Journalism

The stock market tanked, and the candidates took citizen questions during a presidential debate. But with Election Day looming in less than a month, the media spotlight last week was trained on the hostile rhetoric heard on the campaign trail.

The 2008 race for the White House has once again seen intensifying complaints about media bias, most recently from the McCain camp. The charges have ranged from liberalism, to sexism, and more. A new PEJ review offers an historical perspective on the evolution of the tenuous relationship between press and political leaders.

Coverage of the nation’s financial crisis reached new heights last week as Congress struggled to produce a bailout package. But when it came to the presidential campaign narrative, the match-up in Missouri proved more interesting to the media.

In a week in which he injected both suspense and personal dramatics into the campaign storyline, Republican John McCain was the leading newsmaker. But after a debate that the public scored differently than the press, it was Barack Obama getting the more positive headlines.

Even the Palin phenomenon took a back seat last week as a profound crisis in the financial markets dominated the headlines. In a campaign season of constantly changing storylines, will this become the dominant issue that determines the outcome?