This is the time of year journalists live for. One week to go before an election. It’s like the World Series and the Super Bowl rolled into one – a time when the entire country’s spotlight shines on the stories journalists cover and the words they write and speak.

But when you throw in the fact that it’s a presidential election year – an event that occurs only once every four years – the entire world watches, and the significance and excitement reach Olympic proportions.

So, with one week to go before our nation elects its next president, we’re asking you to comment on the role of the media in the election process. How much of an influence do the media have on elections in general? How much influence have they had on Presidential Election 2000?

• Considering the fact that most of us don’t have the time to follow each candidate around the country as he speaks to the people, a lot of what we hear about a candidate is seen through the eyes and lenses of the media. Have the media done a good job this campaign of reporting the true essence of each presidential candidate’s message? 

• In general, do you think the media have done a good job of covering this election? Which specific media organizations have done the best job of being fair and unbiased in their coverage? 

• Which media organizations have you found to be the most biased? In your opinion, which candidate, if any, has benefited the most from media bias this election? 

• For the past month or so, major media organizations have been conducting daily tracking polls of who is “leading” the election race. Results of these polls can differ greatly from each other - even on the same day. How closely have you been following these polls? Which organization’s polls do you trust the most? How much influence do you think these polls have on American voters? 

• Regardless of whether you believe the media are biased or not, how much overall influence do you think the media have on the voters of our nation leading up to a presidential election? What percentage of voters follows the lead of the media when deciding on whom to vote for? 

• Finally, which of the two major presidential candidates, George W. Bush or Al Gore, has done the best job of using the media to his advantage throught this election?