Markets, Ownership, and the Quality of Campaign News Coverage

The quality of political news coverage has implications for the information voters are left with to make political decisions. This article argues that the quality of the information found in political news is influenced by media ownership and market contexts. Using original data containing news coverage of competitive statewide races in 2004, coverage provided by multiple media outlets is examined as a function of ownership structure and market context. The results indicate that corporate ownership and market contexts matter in determining the quality of information offered in political news coverage.