2000 Primary Election Coverage Study

For the 3rd year in a row now the GR Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID) has completed a 30-day study of local TV news election coverage. The following are the major findings of the study:

• All 3 TV stations failed to provide adequate information to viewers that would allow them to make an informed vote.
• Of the combined 45 minutes and 29 seconds of air time devoted to the primary elections, only 2 minutes and 21 seconds had candidates speaking, and 56 seconds of that total was about issues.
• For every election story given by the 3 stations combined there were 8.3 crime stories.
• Fox 17 had as many stories in the 30-day period on a Jerry Springer contestant accused of murder (5) as they did election stories (5).
• Channel 13 had more stories on the Mackinac Island power outage (8) than they did on the election (7).
• Channel 8 had almost as many stories about a shooting outside a Walker Street Party store (9) as they did about the elections (11).
• Of the 5 Kent County Commission races only 1 received any coverage - the Turner/Mayhue race.
• Comparatively, the Grand Rapids Press gave more stories about the elections (33) than all three stations combined (23).
• The election story with the highest combined air-time was the Hudsonville Alcohol ballot proposals - 9 minutes and 57 seconds.

2000 Primary Election News Coverage
(July 10 - August 7; 30 days prior to Primary Election Day)

	Date	Candidate/proposal	Time
WOOD TV8	7/11	FH School Bond	:24
	7/13	Sheriff/signs	1:18
	7/13	Sheriff/signs	2:03
	7/21	Mayhue/Turner	3:00
	7/21	Mayhue/Turner	:44
	7/27	Ottawa Co. Ballot Int.	3:00
	7/27	Ottawa Co. Ballot Int.	3:00
	7/28	Holland annexation	2:40
	8/1	Holland annexation	:30
	8/2	Steele/Frushour	2:50
	8/3	Hudsonville Alcohol	4:52
	8/4	Kent Library	4:14
		Total 25:35
	Date	Candidate/proposal	Time
WZZM 13	7/11	Kent District Library	:37
	7/18	Hudsonville Alcohol	2:42
	7/25	Sheriff candidates	:50
	8/4	Vote preparations	1:53
8/4	Vote preparations	:32
8/7	Primary primer	1:32
	8/7	Primary primer	2:20
		Total 10:26
	Date	Candidate/proposal	Time
WXMI Fox 17	7/25	Sheriff Forum	:30
	8/1	Holland annexation	2:07
	8/2	Kent Library Mileage	2:18
	8/3	Hudsonville Alcohol	2:23
	8/7	Primary primer	2:10
		Total 9:28
	Total time all 3 stations	45:29

	Ch .8	Ch. 13	Ch. 17	Total
# of crimes stories	76	74	43	193
Walker St. Party Store	9	7	2	18
Jerry Springer/Contestant Murder	2	1	5	8
Mackinac Island Power	8	8	2	18
Concord Crash	6	4	4	14
Lead Election stories	0	1	0	1
Total Election stories	11	7	5	23
Crime Story/Election Story Ratio	7/1	10.5/1	8.6/1	8.3/1

Channel	Candidate Voices	Public Voices
13 - Hudsonville alcohol		11 sec. - against 10 sec. - for 7 sec. - against
8 - Turner/Mayhue	Mayhue - 29 sec. (0 issues) Turner - 29 sec. (0 issues)
8 - Polkton Twp.		9 sec. - against 13 sec. - against 11 sec. - for
8 - Holland annexation		12 sec. - for 20 sec. - against
17 - Holland annexation		19 sec. - for 9 sec. - against 5 sec. - for
17 - Kent Lib.		15 sec. - for 7 sec. - for 10 sec. - for on 1 undecided on 2
8 - Steele/Frushour	Steele - 42 sec. (27 issues) Frushour - 61 sec. (29 issues)
17 - Hudsonville Alcohol (all on A)		no - 14 sec. yes - 6 sec. no - 8 sec. yes - 12 sec. yes - 10 sec.
17 - Hudsonville Alcohol		A - yes - 17 sec. B - yes - 21 sec.
8 - Kent Library		yes - 22 yes - 46 yes - 10
Total time/Candidate Voices - 2:21(all on ch. 8)
Total time/Candidates on issues - :56 seconds (all on ch. 8)

Paid Ads for local Primary Races/Ballot proposals (during newscasts)

Channel 13 - 16 for Zemaitis (Kent Co. Probate Judge)

Channel 8 - 0

Channel 17 - 0

GR Press Primary Election articles
Date	Candidate/proposal	Inches/placement
7/10	Holland/Fillmore Tp	18.5/B2
7/13	Frushour/Steele	7.5/B3
7/16	Hudsonville Alcohol	12/A25
7/17	Ottawa Co. 89th St. Rep.	29/B1-2
7/20	Holland/Fillmore Tp.	9/B2
7/20	Allegan Co. Sheriff	17/B3
7/21	Vander Molen/signs	14/C1-2
7/23	Frushour/Steele	33/A25
7/23	Kent Co. Sheriff	84/G1
7/24	County Clerk	20.5/B1-2
7/25	local judicial races	17/B1-2
7/26	Kent Sheriff forum	12/B1-2
7/26	Gillem yard signs	12/B1-2
7/26	Voter Guide 20 pages content
7/27	16, 17 & 19 Co. Comm.	26/B1-2
7/28	Allegan Co. Sheriff forum	15/C3
7/29	$$ in campaigns	36/A1,4
7/29	State House race complaints	6/A3
7/30	Kent Probate Court	42/A25-26
7/31	Wyoming District Judge	31.5/B1-2
8/1	Ottawa drain comm.	18/B3
8/2	Hudsonville Alcohol	11/B1
8/2	Holland annexation	9/B3
8/2	Ottawa Co. Comm.	20/B3
8/3	Koetje/Karel State Rep.	19/B1-2
8/3	Holland Annexation	11/B3
8/3	$$ raised by GOP/Dems for State House races	13/B4
8/4	Probate Court	16/C1-2
8/4	Wyoming District Court	14/C2
8/4	Allegan Co. Sheriff	16/C2
8/4	Polkton Twp. Ballot	15/C3
8/6	Kent Dist. Library	52/A1, 23
8/6	Kent Co. Sheriff	30/A25-26

GR Press Editorial Endorsements
7/10	Stelma for Sheriff and Yes on Kent Library
7/30	State House - Koetje, Newell, Vander Klock & DeVouyst
8/1	County Clerk - Hollinrake, County Comm. - Turner, Shook, White, Mast & Morgan
8/3	Holland Annexation, Senior Millage, Spring Lake Twp., Hudsonville Alcohol, Holland Twp., Park Twp.
8/4	Kent Twp. Proposals
8/6	short summary of most on the ballot

Paid ads
7/26	Voter Guide - Krupp, full page & 1/2 pg. - Nevins, full page - Stelma, full page & 1/2 pg. - Schaefer, 1/2 pg. - Zemaitis, 1/2 pg. - Mast, 1/4 pg. - White, 1/4 pg. - Sherman, 1/4 pg. - VanderVeen, 1/4 pg. - Hollinrake, 1/2 pg. - TerMaat, 1/4 pg. - Mason, 1/4 pg. - Hillary, 1/2 pg. - Kelly, 1/2 pg. - Bowler, 1/4 pg.- Miller, 1/4 pg. - Winther, 1/2 pg. - Gillem, 1/8 pg. - York, 1/8 pg. - Rolls, 1/8 pg. - Baxter, full page
7/30	Krupp 3/4pg.
8/2	Bowler/Probate Judge A4-1/8pg
8/3	Bowler/ A14 1/8pg., Stelma/ BB2 1/4pg., Hillary/ BB3 1/8pg., White/ BB4 1/8pg.
8/4	Bowler C4 1/8 pg.
8/5	Bowler A6 1/8 pg.
8/6	Krupp, 3/4 pg. A13 - Bowler, 1/8 pg. A16 - Hillary, 1/8 pg. A20 - Stelma, 3/4 pg. A22 - Baxter, 1/2 pg. A26
8/7	York, 1/3 pg. A2 - Hollinrake, 1/2 pg. A5 - Hillary, 1/2 pg. A6 - Timmers, 1/8 pg. A9 - White, 1/8 pg. B3 - Bowler, 1/8 pg. B3, VanderKlok, 1/8 pg. B5

Local TV News Election Coverage Principles

• Inform viewers/voters of all candidates, races, ballot proposals - and give them information on the issues not just on candidate personalities or where candidates are or what they might do.
• Any and all race/ballot proposals could be given at least some coverage, even if it is just a mention of who is running or what the proposal is.
• Follow the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Public Interest Obligation of Digital Television Broadcasters (also known as the Gore Commission), where for 30-days prior to elections broadcasters provide 5 minutes per night of candidate centered news. (see Alliance for Better Campaigns www.bettercampaigns.org )
• Cover third/independent party candidates.
• When showing presidential polls on the channel or web-site, give percentages for both Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan.
• Viewers could be given information about voter guides that have been published.
• Produce video Voter Guides featuring all candidates in all races for multiple replays.
• All candidate forums could be announced for several days prior to the event.
• Candidate forums could be broadcast live or re-broadcast at a future time that would be announced.
• 5% of the money made from campaign ads could be donated by the stations to an independent, non-partisan organization to fill the void left by the League of Women Voters or to help resurrect the League.
• Financial funding of candidates should be reported on before and after all races. (How much and from what sources)
• Explore in more detail reasons for low voter turnout.
• Use station web sites for more detailed coverage.
• Operate in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.