IP: Alliance for Better Campaigns

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Hi Folks:


With the California Primary now behind us, the California Voter Foundation
is now making plans for the November General Election.  Among the many
activities we have in store is our participation in the Alliance for
Better Campaigns' efforts to improve political news coverage of politics.


The Alliance for Better Campaigns is a new organization created by Paul
Taylor, former reporter for the Washington Post, co-chaired by Jimmy
Carter, Walter Cronkite and Gerald Ford and funded by the Pew Charitable
Trusts.  Some of you may remember Taylor's efforts to promote better news
coverage of the 1996 Presidential Election.  His new organization is off
to a great start, and has the potential to make a strong, positive impact
on the quality and quantity of news coverage available to voters. 


California is among the ten states the Alliance has targeted for 1998 to
begin this important work, which the Alliance plans to take nationwide for
the 2000 Presidential election.  I'm pleased to tell you that I have been
invited to serve on the Alliance's California Advisory Committee, chaired
by former Democratic consultant Michael Reese and Republican consultant
Dan Schnur.  The California Advisory Committee is being sponsored in
partnership with USC's Annenberg School for Communication and includes
many other dedicated people working in the fields of journalism, academia
and politics.


Below is a news release the Alliance for Better Campaigns issued
yesterday, in conjunction with their formal launch and news conference in
Washington, D.C.  You can also find more information at their web site, at
http://www.bettercampaigns.org.


I hope you will join the California Voter Foundation in supporting
this important and promising effort.  I'll be sure to keep CVF-NEWS
subscribers informed of the Alliance for Better Campaigns' progress and
activities in California.


__________________________________
:::: Kim Alexander, President ::::
:: California Voter Foundation :::
::::::: kimalex () netcom com :::::::
:::: http://www.calvoter.org :::::
:::::::: (916) 325-2120 ::::::::::
__________________________________


--------------------------------------------------------------


For Immediate Release -- June 15, 1998
CONTACT: Paul Taylor, 202.879.6755




New Group Launches Project to Improve Political Campaigns;
Calls on Broadcasters, Candidates to Create =91Mini-Debate


WASHINGTON, DC (June 15) -- The Alliance for Better Campaigns, a new
public interest group that seeks to improve political conduct and
discourse, launched its 1998 project today, calling on candidates and
broadcasters to create televised "mini-debates" and announcing a public
service advertising campaign to be produced by rival political
consultants Bob Squier and Alex Castellanos.


"The Alliance is promoting a series of practical innovations designed
to help rescue political campaigns from the downward spiral of more ads,
less coverage and fewer voters,"=94 said Alliance Executive Director Paul
Taylor. "=93e'=92re also askng everyone else who is frustrated by
political campaigns to help figure out how to make them better."
=94
The Alliance is calling on broadcasters to air five-minute candidate
mini-debates every Sunday night from Labor Day to Election Day. One
station, KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, joined the Alliance today to announce
that it will invite the California gubernatorial candidates to take part
in weekly mini-debates this fall.


In addition to mini-debates, the Alliance and its partners in 10 states
where this pilot project is underway are calling for more long-format
debates, more ad watches, and more robust standards of accountability in
candidate and issue advocacy advertising.


The Alliance is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts as part of a $3.7
million, three-year grant to the Annenberg School for Communication at
the University of Pennsylvania. Annenberg Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson is
using a portion of the funds to research and analyze the discourse and
coverage in the Alliance's 10 states. "We know surprisingly little about
the norms of political discourse in gubernatorial races, " Jamieson
said. "This research will report on the extent to which the
media in these 10 states routinely sponsor debates and analyze the
accuracy of political ads."


The 10 states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois,
Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Texas. They were chosen for
geographic, demographic and political diversity. The Alliance's=92
effort will start with --=96 but not be limite to -- gubernatorial races in
these states. State partners from the civic, public interest, academic and
business communities are meeting with candidates and broadcasters to
encourage new formats for televised discourse. In some instances, state
partners will also promote voluntary candidate codes of conduct. Based
on evaluations of what works and what doesn'=92t in 1998, the Alliance
hopes to refine this initiative and take it nationwide in the campaign
of 2000.


About $1.4 million of the Pew grant will be used in 1998 on
a public service ad campaign, featuring a 30-second spot jointly
produced by Bob Squier, President Clinton's media consultant in 1996,
and Alex Castellanos, Bob Dole's 1996 media consultant. The ad will be
an affirmation of the importance of political campaigns to our
democracy. It will air this fall in the 10 states.


The Alliance will also team with America Online to engage citizens in a
"National Brainstorm" this fall. "=93By going directly to AOL's more than 1=
2
million members, we hope to get new ideas and new insights about what
needs to be done to make campaigns better," said Kathleen deLaski, AOL's
Director of New Initiatives for the News and Information Channels. AOL
will collect ideas from its members and gather feedback about the
Alliance's proposals using online polls, chats, message boards and
e-mail.


The Alliance'=92s three honorary co-chairs each released a statement today.
"Citizens deserve political campaigns in which television provides a
forum for candidates to engage in a spirited exchange of ideas about
issues that matter to the public," said Jimmy Carter.  "=93The Alliance for
Better campaigns is promoting practical steps to help make that ideal a
reality."
=94
"It is long past time that television became part of the solution
instead of part of the problem," said Walter Cronkite. "With just a
little dedication and a little effort, this powerful medium of
television could give us the most precious of gifts -- an effective
democracy."


Gerald Ford said: "As we approach a new century, it is vital that we
find ways to reinvigorate political discourse. The Alliance for Better
Campaigns presents tangible ideas to improve the quality of our
campaigns at a time when new thinking is desperately needed."


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CVF-NEWS is a free, electronic newsletter published by the California=20
Voter Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to
using new technologies to help shape a more informed and engaged=20
electorate. CVF-NEWS features updates about online voter education, money i=
n=20
politics, and political disclosure, emphasizing activities taking place=20
in California.  To subscribe or unsubscribe to CVF-NEWS, write to Kim=20
Alexander at kimalex () netcom com.


CVF's work is supported through contributions and voluntary support from=20
foundations, corporations and individuals. To find out how you can help,=20
contact CVF via phone, 916-325-2120; email, kimalex () netcom com; visit=20
the CVF Web site at http://www.calvoter.org; or send your tax-deductible
contribution to CVF at P.O. Box 1151, Sacramento, CA  95812-1151.
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