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.