- Sen. Ted Cruz «
Announcement
« Newspaper Front Page Coverage
Newspaper Front-Page Coverage of Sen. Ted Cruz's Announcement
Abstract
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced his candidacy at Liberty University on March 23, 2015, becoming the first major candidate of either party to formally enter the race. A review of front pages of the nation's largest newspapers on March 24 provides an indicator of the importance editors accorded to the story. Examining front-page coverage of subsequent candidate announcements will add further understanding.
Methodology
Front pages of over sixty of the top newspapers from March 24, 2015 were reviewed for coverage of Cruz's announcement. The list of top papers came from BurrellesLuce "Top Media Outlets." The source of the front pages was the Newseum's "Today's Front Pages."
The front pages were examined for four main elements. a) Teasers, which are usually just a few words or sentence or two pointing the reader to the actual article on an inside page, are the minumum. They can vary considerably, however; some of them stand out with a big font size and bold typeface and others are very inconspicuous. b) Thumbnail photos are tightly cropped headshots that give no context and often are not even credited. c) Articles range from a single column to multiple columns. d) Feature photos show the announcement event. Combining text and an image multiplies the impact. Finally if the article or photo appears above the fold that is also considered to add impact. Reporters, headlines, photographers and image descriptions were noted.
A quantitative analysis of each paper's coverage would have been very useful, but was not possible due to time constraints. This could have been accomplished by measuring the images of each front page on the computer screen and working out the proportion of space devoted to announcement coverage to total front page space.
Tabloid papers are not considered in this review; additionally a couple of other papers were missed by mistake.
Newspaper |
Teaser |
Thumb
Photo |
Article |
Feature Photo |
Above
the
fold |
Reporter |
Headline |
USA
Today |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
Susan Page/USA Today |
"Combative
Cruz
vows
to
lead
right's
fight" |
The
Wall Street Journal |
- |
- |
x |
- |
x |
Reid J. Epstein and
Rebecca Ballhaus |
"GOP
Race Opens to the Right" |
The
New York Times |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman | "Cruz Defined As Ambitious And Tactical" |
Los
Angeles
Times |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Lisa Mascaro |
"Ted
Cruz tilts the 2016 GOP race to the right" News Analysis |
New
York Post |
- | - | - | - | - | - | -- TABLOID- did not make the
front page -- |
San
Jose Mercury News |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Daily
News
(NY) |
? | ? TABLOID |
|||||
Chicago
Tribune |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
Lisa Mascaro/Tribune
Washington Bureau |
"Presidential campaign is officially up,
running" |
Newsday
(NY) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- TABLOID - did not make the front page -- |
The
Washington Post |
- |
- |
x |
- |
x |
Phillip
Rucker and Robert Costa |
"Cruz one of many courting the right" |
Chicago
Sun-Times |
-- TABLOID - did not make the front page -- |
||||||
The
Dallas
Morning
News |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Todd J. Gillman |
BIG"Eyes
on
the
prize" "Texan enters fray, seeks help of 'courageous conservatives'" |
The
Denver Post |
? | ? |
|||||
Daily
News
(CA) |
x |
- | - | - | - | - |
- |
The
Orange County Register (CA) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Houston
Chronicle |
- |
- |
2 |
x |
x |
1. Kevin Diaz 2. Theodore Schleifer and Allan Turner |
BIG"'Ready to stand with you'" 1. "In the Running: Cruz kicks of 2016 grass-roots bid for president" 2. "Evangelicals: Christian setting may glimpse future of campaign" |
The
Philadelphia Inquirer |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
Katie Zezima and David A. Fahrenthold/ Washington Post |
"Cruz
vows
spirited
run
for
president" |
Star
Tribune
(MN) |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
Dan Balz/Washington Post |
"Cruz tests the limit of conservatism" Analysis |
Tampa
Bay
Times |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
New York Times |
"Ted Cruz becomes first GOP candidate in
presidential race" |
The
Star-Ledger (NJ) |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
Phillip
Elliott/Associated
Press |
BIG"Cruz
Starts
White
House
Run" "Positions himself as the champion of conservatives" |
Honolulu
Star-Advertiser |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Boston Globe |
x |
- |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
x |
- |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
The
Arizona
Republic |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Seattle Times |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Las
Vegas Review-Journal |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Oregonian |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
San Diego Union-Tribune |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Plain
Dealer
(OH) |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
San
Francisco Chronicle |
x |
- |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review |
x |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
- |
Pioneer
Press
(MN) |
- |
- |
x |
x |
- |
Maria Recio/Tribune News
Service |
"Cruz makes it official: He wants to be
president" |
Detroit
Free
Press |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Milwaukee
Journal
Sentinel |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
The
Sacramento Bee |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Lisa Mascaro/Tribune Washington Bureau | "Cruz's leap into campaign pressures party
from right" |
The
Tampa Tribune |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Star-Telegram
(TX) |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Maria Recio/ Star-Telegram Washington Bureau |
BIG"Cruz vows to reignite 'promise of America" "Junior senator from Texas portrays himself as the most Reagan-like contender" |
Kansas
City Star |
x |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
- |
El
Nuevo Dia (PR) |
-- TABLOID - did not make the front page -- |
||||||
St.
Louis Post-Dispatch |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Salt Lake Tribune |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Investor's
Bus.
Daily |
? |
? |
|||||
The
Baltimore Sun |
x |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Orlando
Sentinel |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Sun-Sentinel
(FL) |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
The
Record (NJ) |
x |
x |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
The
Indianapolis Star |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Ark.
Democrat-Gazette |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
Compiled by
Democrat-Gazette Staff from Wire Reports |
"Extolling faith, Cruz enters race" |
The
Buffalo News |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Columbus Dispatch (OH) |
x |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
- |
Austin
American-Statesman |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Jonathan Tilove | BIG"Cruz's
first
pitch:
'God
isn't
done'
blessing
us" |
San
Antonio Express-News |
- |
- |
x |
x |
x |
Teddy Schleifer and Allan Turner | "Hints
of
potential
matchup
for
president
in
the
air"
"Cruz
aiming
to
win
with
evangelicals" (grouped with article/photo on Hillary Clinton) |
The
Miami Herald |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
Charlotte
Observer |
x |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Omaha
World-Herald |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
-- did not make the front page -- |
The
Courier-Journal (KY) |
x |
- |
- |
x |
- |
- |
- [USA Today] |
Examples of teasers from The Baltimore Sun with a thumbnail photo and from the Charlotte Observer with no photo. |
|
Prominent coverage in Cruz's hometown paper. |
Results
The final sample includes 50 papers.
- In 17 papers (34-percent), the announcement did not make the front page.
- In nine papers (18-percent), there was a teaser with no photo.
- In 18 papers (36-percent), there was a front-page article on the announcement.
- Of those 18, In 14 (28-percent) the front page article ran with an acompanying feature photo.
Discussion
In the March 24 morning papers there was not a single story that dominated the headlines and would have relegated Cruz's announcement to the inner pages.1 A wide variety of lead stories filled the papers.
Cruz is a high-profile figure (+) and is seen as a major candidate, although several recent polls show his support among Republicans in the 4- to 6-percent range.
A bit over one-third of papers had no front-page mention of the announcement, meaning just under two-thirds had something, be it a full article and photo or just a teaser. All five Texas papers in the sample gave the announcement very prominent coverage. A couple of other papers (The Star-Ledger and The Sacramento Bee) fit in that category as well.
The number of papers with no front-page mention or notice of Cruz's announcement -- just over one-third -- seemed a bit high. However, looking at those 17 papers one sees that many of them feature only four front-page articles; they have an open, uncluttered design, often with a large graphic element. Under older newspaper designs, the Cruz announcement might have made the front page in a higher proportion of papers.
This analysis does not consider the depth or tone of the coverage, but a "Cruz first in" aspect was obvious.
Note
1. Sen. Richard Lugar's announcement on April 19, 1995, occurred the same day as the Oklahoma City bombing.
2. CNN/ORC Poll. March 13-15, 2015. N=450 Republicans and independents who lean Republican nationwide. Margin of error ± 4.5. McClatchy-Marist Poll. March 1-4, 2015. N=426 registered voters nationwide who are Republicans or lean Republican. Margin of error ± 4.7. Quinnipiac University. Feb. 26-March 2, 2015. N=554 registered voters nationwide who are Republican or lean Republican. Margin of error ± 4.2. PollingReport.com.
B. Photo Coverage
Results
- Eighteen of the papers had front-page feature photos of the announcement (and there were also two thumbnail headshots not considered here).
- 12 of the 18 photos were Cruz himself and six were family shots.
- Eight of 15 credited photos were from The Associated Press.
Discussion
The dominance of AP photos is striking, as the sources of written reportage were more diverse. The family shot was a nice image, showing the parents flanked by their two daughters, who were wearing red dresses and holding American flags. The two-to-one ratio of Cruz solo to Cruz family shots is interesting.
Conclusion
This front-page survey presents a very narrow, superficial analysis and one wonders if these trends would hold if interior coverage was also considered.
It will be interesting to see if coverage of subsequent candidate announcements follows the patterns observed above.
Newspaper |
Size |
Photo |
Description
W MW M
MCU CU ECU |
USA
Today |
rel.
small, one-column |
H. Darr Beiser/USA Today |
MCU of Cruz speaking,
holding his hands in front, fairly tight crop; bit of audience v.
blurry in background. |
The
New York Times |
small, one-column |
Travis Dove for the New
York Times |
CU of Cruz; conveys no
info as to setting. |
Los
Angeles
Times |
two-column |
Andrew Harnik/ Associated Press |
MCU of Cruz speaking;
audience and lights in the background. |
The
Dallas Morning News |
three-column, center,
above the fold |
Andrew Harnik/ Associated Press |
MW of
wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters
standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding
flags; crowd in the background, LU logo on the ceiling. |
Houston
Chronicle |
five-column, center,
above the fold |
Andrew Harnik/ Associated Press |
M of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; tight crop |
The
Philadelphia
Inquirer |
two-column, below the fold |
Jay Paul/Bloomberg |
M of Cruz waving; a bit
of crowd visible in distance in lower part of the frame; LU logo on the
ceiling. |
Star
Tribune |
two-column, below the fold |
Andrew Harnik/ Associated Press |
M of
wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters
standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding
flags; tight crop. *same shot as HC used |
Tampa
Bay
Times |
two-column, below the fold | Associated Press |
MW of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; crowd in the background, LU logo on the ceiling. *same shot as DMN used |
The
Star-Ledger (NJ) |
three columns, very big |
Andrew Harnik/ Associated Press |
M of Cruz speaking,
microphone wire to jaw, right hand outstretched. |
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |
three columns, small,
very vertical crop |
AFP/Getty Images |
W of Cruz speaking (on
the right side of the frame), and audience behind him filling most of
the frame. |
Pioneer Press (MN) |
two-column |
Associated Press/ Andrew Harnik |
MCU of Cruz speaking; audience and lights in the background. *same shot as LAT used. |
The Sacramento Bee |
three-column, center,
above the fold |
Travis Dove/ The New York Times |
MW looking down on Cruz
in middle of crowd reaching up to shake hands. |
Star-Telegram (TX) |
four-column, big, on the
fold |
The Associated
Press/Andrew Harnik |
M shot, kind of from the side, of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, daughters holding flags; crowd in the background. |
Kansas City Star |
cut-out, no context |
no credit |
cut-out |
The Columbus Dispatch (OH) |
small, one-column |
no credit |
MCU of Cruz speaking. |
Austin American-Statesman | three-column above the
fold |
Jay Paul/Bloomberg |
M of Cruz speaking, a
couple of lens flares from bright lights; audience very distant in
background. |
San-Antonio Express-News |
four-column, above the
fold |
Travis Dove/ The New York Times |
MW shot of the Cruz
family on stage walking towards the camera, holding hands; daughters
holding flags; crowd in background. |
The Courier-Journal |
rel. small, one-column |
no credit |
MCU of Cruz speaking, holding his hands in front, fairly tight crop; bit of audience v. blurry in background. |
Results
- Eighteen of the papers had front-page feature photos of the announcement (and there were also two thumbnail headshots not considered here).
- 12 of the 18 photos were Cruz himself and six were family shots.
- Eight of 15 credited photos were from The Associated Press.
Discussion
The dominance of AP photos is striking, as the sources of written reportage were more diverse. The family shot was a nice image, showing the parents flanked by their two daughters, who were wearing red dresses and holding American flags. The two-to-one ratio of Cruz solo to Cruz family shots is interesting.
Conclusion
This front-page survey presents a very narrow, superficial analysis and one wonders if these trends would hold if interior coverage was also considered.
It will be interesting to see if coverage of subsequent candidate announcements follows the patterns observed above.