Barriers in Speaking with Senate Candidates
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Barriers in Speaking with Senate Candidates

Date: October 5, 2010
By: Amanda Macias
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
Missouri's Senate candidates are running for public office but are using TV attacks ads to promote their message instead of talking with the unscripted and unpredictable press. Amanda Macias has more from Jefferson City.
RunTime:  0:39
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Candidates spend money on TV ads fabricated by their campaign because it's a controlled message that they created.

In close races, those messages can become negative, as you can hear in these TV ads from Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan.

Actuality:  BADVERT.WAV
Run Time:  00:04
Description: "Why is Robin Carnahan lying about Roy Blunt? Because she is wrong on every issue."

Actuality:  CADVERT.WAV
Run Time:  00:03
Description: "Roy Blunt, he is the very worst of Washington."

Unlike one-sided attacks, journalists seek both sides of an issue and often ask about topics that politicians may not want to discuss.

MU journalism professor Charles Davis says this is exactly the reason why candiates use TV commericals and not one-on-one interviews.

From the state Capitol, I'm Amanda Macias.

Intro: 
In less than a month voters will cast their ballot for Missouri Senate candidates Roy Blunt or Robin Carnahan. But both candidates have found a way to fight for your tax payer money while hiding from your questions. Amanda Macias has more from Jefferson City
RunTime:  0:35
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: The winner of the Missouri Senate race will get a salary of 174,000 dollars funded by tax payers.

But the campaigns for these leading candidates are cautious about granting open-ended interviews or releasing their schedules.

MU journalism professor Charles Davis says a candidate might think...

Actuality:  DAVIS4.WAV
Run Time:  00:07
Description: "You guys look stuff up and challenge and ask tough questions that make us uncomfortable. No thanks, we'll go over here and talk to these people. They love us."
 
Instead Davis says that candidates are using attack ads where they can control the message instead of being caught off guard by a journalist.

From the state Capitol, I'm Amanda Macias.