Election 2008 – In the Media

For my second blog and assignment this week, I was asked to to monitor three days of election coverage from a media source.  This source could have been a newspaper, twenty-four hour news station, or a news radio station.  Tiffany, my professor, asked us to look at the roles the media created in these different sources, based on the book, “The Press Effect,” written by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman.  I also have used Toulmin’s model to format my argument.

For my media source, I decided to use a newspaper.  I love reading the newspaper, whenever I can get my hands on one so I thought this would be a good source to cover.  I didn’t want to do a newspaper that everyone was familiar with, so I decided to use my local hometown newspaper, The Californian.  I read the online version of the paper, from Saturday, October 11, 2008 through Monday, October 13, 2008.  When I was back home, there were always a lot of stories on politics and the election, in the paper but it almost seems that the newspaper has lost interest in the election.

I believe that The Californian, did a terrible job of covering the election over the past three days.  There is serious need for improvement and more concern for this magnitude of this election.

The only articles I was able to find in this newspaper, the past three days, were letters written by others regarding the candidates or issues that had something to do with the election itself.  By only having letters that covered the election, The Californian was playing the “press as storyteller,” role.  The newspaper allowed others to tell their opinions and give there own stories on the candidates and the election in general.  On Saturday, October 11, for example, the main topic of the letters or articles was Sarah Palin.  Almost ever letter written was on how the Vice Presidential nominee was not qualified for the vice presidency or how she was just like one of us.  No where in the paper or letters did the words, Barack Obama or John McCain, come up.  On Sunday, October 12, the letters got a little bit better.  There continued to be comments against Sarah Palin and how unqualified she was, but also came in the remarks against John McCain.  Some letters stated how McCain will only continue President Bush’s presidency and how we need to “clean the mud off the White House.”  Other anti-McCain, Obama supporters, stated that both McCain and Palin were distorting the truth about Obama and not believe a word they were saying.  On the subject of Barack Obama, only two negative letters came from this day.  One letter stated, how Obama’s economic policy would hurt our economy even more and did not help the country at all.  The second letter questioned Obama’s influences.  The author of this letter questioned how the media was portraying Obama and wanted the media to expose his “radical past and abnormal attraction to extremists.”  They were worried about Obama’s hidden agenda for America.  On the final day of looking at my source, Monday, October 13, once again the main topic was Mrs. Sarah Palin herself.  Letters regarding how she was not ready, along with John McCain, to run the country.  One letter even described all the tactics the Republicans are using to get out of the low polls and position they are in.  The author asked the readers, “Are those the type of people we want running our country?”  One letter also asked the question, who is more uready, Obama or Palin?  The author encouraged voters to vote for the candidate that has more experience all together.  His answer, Sarah Palin, because of John McCain.  The final election related letter came from a author who just urged everyone to vote.  Put all of our differences aside and just get there and do what is right for the country.  All of these letters/articles seemed to be very well written and each had a very interesting points, opinions, and facts to back up those points.

Because my media source, The Californian, did not even have an article covering the election, over the past three days, I cannot give a very good answer regarding what step in Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman book “The Press Effect,” is the most effective.  From experience though, I can say that “press as custodian,” is the most important role.  It brings in the reader and allows them to feel like they know all the information, even if they have never heard that word or phrase before.  It provides and insight into the history of the topic and explores what that topic is about and relevant to.  It is the only role that engages the reader and keeps them wanted to read the article.

The media, newspaper, radio, television, plays a huge role in this election.  It is the way to communicate to the country and the world all the issues and things you should know about the candidate and the election itself.  I do wish that the newspaper I chose created a little more emphasis on the election, but as I looked at the major news stories happening in Southern California, the election was not as important, these past three days.  The media has played a huge role in my views of the candidates and even effected my opinions on certain issues.  It is a strong influence on everyone who uses some part of it in their daily lives.

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