edia tell us what issues to consider, they also tell
             us which policy issues to use as criteria to evaluate the candidates. If,
             for example, the media repeatedly and prominently raise concerns about the
             economic situation, then to the extent that voters are worried about the
             issues, it is a candidate's ability to handle the economy that becomes the
             basis upon which that candidate rises or falls. This is known as the
             priming effect, and it holds true for character issues as well.(Iyengar &
             Kinder, 1987) If integrity is a central concern of the press, as it was
             during the 1976 presidential campaign, that characteristic will become the
             one used most often to assess the merits of the candidates. These findings
             cause some concern, for if the media devote too much coverage to
             inappropriate issues or character subjects, then the electorate may make
             decisions based on imperfect criteria. The electorate, for example, may
             well have made the crucial mistake of ignoring Jimmy Carter's inexperience
             simply because the press failed to make an issue of it. Thus, it is worth
             exploring what message the media should be communicating.
             In addition to setting the issue agenda and telling the public what
             criteria to use to evaluate the candidates, the media also influence our
             perceptions of which candidates merit consideration. There is little doubt
             that people learn about the candidates through the media. This learning in
             turn has impact on perceptions and eventually on the choices voters make at
             the polls. (Brady, 1989) The ways in which the media influence voter
             candidate assessments can occasionally be obvious and the result of a
             conscious effort. Newspaper endorsements, for example, have been known to
             influence both perceptions and the vote. (Erikson, 1976) Ronald Reagan was
             able to come from behind and win the ...