As presidential races change, media coverage must adapt
By Dante Chinni, Christian Science Monitor
Washington - A debate, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a contention by words or arguments … as a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides.”
If you have watched any of the “debates” among the 2008 Democratic and Republican presidential hopefuls, you might be wondering if US news media read the dictionary much. The events featuring eight potential Democratic and 10 possible Republican nominees, each lined up on their respective stages, look and feel less like debates than talent shows. Each candidate wants to stand out and be noticed, without saying or doing something that might embarrass himself or herself.
As painful as they can be to watch, these early debates are nothing new. The Democrats’ first primary debate for the 2004 presidential race was held on May 3, 2003 – there were nine candidates in that one. You probably don’t remember it because it wasn’t televised until hours after it ended and not televised at all in some parts of country.
Tags:Christian Science Monitor, Democrats, media
