process is scary." TN

"The media is out of hand and will only get worse over time unless something is done." NY

"Members of the media are known for their political mud-slinging and judgmental views." CA

"The media is insensitive to anything or anyone." AL

"...most journalists are by nature opportunists whose loyalties would never stop them from pursuing a career-making story." TX

"Society's busiest busybodies are the press, where, under cover of the Constitution, they expose, scold and ridicule public figures and sometimes win Pulitzer Prizes for it!" OK

"When made-for-ratings programming prevents the real decision-making factors . . . from reaching the public, then the media is not doing its job." OR

"The other winner of 1992 is the media, demonstrating its control on national politics and its unnecessary involvement in the personal affairs of the candidates. Its biased views and negative reporting have proven that it has become a bothersome, unfair, filthy institution, with its rightful place long since forgotten. When Thomas Jefferson made the comment, 'Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press,' he meant for the media to be a check on the government and a watchdog of the people's precious democracy, not an aid to the corruption and an accomplice to the thieves." OH

"Government's tool, the media, shuts the door on the public. The media seems to give power to the people, but it is the few chosen and wealthy who become participants in our government. The government does what the few chosen want and then the media tells the general public what the government did for the people." MO

"I will definitely think twice about believing what the media has to say when I am of the voting age." IL

"The problem with the media lies in the three areas: accountability, responsibility, and their attitude about news reporting." KS

"The only thing I can see the media has done that is really worthy is that they printed the great speech by Abraham Lincoln 'Four Scores and Seven Years Ago.'" IL

The Media Isn't All Bad
"The media isn't all bad. It has a tremendous potential to become a positive aspect on the election scene." WI

"For years now, people have complained about what a travesty our newspapers, magazines, and evening news shows are. But the simple truth is the media is not that bad.

For the most part, our legitimate news sources are accurate. They may be biased at times, but they usually present the whole story. And what's wrong with being biased? Does it really affect what we believe? If it does, we have a serious problem. Certainly we are influenced by what we see (factual evidence), but does biased broadcasting actually change our views completely? The American people are not stupid, or at least they shouldn't be, nor are they easily manipulated.

As a matter of fact, although a majority of journalists are Democrats, and a majority of those Democrats liberal Democrats, their political standings often don't even affect their spoken or printed report.

When I would look at a Newsweek or U.S. News and World Report with a story on the recent election (articles printed prior to the election, that is), they would tell the different views of each candidate, weigh advantages to disadvantages of each issue/idea, and give a realistic perspective to everything. The phrase 'When I want an editorial, I'll ask for it' is heard by those magazines. Of course there is an opinionated column or two in there, like in any other publication, but so what?

"We must see the media as an advantage and a great source of knowledge which has helped to enrich our lives. . . .

The media is there to find truth and express it in a professional fashion. If we look at the media in a positive light, we can see the benefits. . .outweigh the negative. . . This is why the media does and should play a large role in helping to choose our candidates for national office. The media should be commended for their superb job and effort to help inform us on political matters." TN

"According to a local influential lawyer, 'A well-informed public is the cornerstone of a democracy.' This lawyer feels that the media are an absolute necessity. If it were not for the reportive and investigative ability of the media, the voters would have to accept the candidates' personal accounts of their characters. The media also help the voters to sort out the rumors that arise during elections. The media make it possible to draw the line between truth and rumor." AL

"Generally, the media merely becomes a scapegoat for either the ignorance or the apathy of the people." IL

"Overall the media is a wonderful, useful service to the American public. They bring us the news we need to know when it comes time for elections. They also bring us the information we need to know. " WI

"In my opinion, the media works hard and does a fine job at what they're doing. . . My overall evaluation of the media coverage is that it's good as it stands, and I think it is and will be improving. Now it's up to the public to get involved." NE

"The press is as vital to the nation as the nervous system is to the body. The press relays information to the individual portions of the nation so that it can react properly. Only by forcing fair coverage of both candidates can the flow of information be adequate. Although our system has its flaws, we have to appreciate that it functions extraordinarily well given its job description." OK

"Despite having a party preference, a member of the media must present the facts about each candidate truthfully. Therefore, because one might have to go against his beliefs, I think that being a member of the media is one of the most challenging and emotionally draining jobs in the world." AR

"The press does the best job they can to filter the facts out of all the propaganda thrown at them. Journalism is not an easy job and if anything, those that are in that line of work should be commended for their part in helping the public to decide which candidate they want to vote for. . . .most of the time they are very helpful in the decision making process in the election of our nation's officials." KS

"The media just helps people make up their minds a lot faster than they would other wise." MI

"The media do a very good job of informing the public. It takes people who are organized and people dedicated to their jobs, people who can take criticism from others, and people who can obtain facts and information rather than rumors." WV

"It is the media that narrows down our choices for candidates for national offices by what they find after researching certain ones. It is the media that informs the public of the plans of the candidates, and what they will do for us as a nation. Furthermore, the media manages to filter out any dangerous people. . . .the media also challenges our candidates by raising questions. . .If a certain candidate has shortchanged us, and not given out enough information about him/herself, they will not last long in the media." NH

"From a holistic view, though, our political system and media coverage are the best in the world, and while we sometimes might not agree with everything that is done or said, we should, as a whole, support the system and be thankful that technology does allow us to be well informed and be active participants in our election processes." OK

"If it wasn't for the media today people between the ages of 18-24 would be unduly influenced by the (votes of their parents.) Today, because of the media, we can decide for ourselves by watching television or reading the newspaper." MN

"My opinions of the media are more good than bad. I feel that more often than not, the media does a great job in reporting to the world. Through this assignment, I have found a great interest in the media. With all of these factors in mind, I think we are very lucky to have such dedicated people that will give us the news daily." OH

"We are one of the few countries (that is) able to know so much about such issues because of the media we have and the rights that allow them to do some of the things that they do. Would we really want that changed? OH

"The media keeps the candidate in check. . . The media acts as an information booth which on a daily basis relays important actions or ideas which the candidate has announced he wished to implement." MA

"If the media did not print it, some people would never know it." IN

"Without the newsmen and women, people would be left in the dark about the crazy world we call politics." WV

"In conclusion, the media's role is more helpful than harmful." NY

Accuracy in Media: Distortions Are In and Candor Is Out
"Among all the American political virtues, candor is probably the most necessary. Candor is telling the truth about what people know, think, and see. (Early American author) James Fenimore Cooper argued that the word American was synonymous with the habit of telling the truth: 'By candor we are not to understand trifling and uncalled for expositions of truth; but a sentiment that proves a conviction of the necessity of speaking the truth, when speaking at all, a contempt for all designing evasions of our real opinions.'" SD

"Finally the media played a large role in elections by