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 Networks
Largely Called Election Results with Caution,
but Differed on Ohio and Nevada
November
3, 2004
Television networks initially proceeded with
caution in reporting voting results on Election Night, but broke ranks late in
the evening over whether to call Ohio and Nevada.
By 12:40 am EST Wednesday,
Fox News Channel first projected President Bush had won the key battleground state
of Ohio, putting the president just one electoral vote away from winning a second
term.
About twenty minutes later, NBC joined Fox News in calling Ohio
for President Bush.
"This race is all but over," NBC anchor Tom Brokaw
said.
Even though
the networks all shared the same polling data, CBS, ABC, CNN and the Associated
Press held back from declaring a winner in Ohio.
Those same four news
organizations later proclaimed President Bush the winner in Nevada. Yet, NBC and
Fox would not; by their counts, Nevada would have made the president the decisive
victor of the election.
"Our judgment is that we will not be the arbiter,"
Brokaw told viewers early Wednesday. "There will be no declaration from us tonight
as long as the Kerry campaign is contesting in Ohio." --
The Online NewsHour
Networks
Vow Caution in Calling the 2004 Election
November
1, 2004
To avoid a repeat of the disastrous election
night coverage of 2000, news organizations are vowing to be more cautious on Tuesday
and have implemented several election night reforms.
This year, broadcast
and cable news outlets will use a new cooperative effort, the National Election
Pool, to help project races and will rely on other safeguards to lessen the chance
of making incorrect calls on Election Day.
Terence Smith discusses the
reporting difficulties of 2000 and how election night coverage will be different
this year with Linda Mason, vice president of CBS News who will be overseeing
CBS' Election Decision Desk, Bill Wheatley, vice president of NBC News and executive
in charge of NBC's election night coverage, and Mike Silverman, vice president
and managing editor of the Associated Press.
-- The NewsHour Experts
Question Impact of Newspaper Endorsements
October
26, 2004
With the election a week away, most of the nation's
newspapers are carrying on the long tradition of endorsing a candidate for president,
but experts are questioning the influence of newspaper endorsements when so many
voters get their news from the Internet or cable news channels.
-- The Online NewsHour
News
Organizations Work to Fact Check Candidates' Speeches and Ads
October
21, 2004
Amid the usual flurry of spin, counter-spin and
commentary of the 2004 campaign season, many news organizations have conducted
their own analysis to verify the accuracy of the candidates' statements and ads.
But, how well are news organizations vetting the ads and speeches? Also,
are the media holding both campaigns equally accountable for factual inaccuracies?
Media correspondent Terence Smith speaks with Michael Getler,
ombudsman of The Washington Post, Brooks Jackson, director of FactCheck.org, and
Jack Tapper, a Washington, D.C.-based correspondent for ABC News, about the benefits
and risks of fact-checking for the news consumer.
-- The NewsHour Sinclair
Backs Away from Plan to Air Anti-Kerry Documentary
October
20, 2004
Amid growing political, legal and financial pressure,
The Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. late Tuesday revised its plan to broadcast a
documentary critical of Sen. John Kerry's anti-Vietnam war activities. Instead,
Sinclair said it would air excerpts from the film as part of an hour-long program
scheduled for Friday. --
The Online NewsHour
Reporter
Fired for Criticizing Plans to Air Anti-Kerry Documentary
October
19, 2004
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. fired its Washington
bureau chief late Monday after the reporter publicly objected to the company's
plan to air a documentary attacking Sen. John Kerry's anti-Vietnam war activities
this week. --
The Online NewsHour
Media
Company to Preempt Primetime Programs to Air Film Critical of Senator Kerry
October
12, 2004
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., the largest independent
operator of TV stations in the country, has ordered all of its 62 affiliates to
preempt regular primetime programming next week to air a documentary that is harshly
critical of Sen. John Kerry's antiwar activities in the early 1970s.
Terence Smith discusses the controversy with Mark Hyman, the vice president of
Sinclair Broadcast Group who also delivers conservative commentaries on some of
Sinclair's stations, and Howard Wolfson, a senior adviser to the Democratic National
Committee. --
The NewsHour Politicians
Appear on Entertainment TV Programs to Reach Specific Voting Blocs
October
7, 2004
Terence Smith examines the melding of politics and entertainment in this election
season and its consequences. --
The NewsHour
First
Presidential Debate Draws Large Audience
October
5, 2004
Update:
The first presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Democratic
candidate Sen. John Kerry proved to be "must-see" TV for nearly 63 million viewers,
an increase of more than 26 percent from the first presidential debate in 2000.
--
The Online NewsHour
Post
Columnist Sparks Media Ethics Debate, Criticism
September
28, 2004
Update:
Washington Post veteran reporter and columnist David S. Broder's charge of a decline
in journalistic standards in covering both the presidential campaign and other
newsroom scandals has prompted a wave of negative reactions from media critics
and bloggers. --
The Online NewsHour CBS
Names Panel to Examine 60 Minutes Report
September
22, 2004
Update:
CBS News on Wednesday named Dick Thornburgh, former Pennsylvania governor and
U.S. attorney general, and Louis Boccardi, retired Associated Press president
and chief executive, to an independent panel to review the process by which the
60 Minutes report about President Bush's National Guard service was prepared for
broadcast. In
a statement, the network said: "The two-person review panel will commence its
work this week and will have full access and complete cooperation from CBS News
and CBS, as well as all of the resources necessary to complete the task."
The network said the findings will be made public. --
The Online NewsHour CBS
News Admits it Erred in 60 Minutes Report
September
20, 2004
CBS News on Monday announced that the network
could no longer vouch for the authenticity of the memos and that the source who
gave the documents to CBS -- Bill Burkett -- admitted to willfully deceiving CBS
News. In a statement, the network said it was misled over the origin and authenticity
of documents and expressed deep regret for using the documents in the 60 Minutes
report.
Margaret Warner speaks with media experts about CBS News' admission,
the network's apology and what the impact will be on CBS News. --
The NewsHour CBS
News Acknowledges Memos' Authenticity May Be Suspect
September
16, 2004
CBS News' 60 Minutes last Wednesday broadcast
a report by CBS anchorman Dan Rather that questioned President Bush's service
in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War era, relying in part on
newly discovered memos obtained by CBS.
Immediately, doubts about the
memos' authenticity were raised. CBS responded that it had consulted experts to
vouch for the documents, but other analysts debunked the documents and even some
of CBS's experts began to backtrack. Though CBS initially defended Rather's reporting,
the network has now begun to acknowledge the documents may be suspect.
Terence
Smith speaks with two media experts about the network's handling of the controversy
and what the fallout could be for CBS and other news organizations.
--
The NewsHour Campaign
Rhetoric Heats Up
Less Than 50 Days Before Election
September
15, 2004
Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.,
and President Bush are campaigning vigorously, delivering impassioned appeals
across the nation to reach new voters and broaden their support base.
But do these campaign speeches actually provide the public with accurate information
to make intelligent voting decisions?
Terence Smith speaks with Brooks
Jackson, director of FactCheck.org of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the
University of Pennsylvania, about the accuracy of the candidates' stump speeches.
--
The NewsHour Incongruous
Poll Figures Raise Concerns About Accurate Political News Coverage
September
14, 2004
The latest poll released Saturday by Newsweek
gave President Bush a 6 percent lead over Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Just days later,
a poll by Associated Press/Ipsos Public Affairs, showed the president well ahead
in the race to the White House, leading by 52 percent to Senator Kerry's 43 percent
among likely voters.
In light of the often confusing and disparate polling
data, experts discuss how the public should view these surveys and interpret news
reports that rely on polls in their campaign coverage.
-- The NewsHour Broadcast
Networks Draw Fire, Fewer Viewers for Conventions
September
7, 2004
Broadcast networks drew a lower audience than Fox News cable channel throughout
the Republican National Convention, prompting news executives and media critics
to reflect on network convention coverage and its impact on future campaign reporting.
-- The Online NewsHour Fox
News Channel Draws More Viewers than Broadcast Networks Tuesday Night
September
2, 2004
Terence Smith writes about Fox News cable channel's unprecedented score with viewers
for its GOP convention coverage Tuesday night.
--
The NewsHour
President
Bush's Poll Ratings Improve Over Recent Weeks
September
2, 2004
RealAudio: Terence Smith speaks with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research
Center, about the latest polls on the public's image of President Bush and why
the president's ratings have shown some improvement over the last few weeks. --
The NewsHour Broadcast
Networks Turn to Cable, Internet to Expand Convention Coverage
September
1, 2004
Terence Smith, reporting from the Republican National Convention in New York City,
describes how the "Big Three" networks are using cable and the Internet
to supplement their limited convention coverage on broadcast television. --
The NewsHour Vice
President Cheney Ranks Low on Favorability Rating Among Voters, Polls Say
September
1, 2004
Terence Smith speaks with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center,
about what recent polls indicate about Cheney's favorability rating among all
voters and from whom the vice president enjoys his strongest support. --
The NewsHour Voters
Fault President Bush for Unsatisfactory Economy, Study Says
August
31, 2004
A recent poll indicates that voters are largely dissatisfied with economic conditions,
despite new figures showing improved growth. The majority fault President Bush's
stewardship of the economy, according to the Pew Research Center survey released
this month. Terence Smith examines the political implications of the study and
how public perception of President Bush's handling of the economy could affect
the results of the 2004 election. --
The NewsHour
Pew
Research Survey: "Public
Faults Bush on Economy - 55 Percent Say Jobs Are Scarce" Media
Critics Debate Coverage of Swift Boat Ads
August
30, 2004
Terence Smith, reporting from the Republican National Convention in New York City,
questions whether the ads from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth merited the extensive
media coverage they received. --
The NewsHour
Pollster
Describes Profile of Republican Delegates
August
30, 2004
RealAudio: Who are the Republicans? What are the attitudes and demographics of
both the delegates inside Madison Square Garden this week and Republicans nationwide?
Terence Smith talks with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, about
the current and historical polling data providing a comprehensive picture of the
Republican party. --
The NewsHour President
Calls for End to '527' Campaign Ads
August
23, 2004
President Bush condemned campaign ads funded by ostensibly independent "527" groups
Monday, including recent television spots that attack Sen. John Kerry over his
Vietnam War record. Experts discuss the impact the ads are having on the presidential
campaign. --
The NewsHour
San Francisco Chronicle Reassigns Editor for Campaign Contributions
August
9, 2004
The San Francisco Chronicle has reassigned its letters editor to the sports copy
desk, two weeks after finding that campaign donations he made violated the paper's
conflict-of-interest policy.. --
Online NewsHour
News Consumers Follow Party Lines
August
3, 2004
A
recent Pew Center poll of Americans' news habits shows the stark electoral split
in the country has filtered into the habits of news consumers. Terence Smith looks
at the polls' numbers and how news consumers choices differ and why they choose
certain news sources over others.
--
The NewsHour Media
Notes from the Democratic National Convention
July
28, 2004
NewsHour media correspondent Terence Smith, reporting from the Democratic National
Convention in Boston, describes how the convention became a "watershed" moment
for bloggers. --
The NewsHour
Media
Shape Opinion of Candidates, According to New Study
July
15, 2004
How does the public shape its opinions of the presidential
candidates? Terence Smith speaks with Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project
for Excellence in Journalism, about the dominant images of the candidates at this
point in the campaign.
--
The NewsHour | |
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