Typically at these events, two or three hundred reporters crowd into the media filing center at the debate site, watch the debate on TV monitors and pound out their stories.  Occasionally during the debate, staffers from one or another of the campaigns may circulate among the scribes distributing paper to support a point made by their candidate.  After the debate, top campaign staff and surrogates hold court around the edges of the room, putting their spin on what has just transpired; the candidates themselves, or at least some of them, also put in an appearance at the front of the room to offer reactions.  In terms of photographs, immediately before and after the debate, a pool consisting of a dozen or so photographers from top national news organizations and from  the local paper or papers is escorted in to take pictures.  The stories are then filed and the photos transmitted.

The next morning, at breakfast or on the way to work, the informed citizen leafs through his or her newspaper.  How have the editors played the debate?  Is it given a prominent place on page one with a photo, or is it relegated to the back pages with no photo?  In addition to the article on the debate itself, is there other coverage such as a separate article on the scene outside the debate or on citizens' reactions to the debate; are there excerpts?  There are many different possibilities for photo coverage: the candidates chatting or posing on the stage before or after the debate; a medium close up of two or three candidates in an exchange during the debate; separate shots of each of the candidates; a wide shot showing the look of the candidates on the set; perhaps an image of a prominent person or persons in the audience; or of the activities outside the debate; sometimes there will be candidate photos from earlier in the day. 

The prominence and number of column inches a paper gives to a particular debate will of course depend on the news of the day.  If the debate happened locally or in state it may receive more coverage than otherwise (and if the news organization sponsored the debate it will likely receive extensive coverage). 
 

Major Candidate Forums

New Hampshire Oct. 22, 1999	The New Hampshire Primary Debate Partnership--NHPTV, NECN and the Union Leader.	"Republican Presidential Forum" at NHPTV in Durham, NH.
New Hampshire Oct. 27, 1999	WMUR-TV and CNN.	"First in the Nation: A New Hampshire Town Meeting" (Democrats) at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.
New Hampshire Oct. 28, 1999	WMUR-TV and CNN.	"First in the Nation: A New Hampshire Town Meeting" (Republicans) at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.
Arizona Nov. 21, 1999	Arizona Republican Party and the Associated Students of ASU.	Republican debate at ASU in Tempe, AZ.
New Hampshire Dec. 2, 1999	WMUR-TV and FOX News Channel.	"The Republicans: A New Hampshire Forum" at WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH.
Arizona Dec. 6, 1999	Arizona Republican Party and CNN.	"CNN Election 2000 Special: The Arizona Republican Primary Debate" at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, AZ.
Iowa Dec. 13, 1999	WHO-TV.	"The Iowa Debate" at the Civic Center in Des Moines, IA.
New Hampshire Dec. 17, 1999	ABC "Nightline."	"First in the Nation: A New Hampshire Town Meeting" (Democrats) at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.
Washington,DC Dec. 19, 1999	NBC "Meet the Press."	Democratic debate at NBC in Washington, DC.
New Hampshire Jan. 5, 2000	The New Hampshire Primary Debate Partnership--NHPTV, NECN and the Union Leader.	"NH Democratic Primary Debate" at UNH in Durham, NH.
New Hampshire Jan. 6, 2000	The New Hampshire Primary Debate Partnership--NHPTV, NECN and the Union Leader.	"NH Republican Primary Debate" at UNH in Durham, NH.
South Carolina Jan. 7, 2000	South Carolina Republican Party (broadcast by WIS-TV and MSNBC).	Republican debate.
Iowa Jan. 8, 2000	Des Moines Register.	"Des Moines Register Presidential Candidates Debate" (Democrats) at IPTV in Johnston, IA.
Michigan Jan. 10, 2000	Michigan Republican Party, Calvin College, WOOD TV-8 (NBC) and Kent County Republican Committee.	Republican debate at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI.
Iowa Jan. 15, 2000	Des Moines Register.	"Des Moines Register Presidential Candidates Debate" (Republicans) at IPTV in Johnston, IA.
Iowa Jan. 17, 2000	The Brown & Black Forum (group chaired by State Rep. Wayne Ford and Ila Plasencia).	"Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum" in Des Moines, IA.
New Hampshire Jan. 26, 2000	WMUR-TV and CNN.	"First in the Nation: The New Hampshire Debates"--Democrats at WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH.
New Hampshire Jan. 26, 2000	WMUR-TV and CNN.	"First in the Nation: The New Hampshire Debates"--Republicans at WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH.
South Carolina Feb. 15, 2000	South Carolina Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) and CNN.	Republican presidential debate at Seawells in Columbia, SC.
New York Feb. 21, 2000	Time and CNN.	Democratic debate at Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY.
California March 1, 2000	Los Angeles Times and CNN.	"Los Angeles Times/CNN Presidential Debates"--Democrats at the L.A. Times building in Los Angeles, CA.
California March 2, 2000	Los Angeles Times and CNN.	"Los Angeles Times/CNN Presidential Debates"--Republicans at the L.A. Times building in Los Angeles, CA.

Looking at debate coverage in a number of newpapers, is it possible to determine whether some of these debates were more newsworthy than others? If so, what factors make a debate newsworthy?