Politics Blog: Katie Doesn’t Cut it for Me

Posted by Jacquelyn Lay

In a short blip after the CBS Evening News, Katie Couric said, “The political process has a lot of intrigue and surprises. We try to make sure that we give people the pertinent information they need so they can make their own decision.” But is this really the case? Does the newscast’s coverage really provide information that is both critical and objective? An answer can be found by analyzing the stories that are reported, and the way in which they are framed.

On Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, the CBS Evening News gave substantial coverage to the vice presidential candidates, reminding viewers of the upcoming debate. The program also showed how the presidential candidates faired in recent polls, and what they were doing to help with the economic bailout plan being drafted by Congress. In addition, the newscast aired a story about voter purging, warning voters that they may have been removed from the list of registered voters without their knowledge.

While the CBS Evening News does provide political information for the people, I find that the information, in an effort to be objective, does not inform viewers to the extent that it should. I also find that the types of stories it presents influence voter behavior. These stories are not as “pertinent” as Katie Couric might suggest.

For example, in the segment in which Couric asked questions to the vice presidential candidates, her questions mostly regarded personal beliefs and past legislation. At one point during the interview, Couric even stated that she wanted to hear Gov. Palin’s point of view, not that of the McCain-Palin ticket. Nowhere was there talk of the candidates’ plans once elected, or of their specific policy platforms. I feel that this is the most pertinent information voters need to have.

The newscast also presented horserace coverage of the election. The first five minutes of the Oct. 1 broadcast was dedicated to polls. Graphics showed that Barack Obama was ahead in the polls and had nearly doubled his lead since the first debate. In addition, numerous other polls were shown regarding the nation’s opinion of the candidates’ credibility. Other polls showed what percentage of people were confident with each candidate’s ability to deal with the economy, how opinions of the candidates had changed since the debate, and what Sarah Palin’s favorability was among women. By presenting coverage in this way, I can’t help but wonder how many undecided voters will vote for the candidate leading in the polls simply because he is the most popular at the moment.

While I do think voters can get a good summary of election news by watching the CBS evening news, I do not believe they get the information needed to make an informed political decision. The media is only able to scratch the surface of the political process, and in a 30-minute newscast, information is condensed and diluted. As for me, I tend to do quite a bit more research before choosing a candidate.

Sorry to tell you this Katie, but your information is not pertinent enough for me to make my decision.