Do the Media Elect the President?

The panel was part of a series of seminars co-sponsored by the National Press Club and the Smithsonian Institution. The full title was "Does the Media Elect the President? Candidates and the Press." Monroe was the moderator. One topic discussed by the panel was the media's inattention to substantive issues during a campaign. Also discussed were the advantages and disadvantages of using polls. The panelists criticized the built-in biases of the media including the need to sensationalize news, the assumptions made by editors that some candidates are not viable, and the media's attention to style over substance.