2000-10-30-皮尤-The_Last_Lap_20页_303kb

Summary of 2000 Presidential Campaign Press Coverage Study

Executive Summary

This study analyzes press coverage during the final stages of the 2000 U.S. presidential campaign, focusing on the periods September 23-October 20, 2000. The research examines coverage across newspapers, television, and the Internet, highlighting key themes, tones, and impacts on voters. Findings reveal a predominantly negative and strategy-focused media landscape, with Al Gore receiving harsher treatment compared to George W. Bush. The study underscores gaps in policy coverage and varying influences based on media type, providing insights into campaign reporting during a critical election period. Further details cover methodology, including sample selection and coding procedures, ensuring data reliability.

Key Findings

• Coverage Tone:

  • Al Gore's coverage was more negative (56% negative tone), with less focus on citizens.
  • George W. Bush received twice as much positive coverage (24% positive tone) and content more directly linking to voters.
  • Over half of stories contained adverse tones, with negative coverage exceeding positive by a significant margin.

• Debate Analysis:

  • Debate coverage frequently emphasized performances (53%) and strategies (12%), rather than candidate differences in policy or character.
  • This framing mostly impacted Gore's candidacy disproportionately, with debates rarely connecting clearly to citizens.
  • Pre-and-post debate stories mostly ignored philosophical issues, contributing to voter perceptions of similarity between candidates.

• Issue Coverage:

  • Foreign policy and energy were well-represented, but health care and taxes received minimal coverage (combined 11%).
  • Health care coverage was predominantly negative, with Gore featured more often than Bush, potentially harming his standing.
  • Policy themes declined as debates progressed, reducing "race-focused" stories without increasing substantive issues.

• Media Differences:

  • Newspapers favorably connected coverage to citizens (32%), while television coverage was more balanced but less impactful on voters.
  • Internet stories were generally more negative and less neutral compared to traditional print and broadcast media, reflecting a partisan or targeted audience skew.

• Gore vs. Bush Imbalance:

  • Though similar coverage volume, Gore's more negative tone skewed story impacts, with Bush benefiting more from positive press angle.
  • Campaign strategize and battleground state issues dominated over 60% of stories, but lacked thorough policy analysis.

Methodology

• Sample Design: Monitored 17 media outlets (3 newspapers, 8 broadcasts, 5 Internet sites) over three seven-day periods.
• Coding Process: Used a standardized system to code themes, tone, and impact, with high intercoder reliability.
• Limitations: Includes only issues related to the four major candidates, ensuring media neutrality adjusted for debate text ratios.