This pamphlet by Thomas Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at the Shorenstein Center, contains ideas for strengthening election night telecasts. The recommendations were developed in consultation with television executives and journalists, by examining the internal reviews that the networks themselves conducted after their election night broadcasts of 2000, and through a systematic

A report by Thomas Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press at the Shorenstein Center, examines how the use of exit polling and projections of winners by major broadcast networks has changed over time. Patterson finds that although not “deeply flawed,” the potential of election night telecasts has not been fully realized. He provides