CRITIQUE OF THE MEDIA
Among 230 citizens surveyed in the Midwest by Georgetown University, more than 4 out of 5 agreed on a number of criticisms regarding media coverage of election campaigns. Among them:
* The overuse of sound bites, rather than longer, substantive comments from candidates.
* Overuse of public-opinion polls and ``horse-race'' stories.
* Excessive focus on conflict, scandal, and celebrity topics.
* Predicting winners before voters have their say.