Voters’ Voice is a partnership dedicated to making voters’ issues and voters themselves the focus of news coverage of New Hampshire elections in 1996. Its goals include re-establishing the role of the electorate by putting their issues first; reducing coverage of “campaign issues” that will disappear after the election; reducing coverage of mudslinging and attacks; promoting fairness and accuracy in campaigns; reducing coverage of campaign strategy, personnel changes and other insider information; playing down “horse race” polling and playing up polling about what voters think and how they react to candidates’ stands on issues; using interviews with individual voters to illustrate issues; using news coverage to show voters they and their opinions count; and using news coverage to emphasize the connection between campaigns and governing. Membership in the partnership will not inhibit or preclude independent coverage of any candidate or issue by any member.
New Hampshire Public Television, New Hampshire Public Radio, The (Nashua) Telegraph, Portsmouth Herald, The Associated Press.