Chapter 10: Public Opinion and The News Media
4/5/99

With the end of the Bill and Monica saga, the cable news networks have to be wondering what to do keep their audiences and identities. On MSNBC and the Fox News Channel, where the coverage appeared to be "all Monica, all the time" for the past year, the future must appear to be somewhat bleak. Even after the final Senate vote in the impeachment trial, nightly talk shows continue to discuss the implications of the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal for the moral fabric of the nation, Hillary's political ambitions, and the President's life after his term of office ends. Also, there is continuing coverage of the ongoing Starr investigation, the Linda Tripp grand jury proceedings, and legal actions concerning others, such as Susan McDougall.

Despite these efforts, the cable news networks are moving away from Monicamania as their primary focus. Already the networks are losing viewers. Since December, prime-time ratings are down 20%.

1/14/99

To view current public opinion polls on virtually every topic, go to THE POLLING REPORT. This site is a service of an independent, nonpartisan resource on American public opinion, published in Washington, D.C. At this site, you can find polls on national political actors and issues, economic trends, world affairs, and even entertainment personalities and events. The polls are updated almost daily.

Representative Bob Livingston's shocking announcement that he was pulling out of the running for the Speaker's position for the new Congress may have been prompted by Larry Flynt, the publisher of Hustler Magazine. Flynt had taken out a full-page ad in a national newspaper promising a one-million-dollar award to anyone who had an affair with a current member of Congress. Flynt's stated motivation for placing the ad was to point out the hypocrisy of Congress investigating the sexual affairs of President Clinton when some members were engaged in their own affairs. Apparently, the offer worked in regard to Representative Livingston leading to a disclosure of several 'marital infidelities'.

The media is now in an awkward position of having its national agenda controlled by Larry Flynt as the 'investigative pornographer'. This, however, is not a novel situation for a media that has reported on the sexual affairs of Representatives Burton, Chenoweth, and Hyde in recent months. Many are wondering how far will the media go into the gutter? And, how long will it stay there?

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