Media Tiptoes Around Election Results
URL: foxnews.com
Tuesday, November 05, 2002
NEW YORK — Tuesday's midterm elections promise to be big night for politicians -- and TV networks.
Election Night 2002 is the most important race since the presidential election two years ago when the media contributed to the mass confusion over who actually won.
In 2000, two networks proclaimed Al Gore the winner in Florida, took it back, declared George W. Bush the new president, took that back and then waited with the rest of the country for several weeks for the election to be decided.
This time, viewers who tune in to TV news stations for the latest results should expect to see much more cautious anchors and pundits. News professionals are desperate not to make the same mistakes as last time.
"In some ways, the confusion at the networks that night reflected the confusion that was happening on the ground," said This Week host George Stephanopoulos.
Still, that doesn't excuse jumping the gun, ABC's Stephanopoulos said, "and that's not going to happen this time."
Armchair pundits should plan on staying up very late to find out which party will control Congress. With so many close races, the media will likely steer clear of anecdotal and incomplete exit poll information, and wait for the official count before declaring winners of many races.
"Professional pride may be invested in not saying anything until the numbers are actually in," Stephanopoulos said. "The incentives are working the other way this time."
Some people seem relieved that the TV coverage is toned down.
"I think the major news networks have been playing it safe because they don't want to screw up again," said Phoenix, Ariz., resident Mark Valenta. "The coverage seems less erratic and more measured."
Yet, Valenta added that the more responsible coverage is "a bit more clinical or sterile."
The networks spent millions of dollars rebuilding Voter News Service, a consortium that counts votes, conducts exit polls and helps project winners. VNS will also make available to the networks the results of an independent vote-counting operation run by The Associated Press.
Control of the Senate is the night's big story, with sidebars being control of the House, how the vote plays as a report card for President Bush and how big names like Elizabeth Dole, Walter Mondale and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend fare.
Chances are that control of the Senate won't be clear during ABC, CBS and NBC's prime-time hours on the East Coast, especially with tight races anticipated west of that time zone. Cable news channels will provide nonstop, 24-hour coverage.
Because midterm election coverage is less watched than presidential years, Tuesday is essentially a rehearsal for the 2004 presidential contest.
"We will ask our viewers to give us another chance on this," said Bill Wheatley, executive vice president of NBC News. "We were mortified by what happened in 2000 and we're determined to win back the confidence of our viewers."
And viewers say accuracy is key in keeping them tuned in.
"I guess the gist is that the networks seem less aggressive about being first than getting it right, which is a good thing," said Valenta.
The Associated Press contributed to this report |
