| This study examined the effects of media agenda setting and framing of presidential candidates on aggregate and individual-level opinion change in the 2000 U.S. Bush-Gore campaign. It investigated the underlying contexts of the Bush-Gore campaign coverage from political journalists who covered the presidential campaign. This study found that both the salience and framing of a candidate cumulatively, but not immediately, influenced his percentage level in the polls at the aggregate level. At the individual level, this study found that the media effects of candidate salience and, to a lesser extent, positive framing existed together. Political reporters surveyed thought campaign coverage was more favorable for Bush, which was predicted by their perceptions of the coverage of candidates' personalities. Interviews found reporters' perceptions were sometimes inconsistent, based on inadequate information, or not grounded in solid reasoning. |
