Authors’ Response: Improving News Coverage in the 2012 Presidential Campaign and Beyond

Recently, Politics & Policy published an article presenting our findings that reveal President Barack Obama received something of a media honeymoon in The New York Times, a sharp contrast from that influential newspaper's first-year coverage of Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush. Our findings triggered a thoughtful column concerning political coverage by the Times’ public editor, Arthur S. Brisbane, which in turn led to extensive online discussions of media bias. In the interest of continuing this discussion and encouraging more substantive, even-handed, and informative news in the ongoing presidential campaign, this short response offers suggestions about what we regard as the two key problems of contemporary journalism: that the media are too focused on the sports of politics (“the horse-race”) at the expense of issue-based coverage, and that media outlets sometimes play favorites in the tone of coverage. Related Articles Farnsworth, Stephen J., and S. Robert Lichter. 2012. “News Coverage of New Presidents in The New York Times, 1981-2009.” Politics & Policy 40 (1): 69-91. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00338.x/abstract Jones, David A., Kathleen Ferraiolo, and Jennifer Byrne. 2011. “Selective Media Exposure and Partisan Differences about Sarah Palin's Candidacy.” Politics & Policy 39 (2): 195-221. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00288.x/abstract Mena-Aleman, David. 2006. “Can the BBC Compete to Deliver ‘More than Just What Consumers Want'?” Politics & Policy 36 (1): 196-215. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2006.00009.x/abstract Related Media Brisbane, Arthur S. 2012. “A Hard Look at the President.” The New York Times (April 21). http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/a-hard-look-at-the-president.html?_r=2 Tranto, James. 2012. “The 2012 Dogfight.” The Wall Street Journal (April 23). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303459004577362020492037752.html Hudson, John. 2012. “The New York Times Is Obama's Safe Haven.” The Atlantic Wire (April 23). http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business/2012/04/new-york-times-obamas-safe-haven/51461/ Beaujon, Andrew. 2012. “Obama Did in Fact Enjoy a ‘Media Honeymoon’ with New York Times, Says Study.” Poynter (March 7). http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/165736/obama-did-in-fact-enjoy-a-media-honeymoon-with-new-york-times-says-study/ Recientemente, Politics & Policy publico un articulo presentando resultados nuestros que revelan que el presidente Barak Obama recibio una especie de luna de miel en el periodico The New York Times, mostrando un gran contraste en la cobertura del primer ano de Reagan, Clinton y George W. Bush. Nuestros resultados provocaron una nota editorial reflexiva por parte del editor publico del Times Arthur S. Brisbane, quien a su vez desencadeno extensas discusiones en linea sobre la imparcialidad de los medios de comunicacion. Con el interes de continuar esta discusion y fomentar noticias mas sustanciales, imparciales e informativas en la actual campana presidencial, este breve ensayo ofrece sugerencias respecto a lo que consideramos los dos problemas clave del periodismo contemporaneo: que los medios estan muy enfocados en el deporte de la politica (o “the horse-race”) a expensas de reportajes basados en problemas y que los medios de comunicacion algunas veces muestran un tono de favoritismo en sus coberturas.