Issues and Democratic Primaries 2004

What Influences the News Coverage that Candidates Receive on Issues?
A look at Education Coverage in the 2004 Presidential Election

Table 2. Frequency Distribution of Dependent Variable Capturing all Coverage Concerning Education

Stories published	Frequency	Percent
0	8	4.32
1	9	4.86
2	16	8.65
3	29	15.68
4	21	11.35
5	22	11.89
6	19	10.27
7	12	6.49
8	6	3.24
9	2	1.08
10	7	3.78
11	4	2.16
12	5	2.70
13	8	4.32
14	3	1.62
15	2	1.08
16	3	1.62
17	2	1.08
19	1	0.54
20	2	1.08
21	1	0.54
22	2	1.08
52	1	0.54

Table 3. Frequency Distribution of Dependent Variables Capturing Coverage of Candidate and Education

Variable	Frequency	Percent
Clark
0 articles	146	78.92
1	33	17.84
2	6	3.24

Dean
0 articles	117	63.24
1	42	22.70
2	15	8.11
3	8	4.32
4	1	0.54
5	2	1.08

Edwards
0 articles	131	70.81
1	34	18.38
2	14	7.57
3	6	3.24

Gephardt
0 articles	162	87.57
1	20	10.81
2	1	0.54
3	2	1.08

Kerry
0 articles	135	72.97
1	26	14.05
2	14	7.57
3	4	2.16
4	5	2.70
5	1	0.54

Lieberman
0 articles	167	90.27
1	17	9.19
2	1	0.54

Variable	Mean	Standard Deviation	Minimum	Maximum
Press releases
Clark	.075	.337	0	3
Dean	.086	.282	0	1
Edwards	.162	.437	0	2
Gephardt	.043	.229	0	2
Kerry	.124	.347	0	2
Lieberman	.038	.218	0	2
All	.530	.897	0	6
Number of candidates in race	5.398	1.253	1	6
Days of the week
Monday	.146	.354	0	1
Tuesday	.146	.354	0	1
Wednesday	.146	.354	0	1
Thursday	.141	.348	0	1
Friday	.141	.348	0	1
Saturday	.141	.348	0	1
Debate	.086	.282	0	1
State of the Union Address
Day before	.005	.074	0	1
Day of	.005	.074	0	1
Day after	.005	.074	0	1
Time
Days from beginning	93.5	53.838	1	186
Days until South Carolina primary	65.351	50.175	0	155
Days after South Carolina primary	2.5	6.695	0	30

Variable	Frequency	Percent
Press releases
Clark
0	174	94.05
1	9	4.86
2	1	.54
3	1	.54
Dean
0	169	91.35
1	16	8.65
Edwards
0	160	86.49
1	20	10.81
2	5	2.70
Gephardt
0	178	96.22
1	6	3.24
2	1	.54
Kerry
0	163	88.11
1	21	11.35
2	1	.54
Lieberman
0	179	96.76
1	5	2.70
2	1	.54
Number of candidates
1	1	.54
2	14	7.53
3	7	3.76
4	8	4.30
5	14	7.53
6	142	76.34

Debate
Debate held	16	8.65
No debate held	169	91.35

Table 6. Regression Model of Candidate Coverage in the New York Times and Washington Post Concerning Education

Clark

Dean

Edwards

Gephardt

Kerry

Lieberman

Constant

2.20**

(.63)

-1.50

(.78)

.17

(.46)

.03

(.13)

.69

(.50)

1.85**

(.59)

Press releases issued by candidate concerning education

-.14

(.15)

.53*

(.24)

-.03

(.13)

-.04

(.15)

.31

(.17)

.19

(.10)

Number of real candidates in race

-.32**

(.10)

.17

(.12)

-.06

(.06)

-.20**

(.07)

-.30**

(.095)

Monday

.05

(.15)

.63*

(.26)

.37

(.20)

-.05

(.15)

.65**

(.23)

.04

(.09)

Tuesday

-.13

(.15)

.24

(.25)

.09

(.20)

.07

(.15)

.42

(.22)

.13

(.09)

Wednesday

-.23

(.15)

.38

(.26)

.23

(.20)

-.01

(.15)

.43

(.23)

.09

(.09)

Thursday

.16

(.15)

.53*

(.25)

.52**

(.20)

-.10

(.15)

.61**

(.22)

-.01

(.09)

Friday

-.03

(.15)

.18

(.25)

.04

(.20)

-.16

(.15)

.17

(.22)

-.01

(.09)

Saturday

-.09

(.15)

.17

(.26)

-.12

(.20)

-.07

(.15)

.06

(.22)

.04

(.09)

Debate

-.09

(.15)

.31

(.25)

-.05

(.20)

-.14

(.15)

.35

(.22)

-.02

(.09)

Day before State of the Union Address

-.29

(.52)

.61

(.90)

.18

(.73)

-.35

(.49)

-.86

(.81)

-.02

(.29)

Day of State of the Union Address

.30

(.68)

-1.54

(.92)

-.49

(.76)

.53

(.49)

-.64

(.81)

.89**

(.29)

Day after State of the Union Address

.67

(.52)

2.02*

(.89)

1.28

(.73)

3.15***

(.81)

.45

(.32)

Days from beginning

-.0004

(.001)

.01***

(.002)

.004**

(.001)

.003*

(.001)

.01**

(.001)

-.001

(.001)

R²

.14

.27

.23

.09

.41

* p<.05, ** p<.01, *** p<.001

Table 7. Regression Model of Candidate Coverage in the New York Times and Washington Post Concerning Education

Clark

Dean

Edwards

Gephardt

Kerry

Lieberman

All candidates

Constant

.67

(.37)

-1.81**

(.58)

.17

(.46)

-.62*

(.29)

.69

(.50)

-.08

(.24)

9.81**

(2.90)

Press releases issued by candidate concerning education

-.14

(.15)

.53*

(.24)

-.03

(.13)

-.03

(.15)

.31

(.17)

.18

(.11)

.82

(.44)

Number of real candidates in race

-.23**

(.09)

.17

(.12)

-.06

(.06)

.10

(.06)

-.20**

(.07)

.03

(.06)

-1.02*

(.39)

Whether the candidate is in race

.99**

(.29)

.34

(.43)

.04

(.18)

-.08

(.19)

Monday

.03

(.14)

.58*

(.25)

.37

(.20)

-.07

(.13)

.65**

(.23)

.03

(.09)

9.75***

(1.29)

Tuesday

-.12

(.14)

.23

(.25)

.10

(.20)

.01

(.13)

.42

(.22)

.11

(.09

-.04

(1.26)

Wednesday

-.21

(.14)

.38

(.25)

.23

(.20)

-.03

(.13)

.43

(.23)

.06

(.09)

.36

(1.29)

Thursday

.18

(.14)

.57*

(.24)

.52**

(.20)

-.03

(.13)

.61**

(.22)

.07

(.09

1.47

(1.26)

Friday

-.04

(.14)

.28

(.25)

.04

(.20)

-.11

(.13)

.17

(.22)

.03

(.09)

6.36***

(1.27)

Saturday

-.06

(.14)

.15

(.25)

-.12

(.20)

-.07

(.13)

.06

(.22)

.03

(.09)

(1.27)

Debate

-.11

(.13)

.21

(.24)

-.05

(.20)

.01

(.12)

.35

(.22)

-.04

(.09

-.52

(1.23)

Day before State of the Union Address

-.31

(.50)

.67

(.91)

.18

(.73)

-.31

(.46)

-.86

(.81)

-.09

(.33

4.77

(4.63)

Day of State of the Union Address

.27

(.66)

-1.52

(.93)

-.49

(.76)

.62

(.46)

-.64

(.81)

.83*

(.33

-2.34

(5.14)

Day after State of the Union Address

.70

(.50)

2.02*

(.90)

1.28

(.73)

.79

(.47)

3.15***

(.81)

.73*

(.35)

7.53</

Variable	Mean	Standard Deviation	Minimum	Maximum
All coverage	6.454	5.826	0	52
Individual Candidate coverage
Clark	.243	.500	0	2
Dean	.595	.974	0	5
Edwards	.432	.771	0	3
Gephardt	.151	.453	0	3
Kerry	.492	.984	0	5
Lieberman	.103	.322	0	2