THE MEDIA AND PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS
...ntrigue. Substantiating this foundation of truth is only accomplished one way: by confirming quoted sources with a second, significantly reliable source (Andrews PG). These same morally conscious reporters tend not to practice any form of sensationalism, which leaves the industry pretty well split into two categories: those who will compromise their journalistic integrity in order to gain financial profit and advance their careers; and those who, no matter how enticing or lucrative the opportunity may be, ! will always uphold their values and responsibilities as the purveyors of public information. Even with all the blatant sensationalism amidst presidential primary elections – particularly under the guise of investigative reporting – there remain those in the industry who support and back the very institution such coverage has come to represent. William Paley of CBS once said: "He who attacks the fundamentals of the American system [of broadcasting], attacks democracy itself" (The Media). Many like him feel that free press is just that: the right to print or report anything so long as the Constitution protects the writer. Myriad publications have been sued because of this mentality, which clearly gives permission for unscrupulous journalists to fabricate a story far beyond recognition merely for the sake of selling papers. III. POLLS Throughout history, the political approval rating has been reflective of current events and how well the people believe their country is being run. Opinion polls provide essential -- if not sometimes skewed -- information as to the constituency's political climate, as well as how the president and Congress are received. These findings are greatly attributed to day-by-day occurrences that may or may not sway one's personal opinion; too, the media's influence cannot be overlooked as a significant source of control. It has been established that when assessing the approval rating for United States presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, Gallup's highest numbers came as the result of the ratio of the public "identifying with the president's party" (Nice 119), as opposed to that of independents in the population. It was ultimately determined that such important world concerns as war, the current rate of unemployment and the reality of low voter turnout had little impa! ct upon the president's overall approval rating. "One of the main reasons Congress delegates is to manipulate voter perceptions. Delegation allows legislators to represent themselves to some constituents as supporting an action and to others as opposing it. As former [Environmental Protection Agency] administrator Lee Thomas described delegation under the Clean Air Act, 'Everybody is accountable and nobody is accountable under the way [Congress] is setting it up, but [the legislators] have got a designated whipping boy'" (The ...