BAD-NEWS, BAD GOVERNANCE

There has been a quiet revolution in news reporting during the past fe w decades. The traditional descriptive style of reporting has given wa y to an interpretive style that empowers journalists by giving them mo re control over content. One consequence is a form of news coverage th at focuses on the negative aspects of politics. This development contr ibutes to the public's dissatisfaction with its political leaders and institutions and makes it more difficult for officials to govern effec tively. The news media's version of reality is exceedingly narrow and cannot be justified by either the journalists' knowledge of political relationships or their position in the political system. The problem w ould be lessened by a model of reporting that subordinates the voice o f the journalist and aims for a more balanced portrayal of the working s of the political system.