Press Coverage of Black Statewide Candidates: The Case of L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia

Abstract

This article examines the newspaper treatment of L. Douglas Wilder's 1985 lieutenant governor's campaign and his 1989 gubernatorial campaign. Using content analysis, the author analyzes one liberal newspaper and one conservative newspaper, both of which serve the Virginia area. This article found that although these publications devoted most of their attention to the Wilder campaigns, they also gave the majority of negative coverage to the Wilder campaigns. Some of the coverage included unflattering references to Wilder's race. In sum, this study supports the claim by Black politicians that the media often distort and misrepresent the campaigns of Black office seekers in a way that makes it difficult for them to garner White votes.