Controlling political campaigns

Was the media able to inform Iowans about the details of state and federal political candidates' positions on issues important to Iowa?

The Gazette published news reports of candidate's statements, columns were requested of and submitted by candidates, editorial staff discussed candidates' views and readers submitted letters to the editor.

On television you saw ads by national third-party issue groups like Next Gen Climate Action and American Crossroads and some Iowa-based issue groups. Ironically, these issue groups' negative ads gave us few facts about candidates' views on national issues important to Iowans. Cable networks only talked about general national issues.

It is no surprise that national and some Iowa issue groups were able to pay up to 10 times more for broadcast ad time than local businesses for the same program times. Steve Lake, KCRG's national/regional advertising sales manager, said that the issue groups' buying power priced out other advertisers and even candidates from limited advertising time. KCRG had to accommodate local business customers whose ad time was bumped by higher-priced buys through broadcast channels 9.2 and 9.3 and KCRG and Gazette websites.

Lake said that these national and state group ads were placed by national advertising agencies. The buying power of these groups affected the ability of other Iowa groups and even candidates to air details of issues that they considered relevant to Iowa.

Adam Carros, news director for KCRG, said that issue groups and candidates had louder voices than citizens and the media in driving the conversation about issues. He called it the tail wagging the dog because the ads heavily influenced what issues voters and the media then wanted addressed by the candidates. Those with the largest wallets controlled the debate.

Carros said there were more viewer complaints about the ads than in past elections. 'A lot of people said that they would not watch until after the election,” he said.

Fact checking was one of the few opportunities for KCRG to cut through ad language and present details about candidates' positions and backgrounds. Carros received complaints from those placing ads about the fact checking. They did not like KCRG pointing out that otherwise correct facts were presented out of context in their ads.

The negative attacks ads that everyone disliked are not a creature of modern political campaigning. The Lincoln Library in Springfield, Ill., has a display of satirical, negative, and demeaning newspaper cartoons and stories about Lincoln's presidential campaign and his presidency.

Randy Wyrick, a frequent guest columnist in an out of state newspaper, wrote that 'political attacks go to our nation's very roots and are part of America's political DNA.” Negative ads work.

Carros says KCRG's coverage reaches more people than those who read The Gazette. They have a large viewership in rural areas and are able to reach a broader geographic area. We broadcast viewers were bombarded with negative ads.

If you were upset with the political advertising, then you are upset with the FCC statute and regulations allowing third-party issue groups to control the discussion.

The FCC's current system and the Citizens United Supreme Court decision allow issue group money to broadcast political advertising that reaches the largest number of voters. They monopolize the public airways and control information and opinion.

Political campaign reform was not raised in televised debates or candidate interviews. The tail was wagging us dogs.

One bright spot was the Nov. 2 Gazette's Ask & Answer column. Readers were asked: ”How would you improve the campaign process?” Readers responded with thoughtful answers such as: limit funding by candidates to a certain amount, place a time limit on advertising disbursements by outside parties and create candidate term limits.

Bipartisan national groups such as Americans for Campaign Reform continue advocating for campaign reform. Many focus on creating a financing system for congressional races, strengthening the rules prohibiting coordination between outside spending groups and candidates and repairing the presidential campaign public financing system.

Reforms will not happen unless Iowa voters demand it from their elected representatives and Iowa media give Iowans a voice on suggested reforms. Iowans are in a prime position to control the debate during the next two years.

Community engagement is part The Gazette and KCRG's mission statement. That mission is a key method for enabling Iowans to decide what reforms they want in national and state campaigns.

MEDIA QUESTION?

' If you have an unresolved concern or question about Gazette or KCRG-TV9 news, opinion or online content, contact Judi Whetstine, Iowa Source Media Group's community advocate, at gaz.communityadvocate@gmail.com, or by mail to Community Advocate, The Gazette, 501 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401. Whetstine, not a Source Media Group employee, is a former assistant U.S. attorney in Cedar Rapids.