APME National Credibility Roundtables Project
APME Roundtables Also Asks Readers: "What Can the Media do to Make Campaign Coverage More Personally Connected to You?"

January 23, 2004

Story by Phil Shook

Send Joe Schmoe on the campaign trail. Move political reporters from New York to Omaha. Expand letters-to-the-editor space. Ask more than 11,000 readers how to make presidential campaign coverage better connect with them, and you get plenty of suggestions.

"Like the reality series, pick a Joe Schmoe to go on the campaign trail to ask the kinds of questions we would ask on the campaign trail and keep a journal," suggests J. Michael Lenninger of Jacksonville, Fla.

See main story: APME ROUNDTABLES ASKS READERS IN 48 STATES ABOUT ELECTION COVERAGE Story>>

Editors got this suggestion and about 2,200 others when 35 news organizations worked with Associated Press Managing Editors National Credibility Roundtables Project to e-mail readers this question last week: "What, specifically, can the media do to make campaign coverage more personally connected to you?"

The newspapers and online news sites asking for the reader input have created e-mail reader advisory networks with the help of the Roundtables Project. The idea is to develop one more way for journalists and the public to talk to each other about news coverage and journalistic issues.

"How about a story following a hypothetical ten dollars of tax money," suggests LeeAnn Fleming of Denver, Colo. She says it is hard to judge how fiscal policies will work economically and practically with all the talking heads giving different opinions, but her approach would give a direct comparison.

The newspapers and online sites taking part included:

Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, Ariz.: The Bakersfield Californian, Bakersfield, Calif.: Greeley Tribune, Greeley, Colo.; Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Fla.; Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho; The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mason City Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa; The Manhattan Mercury, Manhattan, Kan.; The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.; Village Soup.com, Camden, Maine; Carroll County Times Westminster, Md.; Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, Hamilton-Wenham, Mass.; The Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Mich; Free Press, Mankato, Minn.; St. Cloud Times, St. Cloud, Minn.; The Missoulian, Missoula, Mont.; Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln, Neb.; Norfolk Daily News Norfolk, Neb.; Nashua Telegraph, Nashua, N.H.; Star-Gazette, Elmira, N.Y.; The Forum, Fargo, N.D.; Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio; The Vindicator, Youngstown, Ohio; The McAlester News-Capital and Democrat, McAlester, Okla.; The Bend Bulletin, Bend, Ore.; The Daily Astorian, Astoria, Ore.; The Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia, Pa.; The Observer-Reporter, Washington, Pa.; The Newport Daily News, Newport, R.I.; The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C.; The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.; The Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, Utah; The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.; The Post-Crescent, Appleton, Wis.; Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne, Wyo., and Newsdesk.org.
Judy Day of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., says the media will connect with her if they report good news not followed by a 'but.' Day says reports on news such as an upswing in the economy too often turn sour. "Why must there always be a 'but?' Can you not report good news as just that - good news?"

Having campaign reporters pack up and move west is one way they could better connect with him, says Carroll Kemp of Stanton, Neb. "Move out of New York City to Omaha, St. Louis, Denver or Salt Lake City," Kemp suggests. He also recommends: "Eliminate the subjective entertainment that is passed off as news today."

Greg Knowles of Tucson, Ariz., sees an expanded letters-to-the-editor page as a good approach. "Quadruple the amount of space allotted for letters to the editor," he suggests. "It's not enough to say X amount of letters were received. If ten letters say essentially the same thing, that's important for readers to know. Print five of them instead of one."

Melissa English of Cincinnati, Ohio, wants reporters to speak up for her when out on the campaign trial. "Ask my questions of the candidates. Be my surrogate. Ask the hard questions. Follow up," she says, adding that reporters should not be intimidated by the threat of losing access to candidates who don't like your line of questioning. "If more reporters would do this, you could use your power to steer debate toward the true interests of the people. That's the media at its best."

Mike Kohr, Princeton, Ill., says the media aren't aggressive enough for him. "Quit giving Bush a pass and ask hard questions," he says. "Edward R. Murrow would be embarrassed by the spineless character of national media."

"More issues, less horserace," would make Carter Camp of Rosebud, S.D., more connected to the campaign coverage.

Don Elliott of Midway, Utah, said the media are doing as well as can be expected in coverage of the campaign. The problem, he said, is with the candidates. "As long as politicians continue to talk around questions instead of answering them, we will never get a true picture of their real goals."

Most reader networks used for last week's questions to readers about presidential campaign coverage were established over the past year. Newspapers and news sites invited readers to join e-mail "reader advisory networks." Those who sign up receive occasional e-mail messages asking about news events or newspaper credibility issues.

APME'S National Credibility Roundtables Project is supported by a grant from The Ford Foundation.

-- Phil Shook is a freelance writer based in New York City who works with the APME National Credibility Roundtables project.

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