Conclusion

After analyzing the media coverage of the MN governor election, I have come to realize how much the media controls how voters perceive the candidates and the election. According the academic journal "Comparing Gubernatorial and Senatorial Elections," voters learn about candidates from news media and newspapers are the main source of news about state politics.

While some articles toward the end of the election were rather short, most of the articles were about the same length with 18 - 23 paragraphs. Although the coverage of each of the candidates was pretty fair, Democratic candidate Mark Dayton and Republican candidate Mark Emmer got slightly more daily coverage than Independent candidate Tom Hormer. Towards the end of the election, since Dayton was ahead in the election, he took the majority of the candidate coverage. But, towards the end of the election the coverage was less focused on specific candidates and was more focused on reporting survey results. 

I realized that most of the coverage focused on which Democrats and Republicans were supporting each candidate and how much money each candidate had spend on their campaigns. This falls under campaign strategy coverage and filled the majority of the news. 

Surprisingly, there was very minimal coverage on issues and candidates views on issues. The only time we really saw anything about issues was after a debate. The Star Tribune did a wonderful job reporting on the debates, but more attention should be paid to issues throughout the entire campaigns not just after a debate.

I also noticed as the election got closer we had to dig further into the paper to find anything about the election. I would think this would have been opposite. A month before the election the articles about the governor election were on the front cover at least 3 times a week and the closer to the election the further into the paper the articles disappeared.

I think the Star Tribune could improve their coverage of the next election by 1) reporting more on issues 2) giving equal coverage to all candidates throughout the entire campaign 3) publish the articles in a consistent spot in the paper so it's easier for voters to find them.

On the Run

A very brief article posted online this morning quickly stated what each candidate planned to do for the last couple days leading up to the election.

Democrat Mark Dayton hopped a plane for a flyaround to Duluth, Hibbing, Moorhead, Worthington and Rochester. He'll close out at a rally in St. Paul.

Republican nominee Tom Emmer is tooling around in his RV on a 19-city tour, including eight stops with departing Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The Independence Party's Tom Horner split his team into three buses for events in all corners of the state. They'll converge for a Midway Stadium rally in St. Paul on Monday night.

 This article may be unnecessary but it does do two things. It informs people where the candidates plan to be in the next couple days and it shows that the candidates are doing anything and everything to get the most votes.


View complete article here.

Appealing to Undecideds

As the race for MN governor comes to an end, candidates are trying to win as many extra votes as possible. An article posted online at StarTribune.com this Sunday night reviewed the last debate between the candidates that took place earlier Sunday. The article briefly covered the debate stating that the "candidates [seemed] more determined to drive home their major themes than attack each other." During the debate, there was time for a few people from the audience to ask questions. The article included two of those questions and the answers from each candidate.

One man asked how the prospective governors would avoid partisan politics when legislative and congressional districts are redrawn next year. Horner and Dayton said they favor leaving redistricting decisions to an independent commission or judicial panel.

Emmer said: "If I'm in the governor's office, it will be fair, absolutely."

When a member of the audience asked how the candidates felt about the new federal health care overhaul, Emmer said it gave too much power to the federal government. "I think it's a mistake," he said. "I don't think it's got a future."

Dayton defended the overhaul, saying it has been the target of "a lot of fear-mongering."
Horner said, "There are challenges, problems, weaknesses in the federal health-care reform." But he said Minnesota should be "bold and innovative" to get the most out of it.

In the last few days before the election, this article seemed to leave a positive light on each candidate and showed what makes each candidate stand out from one another.

"I will makes taxes fair and will invest that money on education," Dayton said.

Emmer distinguished himself from both Dayton and Horner, who has proposed lowering but broadening the state sales tax. "I'm the only candidate that will not raise taxes on middle class Minnesotans, or any other Minnesotans," Emmer said.

Horner, who has been slumping in recent polls, sought to dispel the notion that a vote for him would only help one of the other two candidates. "A vote for Tom Horner is a vote for Tom Horner," he said.

View the complete article here. 

Near the end, only numbers matter

An article posted online at Startribune.com on Sunday night reported on a debate between the three candidates. The article titled "Tough talk from candidates adds bite to latest gubernatorial debate" seemed to focus on Horner's attacks at opposing candidates, Emmer and Dayton. Whether or not the attacks are actually accurate, Horner got some major attention from them. 


View complete article here. 

As the election comes closer and closer, the candidates are doing everything but wrapping things up. As my professor discussed in class, the last week of the election is the most crucial. Candidates and their campaign managers are working to secure as many votes as possible. As for the news coverage, horse race coverage and last debates are the focus. 


An article posted earlier Sunday morning focused on horse race coverage with the report of the latest poll results. The online article was fairly lengthy for a report on poll results and included several graphic images to help display and convey the results of the poll. 

Months of negative ads appear to have taken a toll on all three candidates, with their unfavorable ratings ticking up as the assaults mount.

According to the poll, the number of voters who view Emmer and Horner unfavorably now exceeds the number who view them favorably.

About 48 percent of Minnesotans view Dayton favorably, compared to 41 percent for Emmer and 32 percent for Horner.

Besides reporting the results, the article included several quotes from voters. The quotes may be persuasive for those who are still undecided and may possibly help a candidate receive more (or less) votes. 

"I just think he has a really good feel for what Minnesotans need and want, and he will work for us," Annette Contos, of Fergus Falls, said of Dayton.

The 72-year-old Democrat said she likes Dayton's "tax the rich" message. "I think we all have to bite the bullet and pay more taxes," she said.

For not having much new information about the election, this article had a considerably large amount of comments online with over 500. The comments appear to show hopes for a better candidate or different poll results.   


View complete article here.

Getting to know Dayton

An article in today's paper titled, "Dayton was born to run" is rather lengthy and therefore is split into different sections. The article falls under the category of personality trait coverage. The writer begins by describing the art in Dayton's town house. The second section is titled "Growing Up as a Dayton." The writer goes on to describe Dayton's earlier years.

High expectations were branded on Dayton early by his father, Bruce Dayton, the demanding patriarch of one of Minnesota's wealthiest families.

The elder Dayton once told a friend that he wasn't surprised to be at the helm of Dayton-Hudson in 1979 when it became a billion-dollar company. Family lore says his rejoinder was: "I'd always dreamed I'd run a $10 billion company."

To be the eldest of four children -- two boys and two girls -- was to feel the brunt of his father's lofty aspirations.

Mark Dayton slumps in his chair, gazing up as he did when his parents sat him down to speak to him about bringing home only second honors from the fifth grade.

"I was told in no uncertain terms that I would never come home with second honors again. ... I was given an 'F' and an 'F' for effort," he says with a laugh. "I got first honors every semester for the rest of the time."

He was an All-State goalie as a senior at the Blake School who went on to play for Yale until an accident on the ice slit his throat. Asked why he became a goalie and he says "Because I couldn't skate well enough to do anything else."

So he worked harder at it. 

The article has some great quotes from Dayton, especially being that it is an article on personality trait coverage. This is a great time to do an article on Dayton, as election day is almost here and Dayton is pretty far ahead in the race.

The article portrays Dayton as just another guy, which makes it easier for voters to relate to him. The article discusses his struggles as a child and throughout college and problems with drinking. This article doesn't hold anything back and whether or not that is a good thing is up to the reader's opinions.

After showing the funny side of Dayton with a few quotes, the article ends with a quote from a friend of Dayton's.

"He is really a wonderful human being. ... He has done so much that he never takes credit for."

Another Poll

News coverage on the race for MN governor has become less and less as we get closer to the election day. Most of the coverage has consisted of reports on advertisements or poll results. Today's article reported on a new poll done by SurveyUSA. The results of the survey were very similar and consistent with past surveys. The results show that Dayton is in the lead with the support of 42 percent of likely voters. Emmer isn't far behind with 37 percent.

This article once again falls under horse race coverage, which seems to be the focus as the race raps up. Since the article is just a report on the survey results, it is fairly short with only five paragraphs. The article shows the percentages for each of the three candidates and doesn't appear to favor any one over the other.

News Coverage of Ads

According to Stephen J. Wayne: “there are basically three types of political commercials: those that praise candidates and their accomplishments (positive ads), those that contrast candidates to the obvious advantage of the ad’s sponsor (contrast ads), and those that just criticize candidates on the grounds of their policy preferences or personal behavior (negative ads).”

Later in the text, Wayne discusses how good advertisements sometimes become or create news. “The most effective ads are those that reinforce or become news.” Although the ad discussed below may not become big news, it is in the news. Wayne also discusses how news coverage of ads pretty much gives candidates free advertising time.

Buried within today’s paper, an article titled, “Group’s ad attacks Dayton tax plan,” focused on a television ad that falls under the category of negative ads.

‘Dayton will raise job killing taxes by $5 billion,’ an announcer says, as the ad shows faces of sad children. ‘That’s more than $2,300 in new taxes per Minnesota family.’

The article goes on to describe Dayton’s reaction of the ad. He says the ad is misleading and creates a false impression. Not only is the ad giving a negative view towards Dayton's campaign, but by covering the ad in the newspaper the article is bringing attention to the negative aspects of Dayton's campaign. By covering ads in the news, candidates get double advertisement whether negative or positive.