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7 - Inequality, or Invisibility and Inaccuracy? How Local Newspapers Cover the Occupational Backgrounds of Congressional Incumbents and Challengers

from Part II - The Media and The Informational Environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2023

Charles M. Cameron
Affiliation:
Princeton University, New Jersey
Brandice Canes-Wrone
Affiliation:
Stanford University, California
Sanford C. Gordon
Affiliation:
New York University
Gregory A. Huber
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
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Summary

Nicholas Carnes continues the focus on media and information, examining how local newspapers cover incumbents and challengers. Some voters may value information about the pre-election employment history of candidates, for instance, if voters believe Congress would benefit from members with a range of socioeconomic classes and work experiences. What do the media actually say about employment histories? Carnes examines the coverage of 32thirty-two House incumbents and their challengers running for reelection in 2006 (or their most recent contested election), selected to oversample those with a working- class background prior to taking office. Content analysis reveals that occupational backgrounds rarely receive much coverage. The backgrounds of challengers are more newsworthy, but overall coverage of this aspect remains modest. Instead, coverage near elections focuses on incumbent party, issue positions, and performance in office. This lack of information about class background is arguably problematic for descriptive representation, particularly if it would shape voter choices were it more frequently provided.

Type
Chapter
Information
Accountability Reconsidered
Voters, Interests, and Information in US Policymaking
, pp. 150 - 172
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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