IN THE PR ESS

Civic Journalism: Strengthening the Media's Ties With the Public

by Tom Mather

A growing number of newspapers and television voter-driven election coverage, rather than candi- stations-in North Carolina and across the coun- date-driven coverage." try-are trying a different approach to covering the The Observer's experiment seemingly flies in news. The new approach, called civic or public the face of typical journalistic practice. Tradition- journalism, seeks to stem growing disillusionment ally, newspaper editors and television producers with politics and the news media by focusing cover- have called the shots when deciding what news is fit age on the issues that concern people the most. to print or broadcast. That has led to a perception, Practitioners hope to present news in more appeal- among some readers, that an elite group of editors is ing ways, attract more readers and viewers, and telling the public, "You WILL read this!" better involve the public in the political process. In reality, public opinion has always been a But some critics warn that civic journalism may be factor in news coverage. After all, editors and pandering to the public's sometimes conflicting and reporters are people too, and they have friends, short-sighted desires. relatives, and neighbors among the general public. Ignoring public opinion also can be bad for busi- ness. Many people won't buy newspapers or watch TheCharlotte Observer turned to an unlikely TV shows that don't cover the news they consider source-the public-when seeking advice on important or that dwell too much on events they how to cover the 1992 election campaign. In a don't care about. groundbreaking media experiment, the paper polled Nevertheless, a growing number of journalists 1,000 Charlotte-area residents about what issues are concluding that they need to do a better job of they considered most important for political leaders listening to public concerns about news coverage. to address. The Observer then used those survey Many journalists also feel that they need to find new findings to guide its coverage of candidates running ways of attracting readers and viewers, presenting for the Governor's Office, the U.S. Senate, and the news in appealing ways, and involving the public in Presidency. the political process. Practitioners of this emerging For example, the paper used its findings to style of news coverage, labeled "civic" or "public" identify key concerns of local residents and to journalism, make use of several methods to better develop questions for its reporters to pose to engage the public: candidates. Since then, the Observer has used a Identifying what issues people consider similar approach to guide its coverage of the N.C. most important through opinion polls, interviews, General Assembly, local crime issues, and the 1994 and focus groups; elections. Placing more attention on the potential solu- "Our coverage has dramatically changed," says tions and remedies for problems discussed in news Rick Thames, the Observer's assistant managing coverage; editor. "More than anything, this is a change in the way we think about election coverage. It's really Tom Mather is Associate Editor of North Carolina Insight.

70 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT Clearly noting, when possible, how elected Reasons for Changing Media Coverage officials stand on the issues most important to voters; News media have been re-examining their coverage Regularly informing readers and viewers of issues for several reasons. One of the key con- how to contact their elected officials, vote in elec- cerns is the public's increasing disillusionment with tions, attend public meetings, and otherwise partici- the political process. As Jay Rosen, a professor at pate in the political process; New York University and one of the leading propo- Organizing public meetings, televised fo- nents of civic journalism, says: "Citizens are frus- rums, and other ways for people to discuss public trated with the political system. Public life is in an policies and the solutions to problems. advanced state of decay and journalism must do By themselves, these techniques are not revolu- something about it. And because public life is in tionary changes in news coverage. What's new trouble, journalism is in trouble."3 about civic journalism is the systematic use of such Rosen's contention is supported by growing methods in order to involve the public more in news public skepticism about the accuracy and veracity coverage and politics. of the news media. That trend is illustrated by polls "Civic journalism is a revulsion against the showing that the public's regard for journalists has usual election campaign coverage rituals of `horse declined steadily over the past decade. (See Figure race' polling, `sound-bite' reportage and television 1 below.) For example, 30 percent of the respon- attack ads," writes Neal R. Peirce, a nationally syn- dents to a 1981 Gallup poll rated newspaper report- dicated columnist.' "One could say the papers' and ers as having high or very high honesty and ethical stations' primary interest in civic journalism is to standards. By 1993, that number had declined to 22 attract readers and viewers.... But civic journal- percent. Similar declines have occurred in public ism is arguably more: an opening wedge of papers ratings of all journalists and television reporters. and broadcasters to `re-engineer' their operations (The silver lining in the Gallup findings is that and reinforce the focus they should always have- journalists have consistently ranked higher than the needs and concerns of all of us, not just as many other groups, including lawyers, business consumers but as participating citizens."2 executives, senators, congressmen, local and state

Figure 1. Public Ratings of Journalists ' Honesty and Ethics

40%

TV Newspeople

35%

30% All Journalists a

25%

Newspaper Reporters 20% 1981 1985 1990 1992 1993 Year of Survey Source: Gallup Poll

MARCH 1995 71 Figure 2. Newspaper Readership

80%

70%

60%

50%

40% 1967 72 75 77 78 82 63 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 Year of Survey Source: National Opinion Research Center

office-holders, and the perennial also-rans-car clined moderately among younger residents (those salesmen.) less than 30 years old) but has increased among Perhaps related to the declining esteem of jour- older residents (those more than 30 years old). nalists is a long-term decline in newspaper reader- "U.S. newspapers are not dying; they are com- ship. The proportion of adults who read newspapers mitting suicide," says Gene Cryer, editor of the Sun- every day dropped from 73 percent in 1967 to 50 Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "They are pro- percent in 1994, according to surveys conducted by duced by journalists for other journalists and/or the National Opinion their sources. They are, Research Center at the for the most part, irrel- University of Chicago. evant to most reader (See Figure2 above.) "Newspapers are keenly groups."5 A similar, although less aware of a younger Such trends dramatic, decline in have convincedCryer newspaper readership generation of non-readers and other journalists has occurred in North that does not care whether that the news media Carolina since 1979, it sees a newspaper in the need to change the way according to The Caro- morning or not, and they cover politics and lina Poll conducted by public policy. Instead the University of North newspapers are trying to of focusing on the latest Carolina at Chapel appeal to this generation political scandal or Hill.4 The Carolina by writing down to it." squabble, such critics Poll also found that the contend that the media - GARRISON KEILLOR percentage of people need to pay closer at- HUMORIST AND AUTHOR watching television tention to what the pub- news shows has de- lic wants from news

72 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT -continued from p. 73 "It is neither fashionable nor polite-let alone selves in these survey results. And too often, what's politically correct-to suggest that the vox populi been written or broadcast about an important issue may not be all it's cracked up to be," Rasky writes. and then partially digested by the public is either "But the dirty little truth that emerges in voters' wrong or misleading." `voices' is well known to political reporters, politi- With some issues, Morin says, media coverage cal scientists and above all to the politicians them- has had a substantial-and misleading influence selves: Citizens generally want very contradictory on public perceptions. "Consider the current spot- things from those who govern."16 light on crime, which ranks as the top concern of By focusing news coverage on popular percep- many voters," he says.13 "But that finding doesn't tions, Rasky says, journalists are abandoning a key quite square with reality: that the overall crime rate responsibility-to guide public discourse. One of actually is going down and that the violent crime the ways journalists exercise that responsibility, she rate-including the murder rate-is lower now than says, is by gathering and analyzing the views of it was a decade ago.14 There is strong evidence to academics, leaders, experts, and informed sources. suspect that the media have created the current Indeed, surveys and other studies have shown undifferentiated fears about crime by their often that public opinion often can differ widely from careless coverage of the issue." expert opinion." Such differences could support Such concerns have led political analyst Susan arguments against the wisdom of basing news cov- Rasky to describe civic journalism as a "perhaps erage on popular opinions. Some critics already well intentioned, but ultimately harebrained no- accuse the media of pandering to popular public tion."15 Using opinion polls to guide reporting, she interests by de-emphasizing political coverage at says, would result in news coverage that "amounts the expense of news about celebrities, sports, to an expanded version of letters to the editor." sensational crimes, and life styles.

Ad-Watch, continued Despite such findings, journalists say that ad-watches are here to stay because they add a needed dimension to political news coverage. "I But Do Ad -Watches Work? don't think we harbor any illusions that we are The question on many journalists' minds, how- countering the effect of the negative ads being ever, is: Do such ad-watches result in more analyzed," Denton says. "But, if nothing else, accurate political ads? The jury is still out on that this puts the politicians on notice that they're question. After the 1992 election, many cam- going to be held accountable for what they say in paign consultants said that ad-watches had af- their ads. Hopefully, the end result will be that fected their advertising strategies. "I think these politicians and their consultants are more respon- reality checks made our commercials less effec- sible about what they say about their opponents." tive," says Harold Kaplan, a consultant for the -Tom Mather 1992 Bush-Quayle campaign .4 Nevertheless, follow-up studies have shown that some television ad-watches have produced effects opposite their intended goals. That is, FOOTNOTES many viewers of TV ad-watches remember the 1See Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dirty Politics: Distrac- ads' negative messages, but not the critical analy- tion, Deception, and Democracy, Oxford University Press: ses. "The implication for my proposal was clear: New York, 1992, p. 50. 2 See Ferrel Guillory, "Candidates can't resistthe pull `to Ad-watches could amplify, rather than undercut, go negative,"' The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 6, the influence of deceptive advertising," Jamieson 1994, p. 16A. says. To prevent such misconceptions, Jamieson 3 See KathleenHall Jamieson, "Political Ads, the Press, and Lessons in Psychology," The Chronicle of Higher Edu- recommends that TV ad-watches run reduced- cation, Sept. 28, 1994,p. A56. size images of the ads in question and clearly 4Ibid. indicate mistakes or corrections.5 5lbid.

76 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT I KNOW MORE ABOUTTHE I'M INTERESTEDIN THINGS THEMEDIA WE 'ITIE PRNATEUVES OF CELEBRITIES THATARE NONEOF My AIMTO ECONOMY5\ WO THAN I Do ABOUTP BUSINESS,AND IM BORED PL05E, BE D15CUS5ED It) GOVERNMENTALPOLICY THAT By THINGS THAT ARE K CHEAP 9 WILLACTUAL`( AFFECT ME. IM4ORTANT MOTELRO095. TO KNOW.

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CALVIN AND HOBBES 01993 Watterson . Reprinted with permission of UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. All rights reserved.

Humorist and author Garrison Keillor is among do it," Meyer says. "I think it's a risk that newspa- those who have criticized newspapers for "dumbing pers ought to take because the loss of community is down" their news coverage. "Newspapers are such a frightening thing." keenly aware of a younger generation of non-read- Jay Rosen, the New York University professor, ers that does not care whether it sees a newspaper in says critics of civic journalism have exaggerated its the morning or not, and newspapers are trying to reliance on opinion polls. Polls, he says, are just appeal to this generation by writing down to it," part of a broader effort to involve citizens more in Keillor says. "In the mind of a not very bright 14- news coverage and public policy. "A lot of places year-old, the entire adult world consists of dolts and where public journalism is done best, polling isn't jerks and meanies, and that is how reporters tend to being done at all," Rosen says. "The point is for write about government these days."18 journalists to think about the ways they isolate them- Other critics of civic journalism worry about selves from citizens-and then try to overcome that. crossing the line between civic responsibility and ... The real thrust of public journalism is how to boosterism. Such critics say that reporters and help make public life work." editors could lose their objectivity by actively urg- Rosen and other proponents of civic journalism ing the public to vote, contact politicians, and be- appear to be gaining converts, particularly among come more involved in the political process. "I newspapers. In 1992, only a handful of newspapers know newspapers will tell you they are only going were using the civic journalism approach. By 1994, out to develop a civic culture, to get people in- dozens of newspapersacross the countrywere volved," says Howard Schneider, managing editor doing so. Editor & Publisher, a magazine that of Newsday in New York. "But inevitably, once a covers the news industry, analyzed the civic jour- newspaper gets identified as a particular advocate nalism trend in a recent editorial: "It is an idea that for a position, the dangers are self-evident. Once you lose your credibility and your ability to speak with authoritativeness, you're losing everything."" ... mhe dirty little truth More Newspapers and TV Stations that emerges in voters' Trying Civic Journalism `voices' is well known to Despite such concerns, some media observers cite political reporters , political civic journalism as the kind of approach that news- scientists and above all to papers and television news shows must try in order the politicians themselves: to attract more readers and viewers. Phil Meyer, a journalism professor at the University of North Citizens generally want Carolina at Chapel Hill, says civic journalism could very contradictory things stimulate citizens to become more involved in their from those who govern." communities and in the political process-thus - SUSAN RASKY boosting newspaper circulation in the long-run. POLITICAL ANALYST "There's some risk to it, but that's not a reason not to

MARCH 1995 77 is catching on and developing in many ways. It may sponsored a public forum on racism. The paper become a groundswell and sweep the country, in even published a pledge card urging readers to vow spite of the opposition of some traditionalists who to fight racism, drawing more than 22,000 re- believe trained journalists know better what a sponses 22 newspapershould contain than does the reading In Florida, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel public."20 conducted 130 group discussions with more than Here are some examples of newspapers and 1,400 readers on how to cover the news better. The television stations that have adopted civic journal- paper also assigned a senior editor whose full-time ism techniques: job is to talk with readers and "give them a voice in In Kansas, The Wichita Eagle used surveys what the paper does."23 and extensive interviews to identify problems that In Washington, the Spokane Spokesman- local governments seemed unable to solve, includ- Review encouraged public involvement in commu- ing faltering schools, crime, family tensions, and nity issues by sponsoring "Pizza Papers" meetings. health care. The paper analyzed the problems in The paper donated $15 worth of pizza to readers special reports, sponsored community forums in who volunteered to host neighborhood discussion which citizens could work on solutions, and used its groups on issues such as crime, traffic congestion, findings to guide coverage of local elections in and city-county consolidation 24 1991.11 In Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitu- In Ohio, the Akron Beacon-Journal exam- tion published a special voter's guide on the ined racial inequities in its community and then governor's race that included a score sheet for rank- ing the candidates on major issues. The paper printedcandidates' responses to voters'key con- cerns as identified in a statewide poll; it also co- sponsored with WSB-TV a town meeting in which As partof its civicjournalism project, voters, not reporters, questioned the candidates.25 The Charlotte Observer regularly Nationally, the CNN cable television net- prints graphics such as this showing work broadcast a series called "The People's readers how to contact or direct Agenda" that examined issues facing American vot- questions to candidates and public ers at the outset of the 1992 campaign season. The officials. reports, aired over two weeks in February 1992, sought "to present issues as voters see them, not as candidates perceive them."26

North Carolina: A Laboratory for Civic Journalism In 1992, The Charlotte Observer became one of the SHERIFF'SRACE'94 first newspapers-in North Carolina as well as the Doyou have a nation-to embrace civic journalism techniques. questionfor The paper's conversion is partly due to its affiliation BePublicanandBill KnedY with the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain, which has DemocratJim actively encouraged efforts to make news coverage Pendergraphs Mecklenburg more relevant to readers. "People with a sense of thecandidatesfor connection to the places they live are almost twice sherrff?570.0 1.Wel ask V4 as likely to be regular readers of our newspapers," fishus ffi .n.,s y; says Knight-Ridder Chairman James Batten, a sandBabas former executive editor of the Observer.27 Another catalyst for the change was the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a think tank in St. Pe- tersburg, Fla. In 1991, the institute was seeking a daily newspaper to participate in an experimental civic journalism project, patterned after The Wichita Eagle's groundbreaking coverage of its local elec- tions that year. Observer editors heard about the

78 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT the hartoUeObserver Metro Final(4) Sunday, January19, 1992 E

Thetop worries YOUR According VOTE #01,003 IN 92 Carolinians interviewed in an Observer/ WSOC-Tv Poll: TheEconomy/faxes 3r/. are very worriedthey or someoneIn their familywill lose ajob Crime/Drugs 67% strongly agreehandguns aretoo easy to get HealthCare 601%strongly GARYO'6RIEN/Stet( agree that Insurance woes: Diane Spargo, a Gastonia changes insurance carriers. "Everybody government widow with twins, Greg (top) and Brian, faces should be entitled to health care. It should not ahoud guarantee $800 monthly tees if her late husband's firm cost them the entire moneythat they get ..." medcal coverage Education73% t Peopledemand politicianshear them 73°! want more had triple bypass surgery. "I taxesspent to Sy DAVID PERLMUTT improve education And JIM MORRILL think we have to attack some starewaters f 1It's asense ofthings way to bring the medical costs TheEnvironment beingout of control... down and provideequal health your neighbors are care to all ... " 62wmorrineysperttto/. want more tax worried peopleare adjusting It's a chain reaction of fears. Worriedabout los- theirlifestyle to the fact If people lose jobs, they lose cleanthe Listen, ing their candidates, jobs, their health insurance. They tear los- environment healthinsurance and even the that they may not have a ing their homes and their chil- moral values that glue their jobnext week or down dren not living a prosperous life. amity/Community communities together. Perhaps, mostly, they fear losing 48% strongly agree Worriedthat taxes- and the theroad" their independence - and elected officials cost of a, decent life - will go dreams It's what Tom Smithof arcnot concerned up so much they won't be able - Rev. John Giuliani, pastor Rock Hill calls a fear of "back- of Divine Saviour Church in ward mobility" enoughwith to afford a home or send their children's needs children to college. York, S.C. The fearsare unavoidably And, as moreare touchedby intermingled the scourge of drug-related "Our whole economysystem Fullreport on the poll crime, they worry about simply "People don't know around and cultural value system are so going outside their home - or here from one day to the next thoroughlyaddicted to squan- Pages8-9A about someone breaking in. whether they have a job," Horn denng any kind of resource," NOTE: Ciltmnswere palled Dec As a new election year said. said Dave Payne of Charlotte. 13Jan. 6 inAnson , Cabana, unfolds, a Charlotte Observ- Or Mae Rose McMiller of "Whether it's the environment Catawba, Clavetand, Gaston, or the economy, the whole tradeli,Lmooin , Mecldenbura, er/WSOC-TVpoll of 1,003Caro- Gastoniaabout crime. Rowan, Stag( andUnion mantles linians found people are deeply "I'm afraid to walk out the thing movesby usingresources In NorthCarolina : andChester, troubled about the future And door," shesaid "You just don't as quicklyas possible." Lancaster andYork counties In nine out of 10 in the 14-county know what's going to happen For many, optimism has given SouthCarolina Charlotte region doubt their with people outside who are way to uneasiness. elected leaders are in touch using drugs We live in a danger- "It's a sense of things being with the powerful forces tearing ous and critical situation." out of control," said the Rev, INSIDE at their personallives. And Bob Mauldin Jr, of Lake John Giuliani, pastor of Divine They want their worries Wylie, S.C., about mounting Saviour Church in York, S.C. Readers reactto heard. They want them to medical bills. "People are adjusting their life- Observer'selection plans. become the priorities of politi- "I don't think anybodyshould style to the fact that they may EditorRich Oppel'scolumn/ cians. haveto go intofinancial ruin- not have a lob next week or page 2C Listen to Carol Horn of Ches- ation as a resultof havingto go down the road. People are very Pat Buchanan profiled/ ter, S C., on the falteringecon- to the hospital," said Mauldin, cautious about making commit- page 2A omy. who suffered a heart attack and ments "

its kicked publishing Observer project Iby The Charlotte journalism tsr key concerns civic localresi0en groundbreaking u the results of its poll showing MARCH 1995 79 electioncampaign' in the 1992 Poynter plan and offered to participate. written by local citizens or based on interviews with "Rich Oppel, our [former] editor, was very them. It invited readers to submit questions to be unhappy with the way news coverage had gone used by Observer reporters when interviewing can- during the 1988 elections," says Thames, the didates. It organized focus groups to evaluate read- Observer's assistant managing editor. "It seemed to ers' reactions to its news coverage. It ran articles focus on a lot of inconsequential issues, such as and graphics showing candidates' stands on issues flag-burning or who could be the most macho." the voters had identified as most important. It Observer editors also were disenchanted with the printed phone numbers and addresses where citi- media's focus on horse-race polling during the 1990 zens could contact candidates and elected officials. election, in which Republican Sen. Jesse Helms had It prominently featured information on how and defeated Democratic challenger Harvey Gantt- where citizens could register to vote. It sponsored even though polls had shown Gantt ahead during the forums where citizens, experts, and politicians could entire campaign.28 talk about issues and solutions to problems. The Observer and the Poynter Institute agreed Along with its efforts to involve the public, the on several goals for their joint project:29 Observer also changed the way its reporters and To let the voters, not the candidates, estab- editors covered the election campaign. It focused its lish the key issues in the 1992 election campaign. news articles on issues, rather than on campaign To focus news coverage on issues and the strategies and political spats. It downplayed its solutions to problems, while forcing candidates to coverage of campaign polls. It published regular deal with voters' concerns. "ad-watches" that examined the accuracy of politi- To de-emphasize coverage of horse-race cal advertisements. (See the related article, "Ad- polling, inside politics, and political posturing. Watches: Seeking Truth in TV Political Advertis- To forge a partnership with a broadcast com- ing," on pp. 74-76.) "We didn't ignore the horse- petitor, WSOC-TV, in order to reach a broader race polls and inside politics," Thames says. "We audience. just reserved most of our space on page IA for in- To expand the use of innovative graphics in depth reporting on the issues. Other papers were order to make news coverage more accessible and stripping stories on page 1A that ended up as briefs appealing to readers. inside our paper." The first step in the project was to survey 1,003 residents in the Observer's core readership area, encompassing 14 counties in the Charlotte region. Does Civic Journalism Make a "We began with a baseline poll, in which we tried to Difference? establish what the voters thought this election was Ferrel Guillory, associate editor of The News & about," Thames says. "We wanted to test the waters Observer in Raleigh, compliments the Charlotte before they were disturbed." That poll identified six newspaper for its coverage of the 1992 election. But core issues of concern to local citizens: the economy Guillory says that many elements of civic journal- and taxes, crime and drugs, health care, education, ism-such as paying close attention to public con- the environment, and family and community con- cerns, reporting candidates' stances on issues, and cerns. (See excerpt on p. 79.) informing readers how to participate in the political "This was not exactly a surprising agenda; a lot process-are techniques that always have been con- of things you would expect were there," Thames sidered good journalism. "One of the things I do says. "What did surprise us is that we didn't realize like about civic journalism is that it's more focused to what an extent the economy would be an issue. on solutions," he says. "Newspapers do need to The poll helped us realize early on that the economy become more focused on solutions, not just on prob- would probably dominate the election-if voters lems and criticisms." had their way.... We did three polls during the Nevertheless, Guillory questions whether the campaign. So, we did retest it. Interestingly Observer covered the 1992 campaign better than enough, in this campaign, the key issues were fairly other newspapers in the state that used more con- stable." ventional reporting techniques. "The bottom line is, The Observer's involvement with citizens `Were the readers of The Charlotte Observer any didn't end with its surveys. It sought public input on better served?"' he asks. "Did the people learn any issues by regularly publishing phone numbers that more about the politics of the state or the candidates readers could call to voice their opinions with news- they covered? ... Did they learn more than the paper reporters and editors. It published columns readers of other newspapers learned?"

80 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT •- THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Sunday, July 17, 1994 13A Seversllaflenee ds your help. differencea our city is in n Seversvilles curb violen c struggle.e, must If you, cron fryouront itbusiness, neighborhood church, by civic neighborhood. organization Here or are specific need s , big an d sm all,a that res identsid believe could make a significant

neighborhood want to help with any of the Items listed below, call this number: 335 - 1697 HOUSING CHOLDREN

Sesersulllahas sane of the tlly's most dlapldeted housing Later Mis ia1IM Ch ParMersh p will renovallng20nhousses in the nal Tha Pelpsra hieo purchesetltheyby sellinln 'In t and hopesto help ro Hob thcanms unltybymNvplon to Me houses homeowners Habitat for Hu anssu cornball three rehouses In Sevasesrwl Tha n lion uome duiieOblabor and donetad supplies imhol lx 1-111a buildmalt own homes. DONATIONSNEEDED The Houal Perlnershlpneeds motorlolstotrenovate IMUChancWo ourpetMappliences carpontmatertes. wlndoweend doors, bricksand betnrooms and Orges. • Hebaet for HununOy needs businessesand organlzailone to sponsorhouses planned for Soverevlto

Workers Ir.m the Chertotte-Mecklenburg Houoing Part- nership board up homes to protect against vandalism on KatonahAvenue Severmviaehas no pugblolvoparks, no recreelloncantor end elerosl n0 orgoobed acryNM,es for childrenIlk. 2yeargW Ronald Mahn residents (argue doneso,) ethvltlaslIn the nor hborhood (WithI Xle t0 de, saneitel hborerhoodkids tubold ecreatin Department able. yet offered VOLUNTEERSNEEDED say.The communityle Vy1ngro and ways to entertdn ens etlucete rtechlltlren , But n needs heNP guns and other trouble, The HousingPaMorsh ,p needs volunteersto handle Ioedesoping, demolitionand other work did to its renovationof TenAfrkamAmedcan men to mentorSevernllle houses. DONATIONSNEEDED • IIm eds volunteersto host workshopson A building and eponsodeg agar y to help WV (A ater-echod ggFp.=; that prpro0100videsrsrob eredelefa bkckme aneaMSroTho-P home Improvementsand tlecoresngfor the new program onerbg turertrg end organra9daCJtlNes. (A similer group needs more churn., to join their ettoR ohuroh-nth progrem dsbantlad earaerthl6 year. NeerhyBmns Mt will road volunteersto help bulk) the three houses. Avenue Elementary Scholl has agreed to edoesaepl Severmvllle Volunteersto help the Meddenburrgg County Perk Bob Plumbing, heatng, masonryand 0lectrkel wont Is needed. .hlldren Into Xs aherschool program, bm ft not over tutoring ) Recreation pDaepp9artrnontbegin operatingprograms for Also needed la the progremi nna,. school supplies antl books on Savorwil.. hlklren. black history and other Subjects. VOLUNTEERSNEEDED GOODSand SERVICES NEEDED Uniformsfor the'Sevorsvllle StepOere; a groupof n Othersand vehkhs to Venspod Children onXOd MW and to Savorsvilleglde-ages 4 through12 - who recentlybegon JOBS reoreatlon center outside Ufa neighborhood. a drifttoe.. At hostfour adult volunteers to help1Cod Scold troop Transportationa nd how MM0g10 provideseveral Seversvllio rn t5 ruittyroen. =will pwill meat in Me childrena weokond beach Idp' hit summer SevormWlleresidenle sa yy ballot-peyyiIng jobs wosid hold 0 Sohdarhipator dscourege young peeps from fuming to the d.g Iretle. Clry At least five aduir leAcore to help awn a Boy Smut troop In tl countyonidsla sa brey have swills reng0et Savaravlilo. Memnon wellbo at Me SevOBYilleApartmonis Complimentarytickets I'M" to movies, Ilpl* the zoo and other ptrtreinmg progrenre.butIfe hard for reeldenle IMrg on the -unity room. anrectlons. edge olpovemy to slickwith Ou progrem5, someof whloh Sle an to volunteer eb Big Brothere to slz boys, ages take up to Ihree year to Complete. 0 A mobilebasketball goal for use throughoutthe 7 to 15. Afrkan-Amorkan men are especially needed neighborhood. VOLUNTEERSNEEDED The Rev. RotoyGaston Is seoHng YohrM. erm to help him organize era opareta a lobs funk for the community at ClintonChapetAME Zion Church ControlPPledmontCanmunyher ito Sev UNI NEEDS Collage vs. teer arosefore rg mdell nod area silents IOOmEoak Oaugonce aredfob skills Classes are taughtat JohnsonC . Smith UnNersrtyera the ABLE Severevllie rasWanta are Merkin9together to meet their neIghboM=Ods needs . Thoym organizing a nolghbmhood crime watch . And they're Center at 3607 Be..as lord Rd. tryingto reuu0 new membersto the nalghhomoodcommunity assodatlon. OTHERHELP NEEDED HELPNEEDED B Lood banks can holy pv conidbutingbans and/or II- m The nelghhodvooa mods hntl and money fore community maid have Se0Peisllle theI nts on Merl wageg Mete, Volunaew wlih creditto the NoMweet CortWOrCommunity DavelopmeM eerierwhere 0oouN meat end Mlkren WUW play The is Corp. an organlzatlonthat mks to boostpmnomk theirbused own Vansoodeaat are needed to daihrermeats et lunch and nonprofit Northwest Corridor Community Devgnt Corp. hag on weekends. TreeMecklonbu CountyServer Nutnton Program egead to oversee a fund lortlonatrons and Is wl Iing to help build Seve% Iran`ThIo erporagohnaaloewool news. oop nomgg or center leoahngbusinesses to considercoming io ilia West Tredo operatese5if a CZion arch. Plays Slreei/Boatlies Ford Rood c0Mdor Focus on Leedershlp a nonpeontprogram to enhance Ieader,h sHw fu nedigohborhood leaders, will reserve spew for up ThereIs nothin g now to mart Seversvillefor visitorsand to throe eravlllereakente at its ruzt cedes of semMets. passersWW Tolnsdl communityodds, roardentswould like to obtain Donationsare needed to cover the $W per-pomn coat signs andplsce them at entrancesto the neighborhood,

In its " Taking Back Our Neighborhoods " project, The Charlotte Observer has gone beyond reporting the news by showing readers how to get involved in solving community problems, such as crime and violence. MARCH 1995 81 The answer to those questions is `Yes,' r9 ISSU according to two separate studies. After the 1992 election, the Poynter Institute commis- Howto fight poverty sioned a content analysis which showed that This is the latest in a series of questions on issues in the The Charlotte Observer substantially 2nd and 4th congressional district races. Answers are based on interviews with the candidates in the Nov. 8 election. changed its news coverage. Compared to Thereare millions of NorthCarolinians who live in the 1988 campaign, the Observer published poverty.What should be the federal government 's rolein 58 percent more news coverage about the Q • helpingpeople climb out of poverty? 1992 election. That coverage included nearly three times more text about issues, 2Nl?CQNGRESSIONA DISTRICT DEMOCRAT 25 times more text about voter informa- REPUBLICAN RichardMoore tion, and only one-fifth as much text about David "One of the candidate polling Funderburk biggest things "I think it's the federal The Charlotte Observer also covered government's government the issues more thoroughly during the role to try to can do is mak- provide ing sure the 1992 campaign than other major newspa- opportunities working poor for people to pays as few pers in North Carolina, according to an educate taxes as possible. As someone independent content analysis by Phil themselves and be trained who lives in a very poor part Carolina, Meyer, the UNC-CH journalism profes- so they are better equipped of North who to get a job and to be friends and neighbors sor.31 In a study of 13 daily newspapers, employed. A lot of this the husband and wife work offered by the govern- extremely hard, long hours, Meyer found that the Observer devoted just barely ment in termsof job training the most space on its front page to cover- programsand in termsof nndends they oremeet. They should k commun ity be rewarded by the federal age of policy issues (25 percent)- so forth. I don't and government for their work nearly double the average (13 percent). think it's the government's instead of comparing them- job to simply extend grants selvesto another neighbor The Observer also devoted the least of money to everybody who who may not work at all and presently is in poverty to has roughly the some lifestyle. `I amount of space to coverage of horse- move them into what is not "I think that is something the race polls (2 percent)-less than half categorized as poverty. federal government has got to "It's not the government's focuson - from an earned the average (5 percent). duty to solve all domestic income tax credit to expand problems in this country." ing it even more.than it was "In sum, the editors in Charlotte expanded last year." were right to abandon journalistic pas- .4Tli,CONGRESS10 AL f)1STRICT, sivity to the extent that they resolved to DEMOCRAT follow through on their reporting, in- REPUBLICAN DavidPrice cluding polling on policy issues, and Fred "The best Heineman poverty pro- convene citizens' groups and promote "I think the gram is an action," Meyer says. "But their rejec- federal gov- I expanding ernment, as economy, the tion of traditional horse race polling well as state kind of eco- may work against them by depriving government, nomic growth or govern- and develop- the audience of one sure-fire genera- ment itself, ment we've seen in the last tor of excitement and interest."32 should make a target of cut- year, since the five-year ting costs by cutting fraud. budget plan was put in Poynter researchers also assert "I think we should raise the place. that the Observer's coverage stimu- dropout age to 18. I'd want In my opinion the prob- to keep people in school lem with welfare is not just lated more voters to participate in the until 18, hold the family that we're spending a lot of responsible and the kid money without really mov- 1992 election, but that result is de- responsible. At 16, we ing people forward, but batable. "We're convinced it did," should give them an option we're also spending it, of going to trade school. The probably, in the wrong federal government would ways. We ought to be probably have to assist in investing more in education funding these trade schools. and training programsand Other newspapers, such as We have rules that keep job placement efforts. fathers out of housing devel- "We ou ht to be making a The News & Observer of opments. We need them greater ;art at child-support Raleigh, also are using civic back there, with the families, enforcement." being responsible. I don't journalism techniques, such thin k we re g oingto save much money in welfare, and as this graphic analyzing the I don't think that should real- views of Congressional ly be our aim - Compiled by staff writers ROB CHRISTENSENand MARY E. MILLER candidates in the 1994 election.

82 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT says Edward Miller of the Poynter Institute. "Voter cally to zero," he says. "We got a lot of calls and turnout in Mecklenburg County (metro Charlotte) letters saying, `We do appreciate your emphasis on was spectacular-up 32 percent (59,000 voters) the issues."' over the previous record."33 But aren't newspapers supposed to rile people Miller's claim isn't fully supported by records up? "Sometimes you need to do that," Thames says. from the State Board of Elections. Total turnout in "On the other hand, you can't afford to hide behind Mecklenburg County in the 1992 presidential elec- that. Maybe we ought to do a better job of listening tion was up 27.7 percent (49,567 voters) from the and determining how we might better do our jobs." 1988 election, according to state records. That was Meanwhile, the Observer's editors were so better than the statewide voter turnout, which was pleased with their 1992 election coverage that they up 22.4 percent from 1988 to 1992. But Mecklen- have expanded their use of civic journalism tech- burg's turnout did not increase as much as some niques. In 1993, they used surveys and focus groups other counties. For instance, voter turnout in Wake to identify the public's key concerns among the County was up 44.6 percent from 1988 to 1992. issues facing the N.C. General Assembly. And in Looked at another way, 70.0 percent of Mecklen- 1994, the paper began a series of reports focusing on burg County's registered voters participated in 1992 crime-one of the key concerns identified in their election, compared with 68.4 percent of the regis- polls and interviews-while trying to organize local tered voters statewide and 74.6 percent of the regis- solutions to the problem.34 (See p. 81.) tered voters in Wake County. Civic journalism also is catching on at other An unexpected result of the Observer's civic North Carolina newspapers-even at papers like journalism project, Thames says, is that the paper The News & Observer, that are wary of using opin- got a lot fewer criticisms from readers about its ion polls to dictate coverage. The Raleigh paper has coverage during the 1992 campaign than it did in the run regular ad-watches examining candidates' TV 1990 race. "In 1992, the criticisms dropped practi- -continues on page 86

Newspapers Track Campaign Contributions

egative advertising and the news media showing the amount and sources of campaign N aren't the only culprits blamed for increas- contributions; and (2) the increasing availability ing public disillusionment with the political pro- of computers to compile, sort, and analyze those cess. Many observers say the current cynicism records. and apathy dates back to the Watergate scandal "Before we had the campaign finance laws, that tumbled the presidency of Richard M. Nixon we weren't likely to ever find out who the con- in 1974. tributors were to political campaigns," says Van Now, some North Carolina newspapers are Denton, an editor for The News & Observer. using one of the key Watergate-inspired re- "Now, with the computer, we've got a tool that forms-federal and state laws requiring the dis- allows us to analyze contributions. We finally closure of campaign contributions-to improve have a way to look at the role of money in their political coverage.' The Charlotte Observer politics. It can be done now, whereas before it has used campaign finance reports to compile 10 was almost an impossible job." years of data on contributions collected by state legislators. In Raleigh, The News & Observer has used such information to track campaign The Role of Campaign Finance Laws contributions to candidates for all statewide po- Current federal and state campaign finance laws litical offices, including the Governor's office, are an outgrowth of the Watergate scandal. In- legislative leadership posts, Council of State po- vestigations by Congress and the news media sitions, and Congressional seats. revealed that wealthy donors had contributed Such analyses have been made possible by millions of dollars under questionable circum- two factors: (1) the existence of public records -continues

MARCH 1995 83 Newspapers , continued 3 See John Aldrich , et al., American Government, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass., pp. 241-243. 4N.C.G.S.163-278.6 to 163-278.40E. 5N.C.G.S. 163-278.9A. quirements by gathering together large numbers 6In 1990, the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research of individual contributions-each of which is recommended that the occupations of donors to candidates be less than $100 and thus not required to be re- included in the state's campaign disclosure requirements. See Kebschull, et al., note 1 above, pp. 46-49. The state ported. "There are ways to get around the law," Senate passed a bill (S.B. 1563) in 1994 that would have Morrill says. "If they don't put down names, you required candidates to list each contributor's occupation, just don't know." place of employment, and business mailing addresson cam- -Tom Mather paign finance reports, but the House did not pass the legisla- tion. 'The Charlotte Observer has published special reports on campaign finances every two years since 1985. The authors,titles , and dates of lead articles are: Ken Eudy, "In FOOTNOTES N.C. Legislative Campaigns, Money Speaks With Author- ' See Kim Kebschull, MarianneKersey, and Ran Coble, ity," June 16-20, 1985, p. 1A; Jim Morrill and Tim Funk, Campaign Disclosure Laws: An Analysis of Campaign Fi- "Interest Groups Cast Big Money Shadow," April 5, 1987, p. nance Disclosure in North Carolina and a Comparison of SO IA; Jim Morrill, "Lobbyists Escalate Arms Race," April 9, State Campaign Reporting Laws, North Carolina Center for 1989, p. 1A; Jim Morrill, "Contributions Pave Way for Public Policy Research, 1990, pp. 3-13. Also see Ann Access to Legislators," May 5, 1991, p. 1A; and Jim Morrill McColl and Lori Ann Harris, Public Financing of State and Ted Mellnik, "Price of Power," June 13, 1993, p. IA. Political Campaigns: How Well Does It Work?, North Caro- 8 Also see Kim Kebschull Otten and Tom Mather, The lina Center for Public Policy Research, 1990, 79 pp. Cost of Running for the North Carolina Legislature, North 22 U.S.C. 431 (1982 and 1988). Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, 1993, 84 pp.

-continued from page 83 going on that people don't always know about. We ads. It has published a number of graphics focusing still have to use the traditional tools of journalists." on candidates' stances on particular issues. (See Editors at The Charlotte Observer agree that it example on p. 82.) And, in special reports, it often would be a mistake to base news coverage solely on tells readers how to contact reporters, editors, and polls and other ways of gauging public opinion. public officials-by telephone and computer They say they haven't abandoned traditional report- networks. ing techniques , such as interviewing experts, exam- "You can call that civic journalism or not," ining government records, and relying on gut in- Guillory says. "We just call it good journalism. stincts. But they say civic journalism techniques Civic journalism has some strengths, but it is not have helped them cover the news better, while in- some magic potion. Traditional journalism has its volving their readers more in the political process. strengths, but periodically it needs to be re-as- "If this approach were taken to its extreme, it sessed." would be wrong," Thames says . "We didn't throw The News & Observer also is trying to become our instincts out. That would be foolish .... The more responsive to its readers. For example, prior to problem is that journalists have done a bad job the legislature's special crime session in early 1994, covering the minimal amount needed for voters to the paper organized a focus group to find out citi- make decisions . I believe that the people who read zens' primary concerns. The paper also has ex- our newspaper , when they went to the ballot box on panded its opinion polls to include more frequent election day, knew what they needed to know. and comprehensive assessments of the public's That's what I'm most proud of." "- views on issues. But editors are quick to emphasize that The News & Observer is not using opinion polls to set the agenda for its news coverage. FOOTNOTES "You've got to be in touch with your commu- ' See Neal R. Peirce, "Civic journalism's `extraextra,"' The nity," says Mike Yopp, the paper's deputy manag- Neivs& Observer, Raleigh, N.C., June 26, 1994, p. 16A. '-For furtherdiscussion of changingtrends in news coverage, ing editor. "But you can't just let that dictate your see FerrelGuillory, "Customers or Citizens? The Redefiningof coverage, because obviously there are some things Newspaper Readers, " and related articles , North Carolina In-

86 NORTH CAROLINA INSIGHT sight, Vol. 12, No. 4 (September 1990), pp. 30-38. Also see Ellen See Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports Hume and John Ellis, "Campaign Lessons for '92," Conference for the United States, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, Summary, Barone Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. D.C., 1992, p. 58. Hume and Ellis list a number of suggestions for improving press 15See Susan Rasky, "Voice of the Voter," California Journal, coverage of politics, including: avoiding "manufactured news"; Vol. 25, No. 5 (May 1994), p. 15. curtailing coverage of horse-race polls and inside campaign strat- 6 Ibid. egies; and reassigning senior reporters from covering day-to-day " Consider the results of two separate surveys aimed at deter- campaigning to doing more in-depth examinations of issues and mining the most important public issues in July 1992, during the fact-checking. last presidential campaign. A poll by the Public Agenda Founda- 3 As quoted in M.L. Stein, "A Catalyst For Public Aware- tion asked some 500 leaders in government, academia, business, ness?" Editor & Publisher, Oct. 15, 1994, p. 11. criminal justice, religion, and the media to rank 20 issues on their ' See Thad Beyle, "`The Age of Indifference' and the Media relative importance. By contrast, a Gallup poll asked 755 regis- in North Carolina," North Carolina DataNet, Issue No. 3 tered voters nationwide to rank 16 issues on their importance. (December 1993), pp. 4-5. The Carolina Poll is conducted Although both polls ranked education, the federal budget deficit, jointly by the UNC-CH School of Journalism and the Institute and crime in the top five, there were notable differences with for Research in Social Science. The poll found that, between regard to other issues. The experts' poll ranked health care as the 1979 and 1990, the percentage of people who read newspapers third most important issue, while the voters' poll ranked it sev- at least 6 days a week declined from 35 percent to 30 percent enth. Likewise, the voters ranked the economy first and unem- among younger residents (those less than 30 years old) and from ployment fifth, while experts ranked those issues eighth and 60 percent to 56 percent among older residents (those more than tenth, respectively. 30 years old). During the same period, the poll found that the "See Garrison Keillor, "Shallow news, sorehead nation," percentage of people who watch television news at least 6 days The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 25,1994, p. 7A. (The a week declined from 34 percent to 28 percent among younger article was reprinted from The New York Times.) residents but increased from 50 percent to 60 percent among 19See Alicia C. Shephard, "The Gospel of Public Journal- olderresidents. ism," American Journalism Review, September 1994, pp. 28-34. 5 As quoted in William B. Ketter, "Market-Driven Editorial 20See "Public journalism," Editor & Publisher, Oct. 15, Content-How Viable?" Editor & Publisher, Oct. 15, 1994, p. 13. 1994, p. 6. 6lbid. 21See Peirce, note 1 above. Also see Michael Hoyt, "The 7 See Arthur Charity, "What Readers Want: A Vote for a Wichita Experiment," Columbia Journalism Review, July/Au- Very Different Model," Columbia Journalism Review, Novem- gust 1992, pp. 43-47. ber/December 1993, pp. 45-47. 22 See David E. Brown, "Public journalism: Rebuilding com- 8 See Penny Pagano, "Public Perspectives on the Press," munities through media," Philanthropy Journal of North Caro- American Journalism Review, December 1993, pp. 39-46. lina, Vol. 1, Issue 11 (July-August 1994), pp. 1 and 11. 9 From CBS News polls, as reported in "National Barom- 23See Ketter, note 5 above, p. 40. eter," The Polling Report, Jan. 24, 1994, p. 8. 24See Stein, note 3 above, p. 41. 10From an ABC NewslWashington Post survey as reported in 25See Charles Walston, "Tell Us The Truth," The Atlanta "National Barometer," The Polling Report, July 18, 1994, p. 8. Journal-Constitution, Oct. 16, 1994, pp. R1-7. " From a Harris Poll, as reported in "National Barometer," 26From a CNN news release titled "The People's Agenda," The Polling Report, June 13, 1994, p. 8. (undated), Turner Broadcasting System, Atlanta, Ga.

122See Richard Morin, "Newspapers ask their readers what's 27See Hoyt, note 21 above, p. 45. important," The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C., June 16, 28For a look at the accuracy of political polls, see Paul 1994, p. 13A. Luebke, "Newspaper Coverage of the 1986 Senate Race: Re- 13lbid. porting the Issues or the Horse Race?" North Carolina Insight, 14Federal crime statistics can be used to argue that crime rates Vol. 9, No. 3 (March 1987), pp. 92-95. Also see Adam have gone up and down; such discrepancies are largely due to Hochberg, "Polls Shed Light on Outcomes of Political Races in differences in the way data are collected. For instance, the U.S. North Carolina's 1992 Elections," North Carolina Insight, Vol. Bureau of Justice Statistics compiles its National Crime Survey 15, No. 1 (January 1994), pp. 48-61. 29 based on incidents reported by citizens in polls. That survey For a description of The Charlotte Observer's 1992 civic shows that total crime has declined substantially over the past two journalism project, see Edward D. Miller, "The Charlotte decades, while violent crime has dropped slightly. For instance, Project: Helping citizens take back democracy," Poynter Insti- the rate of total crime per 1,000 people declined from 124 in 1973 tute for Media Studies, St. Peterburg, Fla., 1994, 93 pp. to 92 in 1991. During that same period, the rate of violent crime 31Ibid., pp. 65-66. per 1,000 people dropped from 33 to 31. See U.S. Bureau of the 31 See Philip Meyer, "The Media Reformation: Giving the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States (113th edition), Agenda Back to the People," pp. 89-108, in The Elections of Washington, D.C., 1993, p. 196. 1992, edited by Michael Nelson, CQ Press: Washington, D.C., However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has reached 1993. a different conclusion through its Uniform Crime Reporting 322Ibid.,p. 105. Program, which is based on reports filed by law enforcement 33See Miller, note 29 above, p. 72. For further discussion of agencies. The FBI data show that total crime and violent crime issues related to voter turnout, see Jack Betts, "Voting in North have increased markedly over the past two decades. For ex- Carolina: Can We Make It Easier?" and related articles, North ample, the rate of total crime per 100,000 people increased from Carolina Insight, Vol. 13, No. 2 (June 1991), pp. 20-53. 4,154 in 1973 to 5,660 in 1992. During the same period, the rate 34 See Liz Chandler, "Taking back our neighborhoods," The of violent crime per 100,000 people increased from 417 to 758. Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C., July 17, 1994, p. IA.

MARCH 1995 87 coverage. "All the editors have to do is listen to Civic Journalism Not Without their readers," Cryer says. "Not talk. Listen. And Its Critics keep listening."6 Another journalist, Arthur Charity, expressed a There are drawbacks, however, with some of the similar view in Columbia Journalism Review: techniques central to civic journalism-particularly "[O]rdinary Americans, far from needing lessons if taken to an extreme. Critics are most vocal about from us in serious journalism, understand what it journalists guiding their coverage of news with can and ought to be opinion polls, focus much better than most groups, and other ways reporters and editors of gauging public atti- do. I'm convinced that "Our coverage has tudes. The problem is people have steadily re- dramatically changed. the fickle nature of pub- treated from newspa- lic opinion. Surveys pers and networks until More than anything , this is show that the public now because what they a change in the way we can be notoriously in- found there was shrill think about election consistent in its assess- and shallow. We will coverage . It's really voter- ment of the importance not survive if they con- of issues. For example, tinue to feel unsatisfied. driven election coverage, a January1993 poll Our ideals and our bot- rather than candidate- identified the economy tom lines both point to driven coverage." as the most important the same fact-that we issue facing the Ameri- - RICK THAMES stand to gain quite a lot can public, followed by ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR from a little reckless unemployment, the THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER faith in the American federal budget deficit, people."7 health care, and crime. Such concerns By January 1994, a prompted the American Journalism Review in similar poll showed almost a complete reversal- 1993 to organizea conferencein which a cross- with the public ranking the top issues as crime, section of citizens shared their views of news cov- health care, unemployment, the economy, and the erage with a panel of journalists. The magazine deficit.9 summarized the citizens' concerns in the following The wording of questions in such polls also can statements:8 have dramatic effects on the results. For example, in "We don't understand how you operate, es- a July 1994 poll that asked what was the single most pecially how you make decisions on story selection important issue for the federal government to ad- and what news to cover." dress, the top three choices-in rank order-were: "We don't think the news media are held crime, the economy, and health care.10 That was a accountable for what they do." reversal from a May 1994 poll that asked what were "We've lost a certain level of trust and con- the two most important issues for the government to fidence in the press. Above all, we question your address. In the earlier poll, the top choices by rank accuracy." were: health care, crime, and employment." "It seems that `anything goes' to sell news- Another problem with polls is a variation of the papers or to compete in today's TV market. News old riddle: Which came first, the chicken or the and entertainment have become blurred; sensation- egg? That is, do the news media cover an issue alism has replaced substance." because that's what the public is concerned about? "Why can't the press be more responsive to Or, does an issue become important to the public the needs of the communities? You're elite and out because that's what the news media are covering? of touch with the concerns of most people." "Polls can be a mirror or a window," says "We are bombarded by so many choices Richard Morin, director of polling for The Washing- today in obtaining news and are having a hard time ton Post.12 "On many issues, survey results merely sorting through everything." reflect back what people have superficially absorbed "You do a poor job of covering politicians, from the media. Instead of peering into the minds of focusing on their personal lives instead of their voters, reporters sometimes merely are seeing them- jobs." -continued on page 76

MARCH 1995 73