"Among all the American political virtues, candor is probably the most necessary. Candor is telling the truth about what people know, think, and see. (Early American author) James Fenimore Cooper argued that the word American was synonymous with the habit of telling the truth: 'By candor we are not to understand trifling and uncalled for expositions of truth; but a sentiment that proves a conviction of the necessity of speaking the truth, when speaking at all, a contempt for all designing evasions of our real opinions.'" SD

"Finally the media played a large role in elections by interpreting and giving opinions on everything. For instance, every paper had editorials and syndicated columnists and most news programs had segments where people were brought in for analysis of some news item. Also, journalists interpreted political ads for the public. While some ads had things in them that the average person might have missed or misunderstood, we didn't need it quite on the scale that it was done. Lastly, the media interpreted debates and then announced the 'winners.'" PA

"President George Bush was criticized by the New York Times for supposedly being amazed at the scanning device at a local supermarket. In reality, the President had been at the National Grocers Association meeting in Orlando and was amazed at the ability of a scanner to reassemble a torn label. No one ever bothered to check on the accuracy of these allegations." SD

"The media . . . controls public opinion and can promote personal beliefs through what the people believe is unbiased news coverage. This practice could endanger the democratic vote by allowing the people to decide the fate of the nation knowing only half the available information. The media should instead offer a fair and equal amount of time to each candidate, without biasing the report in any way, regardless of their own convictions. Although this can be difficult when one candidate is more visible and active than (another), all reports should be purely factual, and any opinion stated should be in the form of a quote. This allows the public to make a competent and well informed choice knowing all available information as well as the difference between fact and fiction." OR

"If the facts would be clearly stated instead of the 'stuff' that is printed we would be better off. How are we supposed to distinguish fact from fiction." PA

"Mixed in with the facts on a candidate are pieces of information that may or may not have any shred of truth buried under the haystack." MO

"In another survey I took, eighty percent agreed that the media should report facts to the public and not be opinionative. The other twenty percent said, 'That is what campaigning is all about." FL

"It can be easily summed up in the words of my father, 'I think the media should report the facts of any situation and the pros and cons so that people could judge by the facts and. . . form their own opinions.'" PA

"We have all had to do those worksheets in elementary school on facts versus fiction. Were all the reporters absent on those days?" WI

"Let people think for themselves, without the distortions." KY

"In the 1920s and 1930s newspapers clearly stated the opinions of the writers." NE

"Rather than being informed of the candidates and where they stood on the issues, the public was told how the editor of the city paper was going to vote. This is not paid advertising, this is free publicity because the newspaper staff happened to feel that their choice for President should be known." SD

"We all know that the media will bend toward the candidate who will benefit them the most. The media would wildly deny this accusation, but it is only human nature to tend toward something beneficial as opposed to something that may harm you. Therefore, the media sacrifices fair coverage in order to bring you the news of the moment." PA

"The journalists that make up the media are just human so their opinions are bound to influence their report." OK

"There is no such thing as objective reporting. Editors, publishers, and reporters all have beliefs that are shaped by their education, environment, and social circumstances." TX

". . . if we're to tell a true story to someone, and we have done a lot of research, we cannot help from forming an opinion on the subject ourselves. Once we have formed an opinion ourselves, it is virtually impossible to walk away knowing that they do not know our opinion." NE

"...although the media try to be objective, it is obvious that certain media persons let their value judgments and opinions get in the way of unbiased reporting...it is impossible for the media to state all the facts, because what might be irrelevant in on person's eyes might be extremely relevant in another's, and as soon as one piece of information is selected before another, the view is already slanted." NH

"Usually what is seen is the public forming its opinion around the media's opinion. These opinions should only be printed in the editorial sections." SD

"The entire basis of cartoons is to let the cartoonist express his or her opinion on a subject through the drawing of a parody or caricature. This opinionated form of press goes against the basic principle of the media which is expressed in its definition." NY

"Cartoons are often biased toward one candidate. They accentuate mistakes that politicians made or mistaken phrases they may have said. Perot's ears and Clinton's hippie years are two examples of the flaws that newspapers highlight." OR

"Although it is perfectly acceptable for the media to supply information, it should not supply opinions and, ultimately, our nation's leaders." NH

". . . it is important for newsmen and women to stay objective. This should be the biggest concern of the media . . . They can show us the stories and speeches, but they must show us everything, so that we, the people, can make our own decisions and not be brainwashed by a few nutty extremists. " MD