Electoral Reckonings: Press Criticism of Presidential Campaign Coverage, 2000-2016

ABSTRACT

The cyclical nature of presidential elections provides regular opportunities for journalists to reflect on patterns in election coverage. This study presents a textual analysis of press criticism of presidential election coverage from 2000 to 2016. We identified three prevalent ethical issues in press criticism over this period: Failing to exercise independent judgment; Failing to provide a representative picture of the electorate; and Underestimating new and emerging technologies. We also observed a broader debate throughout press criticism about whether journalists should act as neutral disseminators of information or be impassioned advocates for the truth, the public, and their own role in democracy. Finally, we noted the peculiarities of the 2016 election and what Donald Trump’s conduct, attitude to the press, and ultimate victory meant for the ethics and practices of traditional journalism.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri for its financial support for this project.