Wiston Papers

Who to watch for election results?  It doesn't really matter.

All the national news media are trying to get you to watch their coverage tonight of today’s presidential election.  

These news organizations are marshaling an army of star anchors and experienced reporters to fan out across the nation to bring you the most accurate, up-to-the minute results.  

In one of the most tightly contested presidential elections since the Bush-Gore campaign at the turn of the century, millions of Americans are anxious to know the outcome.   It’s a tough decision to pick the network best prepared to deliver the first definitive results:

ABC News will have the always breathless, over-the-top, sensationalistic-prone Diane Sawyer leading a team of professionals sure to know the answers.  Her partner will be former Bill Clinton White House strategist George Stephanopoulos who will provide his usual Washington insight.   Barbara Walters will give us much-wanted history instead of her celebrity interviews.

CBS News Anchor Scott Pelley will bring solemnity to coverage befitting the Tiffany Network’s decades-old reputation for seriousness and accuracy.  That was before Dan Rather and Katie Couric, of course.  Nevertheless, with Bob Schieffer matching historical anecdotes with ABC’s Barbara Walters, you have a clear option.

NBC News relies on veteran Brian Williams as usual. The only anchor of the Big Three networks to have covered the Presidential Election Big Dance four years ago.  He will be joined by newcomer Samantha Guthrie, Meet The Press host David Gregory, and former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw.  Brokaw, Schieffer and Walters have all been around the block often enough that they should give us more presidential history than we can absorb.  It's too close to call.

The cable networks want to persuade you of their superior election prowess.  CNN will front its coverage with anchors Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper.  There will be at least ten studio analysts to provide analysis and opinions.  It should be enlightening.

Fox News will rely on Bret Baier and Megyn Kelly conservatively speaking.  Of course, if you were concerned about the ideological leanings of the network, the fact that Chris Wallace and Brit Hume. Bill O’Reilly and Greta Van Susteren will all be on hand should put your minds at ease.

MSNBC relies on liberal Rachel Maddow to anchor its coverage.  She’s be able to share some of her duties with news personalities from sister network NBC.

PBS offers the only female co-anchors to lead its broadcasts: Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff.  But the males are represented by historians Michael Beschloss and Richard Norton Smith.  Remember, this is public television using your taxpayers’ money.  You can tune in to see your dollars hard at work.

All these news organization claim that they will provide the most accurate, complete, current presidential election results.

Not true.

The fact is every one of these networks relies on the same two sources for all its information:  The Associated Press and Edison Research.  The so-called National Election Pool.

By agreement among AP and all the aforementioned networks, every news organization is fishing from the same pond.  

In other words, it makes no difference who you watch this evening for results of the presidential election 2012.   The information will be the same; all from the same two sources.

That said, just watch the news personalities you like.  None of them can truly promise to give you more accurate information than their competition.  

The only difference will be who you think is more entertaining.

Steve Coon

November 06, 2012