2004-10-26-皮尤-The_Debate_Effect_26页_198kb

报告摘要

Summary of "The Debate Effect: How the Press Covered the Pivotal Period of the 2004 Presidential Campaign"

Core Content

This study, conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, analyzes the tone and framing of media coverage during the final two weeks of the 2004 U.S. Presidential Campaign, focusing on the impact of the debates on press narratives. The research includes data from newspapers, television, and the internet, with a special emphasis on the role of blogs and the overall shift in media behavior over time.

Main Findings

1. Tone of Coverage

Bush received significantly more negative coverage than Kerry during the debate period.
- 59% of Bush stories were clearly negative (at least two-to-one critical tone).
- Only 25% of Kerry stories were negative, and 34% were positive.
This is a mirror image of the 2000 election, where Gore received 56% negative coverage and 24% positive.
The overall tone of the media remained negative, with 38% of stories having a clear negative bias and 26% being positive.
Policy explanations were rare, with only 13% of stories focusing on candidates' policy proposals or their differences.

2. Framing of the Campaign

Political internals (tactics, strategy, candidate performance) dominated the coverage, accounting for 55% of all stories.
Debates were the most prominent theme, appearing in 40% of stories overall.
Domestic issues and battleground states were also major themes, each accounting for 11% and 12% respectively.
Iraq and terrorism were the most frequently discussed policy topics, each representing 9% of the coverage.

3. Impact on Voters

73% of stories were focused on how politicians were affected, rather than how citizens were impacted.
This is a decline from 27% in 2000, suggesting a shift away from voter-oriented reporting.
Only 8% of debate-related stories focused on the impact on American citizens, a drop from 16% in 2000.

4. Comparison of Candidates

Kerry received more positive coverage and less negative than Bush, even though the debates were more favorable to Kerry.
Bush stories were more likely to be framed as negative, with 68% of stories about him being negative, compared to 26% for Kerry.
Comparative stories (about both candidates) made up 56% of the coverage, with Kerry receiving 11% positive and 3% negative tone, while Bush received 5% positive and 12% negative.

5. Medium Differences

Newspapers were the most negative medium, with 46% of stories clearly negative, compared to 28% for network news and 30% for cable news.
Network news was the least negative toward Kerry, with 11% of stories being negative, while cable news was more positive toward Bush (30%).
Newspapers also showed a greater focus on political internals (43%) than policy (16%), while television focused more on political internals (73%) and candidate performance (12%).

6. Blogs and Media

Blogs, though not included in the overall totals, were similar to mainstream media in tone, coverage, and angle.
They did not represent a new form of citizen journalism but rather amplified the insider approach of the press.
Blogs were more one-sided than cable talk shows, reinforcing the trend of opinion-based reporting.

7. Debates as a Focus

The debates were central to the media narrative, with 79% of stories about them focusing on candidate performance and tactics, not policy.
Only 4% of debate stories explained policy differences, and 7% focused on veracity of the candidates' statements.
91% of debate stories were oriented toward politicians, not voters.

8. Shift in Media Behavior

Despite claims of changing political journalism, the study suggests that the focus on internal campaign dynamics has remained consistent.
The press has become more interpretative and judgmental, often acting as a conduit for negative campaigning.
The public is increasingly critical of media fairness, with a higher percentage of voters feeling coverage was unfair compared to 2000.

Key Takeaways

The media's focus on political internals has persisted over time.
Debates were highly politicized, with performance and strategy taking precedence over policy and citizen impact.
Newspapers were most negative, especially toward Bush, and less focused on policy than television.
Blogs reinforced the mainstream media's tendency toward opinion-driven and insider-focused reporting.
The public's perception of media bias has increased, while journalists continue to prioritize interpretative and tactical angles over citizen-oriented narratives.

Conclusion

The study highlights a persistent trend in political journalism: a focus on internal campaign dynamics and candidate performance over policy and voter impact. The debates played a central role in this, with the press emphasizing political tactics and performance rather than the candidates' policy positions. Despite the claims of media bias, the study suggests that the press remains largely interpretative, often reinforcing negative and performance-based narratives, even as citizen concerns are marginalized.