Media Seeks "Master Narrative" For Campaigns

The folks at the Project For Excellence In Journalism--the group that sparked the debate over liberal bias in the media between Tara and me here and here--are out with a new report which talks about the "master narrative" that media organizations are utilizing in covering Presidential campaigns:

These master narratives are broader and thematic “storylines” about different contenders that often reflect and reinforce public perceptions and can powerfully shape press coverage. In a sense, the battle for exposure in a campaign is often a battle to see which master narrative the press leans toward about your candidate. Is Hillary Clinton hard and calculating, or is she tough and sophisticated? Is Rudy Giuliani too liberal for the GOP, or redefining it?

I call this "pack journalism" but it is nice to see that the media itself is acknowledging that editors and reporters generally adopt each other's "theme" in political reporting. This is an important point because the media then shapes perception of a candidate by the public at large--rather than offering independent perspectives that challenge the viewer/listener to arrive at their own conclusions.

That said, PEJ says the master narratives for two candidates--Obama and Huckabee--appear to be shifting:

With Obama, the issue—boiled down to basics—is whether he is too mellow and mild mannered for the rugged nature of presidential politics. An Oct. 29 Los Angeles Times story that puzzled over why the charismatic Senator was not faring better quoted a political consultant chalking it up his “gentle style.” An anecdote in the story noted that Obama generated only mixed results in face-to-face meetings with Iowa voters, partly because of his “mild…rhetoric.” Other stories last week went even further, questioning his toughness.

In the case of Huckabee, there were signs of a new master narrative as well—that in the absence of an heir to Ronald Reagan, his conservative values and affable manner are turning him into a more viable contender. An Oct 29 National Public Radio report—noting that Huckabee had enjoyed a big jump in online fundraising and a bump in some Iowa polls—interviewed a voter who originally passed over Huckabee because of doubts about his electability, but then decided “what really matters is the person.”

Take a look at the article here and then study the coverage yourself--look for Hillary's "toughness", Giuliani's "liberalism", Obama's "mildness" and Huckabee's "conservative surge."