Media Coverage of the 2000 Presidential Campaign

As part of a conference, “Are We Asking the Right Questions?: A Conference on Watchdog Journalism for Campaign 2000,” at the National Press Club, former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) and journalists talked about media campaign coverage. They covered topics such as the personal life of candidates and how to emphasize policy issues over the “who’s winning” aspects. Senator Simpson warned against the use of anonymous sources. They also talked about the public perception of the media, the effects of Lewinsky scandal on political reporting, and the need introduce conflict into stories. Following their prepared remarks, the panelists took questions from the audience. close