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This study of press coverage of the 1968 presidential campaign finds great uniformity among 20 newspapers in discussion of issues and of qualities of candidates.

Election campaign information presented by a sample of the nat'l press during the last 4 weeks of the 1968 presidential campaign (Oct 8-Nov 4. 1968) was content analyzed. 20 newspapers representing a cross-section of the ITS press were selected: 3.163 campaign stories were coded & analyzed for the period under study. The nature & distribution of all types of stories, with few exceptions, was found to vary only within an extremely narrow range. Nor were there signif variations among papers on the basis of pol'al endorsements. Aside from editorials, reporting was surprisingly free from value judgments. Ilowever. there were diff's in the facts reported For the various candidates which put the Nixon & Wallace teams at a disadvantage in all but 4 papers, The amount of information made available to the average reader varied slightly on a regional basis & on the basis of community size. Everywhere. regardless of geographic, demographic. or pol'al diff's, the public received an image of the ideal president based primarily on personal qualities. with little intormation provided on candidates' pol'al philosophy or executive ability. A fairly uniform picture was given by the papers on what major issues faced the nation in 1968, but issue coverage showed signif gaps reflecting a tendency by the press to rely heavily on information provided be the candidates themselves. It is stated that if a rational voter choice based on objective merit is expected, then the image reported for each presidential candidate was not sufficiently comprehensive for a sound voting decision. But the average voter does not feet competent. L) evaluate the positions which the candidates have taken on complex pol'al issues. Rather, he wants generalized information which reassures him that the chosen man can cope successfully with all contingencies which may arise. In such terms. the press coverage was adequate. The media saw their function as reporting on candidates in most general human tennis. 1 Table, 4 Figures. M. Maxfield.