More style than substance: Television news in U.S. national elections

1 July 1991

journal article
research article
Published by Taylor & Francis in Political Communication

Vol. 8 (3) , 145-161
https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.1991.9962916

Abstract

Although important changes have taken place in television news since its emergence as the principal medium of presidential politics, the broad tendencies that marked television news in the 1960s are the same ones that characterize it today. Election television has always been longer on style than on substance. Yet, television's version of presidential politics has consequences—it helps to determine winners and losers, major issues and minor issues, and public satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the campaign. Increasingly, journalistic values rather than political values have characterized election news and have molded the process by which Americans choose their presidents.

Keywords

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