Election 2004: New Study Tracks Media Coverage of Character and Public Attitudes

A new study appearing Monday looks at how the character of the 2004 presidential candidates is being portrayed in the news media, campaign advertising, and late-night comedy shows, and compares these portrayals with poll data to learn how these sources are affecting voters' attitudes towards President Bush and Senator Kerry.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 12, 2004 -- If presidential campaigns are about questions of character and control of message, how is the press defining the character of the candidates this year? What are the character themes in the media coverage, the ads, and in late-night comedy shows? And how have the messages in these three mediums influenced public attitudes about the candidates?

"Character and the Campaign," an unusual new study by the Project for Excellence and Journalism and the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism, twinned with public opinion survey data from the Pew Research Center from the people and the press, will answer these questions.

The study tracked assertions about the candidates appearing in over 500 stories from network and cable news programs, newspapers, late-night talk shows, and weblogs. These findings were then compared with a poll of 1,806 people to learn how exposure to campaign news, political ads, and other sources is affecting public beliefs about the presidential candidates.

The study is being released under embargo until 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 12, 2004. It is for release in Monday a.m. papers in all editions.

Among the questions the study answers:

* What are the three major themes the press is projecting about President Bush?

* What are the major themes about John Kerry?

* Which candidate is doing a better job of rebutting attacks against him?

* Which themes are appearing in campaign ads?

* Which themes show up in the late-night comedy shows?

* Which of these messages are connecting with the public?

* What does this say about the future of the race?

The report will be available on the Project for Excellence in Journalism website, www.journalism.org , as of Monday 12:01 a.m., and includes charts, tables, and commentary by PEJ staff.

Four years ago, "A Question of Character," a similar study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, tracked assertions about Al Gore and George W. Bush appearing in the media during the 2000 presidential campaign.

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