Fear and Liking on the Campaign Trail

Jon Margolis for the Committee of Concerned Journalists noses around a point people have been making since it was noted how reporters liked Bush 41 because he sent personal notes to them. That is, how reporters increasingly are letting it be known whom they like and don't like, and how that affects coverage.

I have to wonder, even though I was 8 at the time: Didn't reporters dislike Nixon, and didn't that color the campaign in terms of how Kennedy was portrayed? The difference now is people admitting it. But the press can hardly criticize the public as not being attentive to the issues and judging candidates based on "good to have a beer with," if essentially the press is doing the same thing.