As presidential races change, media coverage must adapt

AS PRESIDENTIAL RACES CHANGE, MEDIA COVERAGE MUST ADAPT
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Dante Chinni]
[Commentary] With no clear nominee on either side, big issues looming, and a war on, the stakes are high in the 2008 elections. The media are responding with early (and often), much hyped "debates" of candidates for President. These "I need a memorable sound bite" gatherings have additional weight because you might actually want to know who these people are if you choose to vote in primary season. With possibly 20 primaries moved up to take place on Feb. 5, 2008, it's likely you will go into the voting booth with a laundry list of options on your ballot. Because the primary schedule is so compressed now, it's hard to imagine that any candidate with a prayer and a few bucks will drop out before Feb. 5. That's where the debates come in, and that is a problem. The broadcast and cable outlets like debates. It's what they are familiar with. And despite the events' many flaws, seeing two or three candidates on stage together answering questions about their positions gives viewers a longer and more in-depth look than they'll get in TV ads or most quick news appearances. But when you multiply the number of candidates two or three times, the flaws of these debate formats become more pronounced.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0612/p09s01-codc.html