President Bush, the media's forgotten man

Across all forms of mainstream media, news coverage of President Bush has fallen significantly this year. The drop-off has big implications for Bush, whose ability to influence the public debate is weakened by less exposure, and for the country, which ends up with lighter scrutiny of the nation's highest office. And while the trend is not unusual for a lame-duck leader - Bill Clinton was plenty overshadowed in his final months - the declining attention still seems pronounced given the forces working against Bush. The nation is tired, worn down by wars and a weak economy. Much of the country seems ready to move on, even though Bush remains relevant thanks mainly to his veto power and his command over the military. News organizations, making an editorial judgment influenced by tighter budgets, see less point in covering an unpopular president with waning clout and diminishing news value. The presidential beat is expensive; the airfare alone for one of Bush's foreign trips easily can run more than $20,000. For the reporters still following Bush, the big stories still happen, but far less often. TV correspondents find it harder to get on the air, photographers doubt whether their pictures will get any play, and writers often see their work buried in the back of the newspaper. On top of it all, Bush is not part of the story getting all the buzz: the race for his job.