In the midst of controversy over press coverage of Bush's past, the public draws some clear lines about what is fair game for news media scrutiny. Out of 13 hypothetical stories about presidential candidates' personal lives, clear majorities believe the press should almost always report on only four of them. Past marital infidelity should not be covered say most Americans. If a candidate is having an affair during the course of the campaign, the public is much less forgiving. The public expresses some ambivalence about the newsworthiness of past drug use.
Cocaine use is viewed as somewhat more newsworthy.
Americans are much less interested in hearing about the sexual orientation of political candidates nowadays than was the case a decade ago. The public is relatively uninterested in hearing about a candidate's psychiatric background. Republicans and Democrats have markedly different views about what is and is not newsworthy. On eight out of the 13 examples, Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats to endorse a more aggressive role for the media. The most polarizing issue involves marital infidelity.