Mo. Senate candidates avoid unscripted media interviews

Intro:	In just over a month voters will elect a senator and pay them 174,000 dollars a year in taxpayer money. But candidates have found a way to hide from your questions while fighting for your money. Amanda Macias has more from Jefferson City.
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Wrap: As Missouri's campaign for the U.S. Senate enters its final weeks, the leading candidates are protecting themselves from unscripted, candid opportunities.

It's difficult to arrange open-ended candidate interviews and the campaigns don't release candidates' schedules.

Even when calling the campaigns it's challenging to get any information...

And online, there is no long-term candidate schedule.

One campaign strategist explained that candidates have become fearful of publicly announcing their schedules, fearing the opposition will send camera people to get an embarassing YouTube moment.

The trend of moving candidate appearances from well-attended major media events to advertising goes back to Richard Nixon's 1968 campaign.

What then was a new approach to politics was identified by journalist Joe McGinniss in his historic book "The Selling of the President."

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 the TV ads for Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan.

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

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Description: "Roy Blunt, he is the very worst of Washington."

Unlike one-sided attacks, journalists seek both sides of an issue and often raise issues that politicans may not want to discuss -- such as why so much money is spent on TV attack ads rather than addressing the issues.

MU Journalism Professor Charles Davis says that's the job of reporters.

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Description: "At the end of the day we serve citizens not politicians. We serve citizens."

So, why wouldn't a candidate want to speak to a reporter?

MU political science professor Marvin Overby says it could be the fear of the unknown.

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Description: "The downside is that you don't know what that reporter is going to ask. You don't know what the follow up question is going to be. You may not know what information that reporter has."

Davis agrees and adds that a candidate might think...

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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."

And it's important to be well loved on the road to becoming a senator.

Overby says...

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Description: "Being a senator puts you on a relatively short list for a number of different jobs."

Even commander in chief..

President Obama was elected when he was Illinois senator.

So on Election Day cast your ballot for the best self-monitored, controlled and scripted image for the Senate.

From the State Capitol, with Michael Langenberg, I'm Amanda Macias.

Intro:	With just weeks left in Missouri's U.S. Senate race, the leading candidates are using TV ads to promote their message. Amanda Macias has more from the State Capitol. A somewhat shorter version of the prior feature.
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Wrap: Senatorial candidates Roy Blunt and Robin Carnahan are running for a taxpayer public office in which they will have a salary of 174,000 dollars.

The campaign staff for these candidates design websites and TV ads but they are cautious about granting open-ended interviews or releasing their schedules.

After the 1968 campaign journalist Joe McGinniss wrote the "Selling of the President" that described a new approach taken by the Nixon campaign to outreach to the public through TV advertising rather than the unscripted and unpredictable press.

Are candidates hiding behind expensive TV ads created by their own campaign?

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
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Description: "Roy Blunt he is the very worst of Washington"

MU Journalism Professor Charles Davis says...

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Description: "I'd never have anyone tell me the following questions are off limits. I find that amazing."

Amazing..and also fustrating.

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Description: "One of these days you are going to reach a point where your business card has some weight behind it. You'll get there."

What about the voters who pay incoming senators 174,000 dollars in tax money?

Be sure to refer to online sites constructed by campaign staff when you want to learn more about who you will vote for on November 2nd.

From the state Capitol, with Michael Langenberg, I'm Amanda Macias.

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.
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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's 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.
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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.