Our Democracy, Our Airwaves

Political Coverage and Political Advertising

Candidates for public office, especially for statewide or federal office, rely heavily on broadcast television to reach out to voters. And yet coverage of candidate and elections on broadcast news shows has declined precipitously over the last two decades. News stories are now focused almost exclusively at the top of the ticket, and are far more likely to dwell on horserace issues, such as who’s ahead in the latest poll, than on substantive issues that may indicate how a candidate will govern once in office.

As a result, candidates now devote the lion’s share of their campaign resources to buying ads on broadcast television. A recent study by the Alliance for Better Campaigns found that most candidates for U.S. Senate spent more than half of their total campaign budgets on TV spots. It is now routine for candidates in closely contested state senate races in the Chicago media market to buy broadcast time, even though more than nine out of ten Chicagoland viewers live in other senate districts and therefore cannot vote for either candidate. Although the deluge of political ads around election time drives viewers batty, the spots have become the only consistent way candidates have to make sure that their message gets out to voters.

Television stations have added to the problem in several ways. They have cut back on coverage of elections, both in terms of the number of stories and in the length of stories. They have eliminated coverage of down ticket races, such as appellate court and state legislature. And they have jacked up rates for political ads, despite federal requirements that they serve the public interest and offer candidates the best rate possible.

ICPR is working with local and national partners to improve television coverage of candidates and elections.

• ICPR applauds the Illinois House of Representatives for adopting HR 79 in support of the Our Democracy, Our Airwaves proposal.
  Click here to read HR 79. Click here to read our press release, issued upon the adoption of HR 79.
• We have encouraged local TV stations to devote two hours a week during the last 30 days before an election to candidates’ stands on the issues.
• We have worked with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin to develop legislation to set clear standards for broadcast coverage during an election season, and to address the problem of skyrocketing rates for TV ads.

ICPR and the Alliance for Better Campaigns collected data on political news coverage and advertising on the major Chicago television stations.

Click here for the highlights of the study (pdf).

Political ads on TV early and often says Chicago Tribune.

A deluge of political advertising threatens our democracy (Naperville Sun)

MEDIA ARTICLES

5/26/2006 From The Campaign Legal Center
Broadcasters Urged to Beef Up Election Coverage

1/11/2006 From The Campaign Legal Center
Reformers Caution FCC Against Further Weakening the Broadcast License Renewal Process

1/20/05 From the State Journal Register
Mixed legacy for Powell

1/12/05 Sunday January 16, 2005 3-6PM
"Get Your Voice Back! Taking back politics, media, and the future of American democracy" - A public forum featuring keynote speaker Joe Trippi

11/16/04 From the State Journal Register
Erratic enforcement by FCC

11/2/04 From the Los Angeles Times
Silence of the Wolves, and Their Ilk, in Swing States
A record-setting barrage of political ads that hit a feverish pitch in the final week is all over.

10/13/04 From The Alliance for Better Campaigns
Media Reform Groups Challenge Sinclair Broadcasting to Uphold the Public Trust

10/13/04 From the State Journal Register
Abuse of trust or free speech?

10/12/04 From the Washington Post
Family's TV Clout in Bush's Corner
Sinclair Orders 62 Stations to Air Anti-Kerry Film

8/24/04 From the Chicago Tribune
Why all the negative ads?

8/24/04 From the Chicago Sun-Times
Ads skirt campaign finance laws

7/27/04 From the NYTimes.com
Group Plans to Challenge Law on Blackout Period for Ads

6/16/04 From the Washington Post
Voters Are Harder to Reach As Media Outlets Multiply

Public Forum

Carbondale, November 18, 2002
What: ICPR, the SIU Public Policy Institute, and the SIU-Carbondale Department of Political Science sponsored a Public Forum. The forum, entitled "The Case for Free Air Time for Political Candidates", explored the issue of free television and radio airtime for political candidates.

Who: Former U.S. Senator Paul Simon gave a keynote speech, and a panel discussion featured former U.S. Congressman Glenn Poshard, Robert Spellman, a professor at the SIU School of Journalism; and Paul Taylor, the executive director of the Alliance for Better Campaigns.

Panel members Robert Spellman and Glenn Poshard

Free Air Time Forum with former Senator Paul Simon

Chicago, July 9, 2002

Click here to read a synopsis of this event.

Senator Simon

Play "I'm Running for Congress"

The interactive game from GreedyTV.org