Dewey Defeats Truman?

Last night's election was akin to a roller coaster ride. But it was the major television networks that manufactured much of the excitement. Blinded by competitive drive, all the most accessible media outlets incorrectly reported election outcomes throughout the evening. Unreliable exit polling led to a premature calling of Florida for Vice President Al Gore '69 even before polls in the state had closed. Later that evening, again instead of waiting for full election returns, the networks heralded a victory for Texas Gov. George W. Bush--only to retract their report less than an hour later.

These inexusable errors speak to the inevitable conflict between accuracy and timeliness in news reporting. Both are desirable in a well-functioning and responsible press. Timeliness does not necesarrily result in inaccuracy but the race to break the news before other media venues made last night's election coverage an example of how the two conflict.

Especially during an event as sensitive as the presidential election, the media should have prioritized accuracy over timeliness. While there are certainly benefits to a media that can instantaneously report news to the public, in this instance the need for accuracy far outweighs the benefits afforded by an efficient media.

Reporting election results quickly is extremely difficult--so much so that media industries should think twice before advertising statistical projections as reliable fact. Interpreting statistics as they become available is a complicated process, involving the number of precincts counted, the political leanings of different districts and many other uncontrollable variables.

Compounding the difficulty in interpreting results is the seriousness of the consequences that result from misreported information. Inaccurate, premature calling of states on the East Coast, for example, can have a major effect on the results of the election. Voters on the West Coast are able to watch the East Coast's results before their polls close. This has the potential to discourage voters from the Central, Mountain and Pacific Time Zones from voting, thus changing the outcome of important local, state, and national elections.

Consequently, the media should err on the side of caution, waiting until all of the polls have closed before calling states for certain candidates.

There is certainly a place for timeliness in reporting, and we are not condemning the media for its propensity to report stories quickly. In this instance, however, because of the seriousness of the role of the news during elections, the media should have taken a more cautious and responsible approach.