The News Media and Referendums

Abstract

The way the news media cover referendums is crucial to a proper understanding of what we can expect from these exercises in democratic decision making. Yet the question of how the news media cover referendums has not been systematically considered.¹ Proponents of referendums who idealize their deliberative possibilities may forget that political discourse will be mediated through the news values of media organizations, which are often inimical to collective deliberation. Opponents of referendums who are concerned about voter competence during referendums may forget how much useful information citizens can in fact pick up by watching the evening news.