Tuning in to Scandal: Television News Coverage of Congressional Scandals

Many congressional scandals, such as the House Bank scandal or the Abramoff lobbying scandal, receive only scattered bursts of attention by the media because they often involve several transgressors and can be difficult to fully explain to the public because of the nuances of the accusations. TV news coverage of congressional scandals is examined, and results indicate that members attempt to downplay and spin issues stemming from their own misconduct or the misconduct of their colleagues, the public is largely dependent on the mass media to decide what scandals garner attention and how long that attention is focused on a particular event before moving on to other matters.