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Freedom of the Press Essay

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Freedom of the Press and How It Has Affected the American Political Process throughout History ------------------------------------------------- Presented in Partial fulfillment of the Requirement for American Federal Gov 1114 Mark L. Hays Tulsa Community College ------------------------------------------------- By E-Man June 13, 2010 Freedom of the Press is a yearly report by U.S-based non-governmental organization freedom house, measuring the level of freedom and editorial independence enjoyed by the press in every nation and significant disputed territories around the world. Levels of freedom are scored on a scale from 1 (most free) to 100 (least free). Depending on the basics, the nations are …show more content…

It has often been asserted that differences in the two candidates' television personae accounted in part for Kennedy's election victory. Some, however, dispute the significance of the televised 1960 debates, suggesting that while visual cues undoubtedly have the potential to influence voter perceptions, the nature and extent of the influence remain a matter of speculation (Pendell and Vancil P.54 1988). Furthermore; Keyton (1989) points out that “Debates involving candidates for the 1988 presidential nomination carry a similar message. Results of a study of college students revealed the finding that the winner of the 1988 debate was predicted by perceptions of the candidate who projected the strongest personal image, the greatest credibility, the most logical arguments, and the strongest emotional appeals. Furthermore, voter preferences expressed after a first debate were strong predictors of eventual candidate choice. In some political campaigns, even the lack of debates can have significance. George Bush's successful 1988 presidential campaign employed debate avoidance, a reliance upon emotional appeals and ridicule, and a de-emphasis of issues. Both of the major U.S. political parties have used such strategies, considered to be departures from ethical behavior (Kelly 1990). Men and women react differently to the media analysis that generally follows political debates. A study conducted at the University of Florida during the

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