The Nightly News Nightmare: Network Television's Coverage of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1988-2000

Acclaimed media scholars Farnsworth and Lichter draw on the lessons of the last four presidential elections to show how network news coverage of what is arguably the nation's most important political event has declined. Through extensive analysis of news content, the authors compare what the candidates said with what the networks say they said and judge the disparity a nightmare. What may make it even harder to sleep at night is that the authors go on to suggest that perhaps the candidates themselves do a better job of portraying the campaigns than those who used to be the trusted network guardians of the news.