Las Vegas Sun

December 4, 2009

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Letter: TV coverage can inspire voters

Sunday, June 4, 2000 | 8:58 a.m.

The alliance asks TV broadcasters to provide five minutes a night of coverage between 5 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. (that covers several newscasts) for 30 days before the primary and general election. Broadcasters can divide up that five minutes anyway they like. It could be 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 90 seconds and so forth of news stories. Participant broadcasters have come up with some pretty creative coverage such as AdWatch (checking out the claims in political ads), debates, interviews, town meetings and students interviewing the candidates.

In Philadelphia, during the last election cycle, ratings went up when students interviewed candidates for city council, mayoral and legislative seats. Also, voter turnout improved. Wouldn't it be great to test out the possibilities in Las Vegas? If news stories increased on campaigns and elections, perhaps new residents would find out more about the "political players" in our state and get out and vote. Maybe then Nevada would not be written up in Time magazine as having "the worst voter-turnout, only 38 percent, for the 1996 presidential election."

KATHLEEN DICKINSON

Project Manager, Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

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