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The Project for Excellence in Journalism

Lessons of the Election

So what did we learn about the news media from the election of 2008?

1. On the whole, the political press is becoming more passive and reactive than it once was. It operates, on balance, more as a conduit and enabler of the campaigns and less as a reporter uncovering unknown facts or asking independent questions.

3. The overriding bias of the political press coverage continues to be the focus on horse race, strategy and tactics

Everything else paled. In all, 13% of the coverage focused on policy. Another 7% looked at the candidates’ personal biography. Just 3% were framed around their public record. (And 6% of the newshole looked at the electorate and miscellaneous other matters.)

4. The 24-hour media abdicated a good deal of their newshole to spin doctors, surrogates and partisans.

Call it truth squadding, if you will, not just fact checking. But we think it is what citizens want, and where the press needs to aspire.