Presidential campaign coverage
Update: Angela Tuck, public editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a related view.
My newspaper column
For most people, the presidential race began in earnest last Saturday when Sen. Hillary Clinton conceded and threw her support to the presumptive Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama.
That cleared the way for Obama and Sen. John McCain to go right at each other.
For me, I knew the campaign was on last Tuesday when I received my first complaints about bias in our coverage of the campaign.
The message, in essence, was "too much Obama."
It's true, we did have a lot of Obama.
Last Sunday, we published a story on the front page about Obama challenging McCain in the "red states," and it included the news that the Democrat was launching a two-week campaign swing in Raleigh.
Then, Tuesday, we published a story on the front page about the Raleigh visit, accompanied by a photograph of Obama and Gov. Mike Easley giving each other an enthusiastic thumbs up. The photo was particularly significant as Easley was an ardent Clinton supporter just a month ago.
Judging us by only those two days, a reader could conclude that Obama is getting more than his share of ink. But it is a long time between now and November, and we have a lot more ink to spread around.
In this case, Obama’s campaign was the news of the weekend. Sen. McCain, with his party's nomination sewn up months earlier, was playing second fiddle.
No longer, of course.
We will get to the point in the campaign in which each candidate receives a close approximation of equal time. We will give them each their due on the issues, on fundraising, campaign styles, chief aides and the like.
But news doesn't permit everything to be equal all the time. What the candidate says or does, where he says it and what else is happening that day all influence news coverage. Candidates can effectively dominate the coverage by bringing forth provocative new ideas that energize the race.
We will use our local staff to write about the impact of the candidates and their issues on people here. When McCain and Obama come into the area, we will cover them, and the visit will likely be on the front page. If one candidate comes more often than the other, then that candidate will be on the front page more often.
Most of the coverage in the newspaper will come from wire service reports. Our national editor, Janet Brindle Reddick, knows she walks a tightrope as she selects what stories to use.
"Some days, one candidate makes more 'news' than the other," she told me. "On those days, our menu of stories is more limited. So on another day, I try to seek out stories about the other candidate."
Coverage balances out over time.
As the campaign builds, so will our coverage. Still, you won't see many stories on the front page about the day-to-day horse race between the candidates. While some people are interested in the latest polls, we think readers are more interested in the issues.
You can help us. I invite you to join our online Readers' Panel. Every week, we e-mail the panel questions about news and advertising. Between now and November, the questions will often be about politics. What you tell us in response helps us improve. Sign up by going to News-Record.com and clicking on "Join our Readers' Panel" at the bottom of the page.
I hope both candidates return to North Carolina often between now and November. Seeing and hearing a candidate in person is invaluable. It seals a closer bond between citizens and candidates that makes for a healthy democracy.
Over the course of time, campaign coverage should be fairly apportioned. If you think we have been unfair to your candidate, please let me know.
Comments (4)
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Bullfeathers! No way under the sun this paper is going to be anything but a liberal tabloid. After 40+ years of buying this paper, years on home delivery, then buying it seven days a week at the store, then cutting to 3-4 days a week. After your last letters to the editor about Burr, Dole and Coble all do not answer letters. ( Your paper must have ran this 25 times this year. ) Never anything bad about the good ole boys in Raleigh, I decided I do not need this Liberal paper, I am now on 2 weeks with out one. I will buy one Monday, just to give me the right to gripe. Want to sell me a paper, let me know whats going on in Raleigh, as it is, not how you want me to believe.
Posted on June 15, 2008 7:36 AM
As I read the online edition of the News and Record, after cancelling my subscription years ago due to its obvious liberal bias, I agree 100% with Mr. Johnson....today's column was a facade for a paper that was known as "The John Edwards Journal" until Obama's meteoric rise to rock-star status in early 2008...after BHO's victory in the Democratic primaries, the News and Record will now be known as the "Obama Observer" for the slanted coverage already given to the inexperienced Senator. I have written John Robinson on many occasions in the past complaining about the bias, and citing specific examples of such, only to be labeled "a bit sensative" by this paper's editor. That arrogant response alone told me then that this paper is never going to change it's unfair coverage.
Judging by the lead-up and aftermath of the May 6, 2008 NC primary where Clinton, Obama, and John McCain all visited the Triad on May 5 or 6, only Democrats Clinton and Obama received frontpage, color photographs and lengthy articles. McCain's visit to Wake Forest's Wait Chapel was barely mentioned, as that event coverage was buried on page 8 in the May 7 publication. I'm sure this leftist slant will continue until a Democrat is placed in the White House, and afterwards, as the News and Record promotes the "progressive" movement in local, state, and national affairs. And we all have witnessed what such "progress" has done to the once safe, liveable, vibrant city that Greensboro use to be.
Thomas Noell
Mayodan, NC
Posted on June 15, 2008 8:33 AM
Doug: Stories regarding Raleigh that don't make one of the section fronts appear inside the B-section of the paper. We also have a section of our online effort dedicated to Raleigh/State coverage: http://blog.news-record.com/staff/capblog/
Of course, I'm pretty sure you know that since you come by to comment at Capital Beat, as well.
Thomas: The example you cite sort of makes John's point. In the run-up to the May 6 primary, there were two candidates campaigning actively in North Carolina and in the Triad: Sens. Clinton and Obama. Because they were here and engaged in an active presidential campaign the results of which would be, in part, decided by North Carolina voters, they got ink.
Sen. McCain, by contrast, had claimed the title of "presumptive nominee" weeks before hand. His campaign made a decision to have his two North Carolina appearances be the night before and the day of a hotly contested election.
I will note that we went out of our way to cover the event (staffing it when most other NC papers let the AP cover) and spent the extra time and resources to land face time with him following his Wake Forrest appearance. We were the only North Carolina news outlet to do so that I know of, at least the only newspaper. We also provided audio of the conversation among McCain and the six reporters on his bus, which you can find at this link: http://tinyurl.com/3qldsl
Now you are free to argue that we should have given McCain more time and ink, despite the fact he wasn't in the state and wasn't in an actively contested election. I think most folks in the news business would disagree. And I would also say that had his campaign shown up on just about any other day on the calendar, he would have gotten A1 coverage out the ying-yang, simply because his appearance here in NC was such a rare thing.
Of course, I guess I've just opened myself up to being charged with acting "a bit sensitive" or something, but frankly I'm called worse on a fairly regular basis. So instead of being unproductive, let me make an offer: if you have story ideas and don't want to go to all the bother of joining up with the reader's panel, e-mail right to me at mbinker@news-record.com
Thanks.
Posted on June 15, 2008 10:59 AM
Just say NO to BO.
Posted on June 15, 2008 9:24 PM