MEDIA critic Howard Kurtz wrote in his column, "I guess we know who runs the country" referring to the media's role in the Democratic primaries (The Washington Post, "Kerry Runs Media Gantlet," Feb. 2). In light of the intense media coverage of the Democratic primaries, there are claims that the media can influence a frontrunner's popularity at any given time. With Howard Dean's fall and Kerry's subsequent rise, the media coverage, not the public, has decided who will be the next Democratic presidential candidate.
Many consider a frontrunner as receiving the most votes in a given period -- but the resulting buzz and media attention is more important. The media perpetuates the frontrunner's standing by giving him more airtime and more visibility. For instance, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean was virtually unknown at the beginning of the primary race, but a successful grassroots campaign put him in the spotlight. The media then broadcasted Dean in every possible medium, and he became a dominant frontrunner.
Many social pressures result from the constant media scrutiny that accompanies frontrunner status. If a candidate makes one mistake, the media is ready to expose, ridicule and critique because it thrives on this controversy. After Dean's heavily impassioned speech in Iowa, the media suddenly pounced on Dean's tactics and tore him from the primary race. The speech was replayed on late night talk shows and news programs across the country.
A new frontrunner was needed to take Dean's place, and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry happened to be on the rise. Now, Time magazine features Kerry on the cover, and they ask "What Kind of President would JOHN KERRY be?" The media is already declaring a winner with less than half of the primaries completed, yet Kerry will face the intense media scrutiny that accompanies this top position. Presidential hopefuls retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards were anxiously awaiting that first mistake -- perhaps Kerry will fall to a freak Botox accident or lose his wife's million dollar fortune.
Edwards and Clark are both making serious gains in the primary results, but they have yet to receive the frontrunner spotlight. Kerry is on top now, and therefore, the media will direct most of its attention to his campaign trail, speeches, personality, etc.
The frontrunner scrutiny fuels the media's desire for controversy. It is profitable for media companies to have action-filled elections with candidate mistakes and multiple frontrunner changes -- this enhances the ratings for media networks. What would Chris Matthews talk about on Hardball if the Democratic primary had a clear and definite victor from the beginning?
This chain of events for frontrunners raises the question whether it is important for a candidate to be in the center of media coverage to win elections. Regretfully, the answer is yes. President Bush already has numerous advantages with spotlight coverage on every move he makes. Yet he faces the same scrutiny -- one mistake and the media is ready to have a Bush roast at the benefit of Democratic presidential hopefuls.
Many viewers claim the media's publicizing of popular candidates is natural
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