EDUCATORS, MEDIA DISCUSS COVERAGE OF GAMBLING ISSUE

Religiosity and media coverage basically had no effect on the outcome of the recent riverboat gambling election, according to a survey conducted by two assistant professors of mass communications at Southeast Missouri State University.

James Dufek and Tamara Baldwin revealed their findings during a colloquium attended by about 50 students and townspeople Tuesday night at the University Center.

The two educators conducted a survey of 700 Cape Girardeau residents in mid-October, asking participants a wide variety of questions about the riverboat gambling issue.

The measure was approved Nov. 2 by a 52 percent majority vote.

The assistant professors shared their information with the public and local media representatives for the first time Tuesday night, encouraging questions and commentary from both.

"We were very surprised that religion did not seem to have a strong effect on the outcome of the election," said Dufek. "This is one of the strongest religious areas in the country; we expected that to play a large part in the voting.

"I assume that because information coming to us via the media was from predominantly strong religious leaders in the community, we expected a stronger religious impact," he continued. "But our numbers show it just wasn't there."

The survey's results show that although roughly 90 percent of Cape Girardeans polled said religion was very important to them in their daily lives, only 37 percent of the those polled objected to riverboat gambling on moral grounds. About 32 percent said their religious belief significantly influenced their positions on riverboat gambling.

Dufek said the reasons most people cited for voting in favor of riverboat gaming were the jobs the boat could create and the progressive image of Cape Girardeau the boat would project.

Dufek and Baldwin tallied their results two weeks prior to the election and found 55 percent saying they were in favor of riverboat gambling and 34 percent opposed.

"We knew scientifically two weeks before the election that the riverboat gambling issue would pass," said Dufek. "But in my heart, I wondered if that was how it really would go."

In their study, Dufek and Baldwin posed the question to the participants about the effect of local media outlets on their opinion of riverboat gambling, and how people thought other people were affected by media coverage of the issue.

"Our conclusions showed that generally, the media had no influence on people's opinions about riverboat gambling," said Dufek. "If we were to blame the media for anything it would be for the propagation of advertisements, which people evidently found more attractive than the actual news information."

Ken Newton, editor of the Southeast Missourian newspaper, Mike Beecher, news director at KFVS-TV, and Carol Keeler, a news reporter and talk-show host at KZIM radio, were asked to talk about their coverage of the riverboat gambling issue, and to address Dufek and Baldwin's findings.

"Our emphasis in covering the riverboat gambling issue was to get all the facts and present them in the fairest manner we could," said Newton. "I think we did a pretty good job of trying to portray both sides."

During October, Newton told the group, the Southeast Missourian ran 28 news stories concerning riverboat gambling, and 50 letters to the editor arguing the issue. He also pointed out that the newspaper backed riverboat gambling in both elections, though it passed only the second time.

"I think without question the students had an impact on this election," said Newton. "Obviously, some things did change between the two elections, but we tried to present facts impartially, and tried to print as many opinions as we could."

Beecher said his station considered the topic a regional issue as well as a story with a great deal of local impact.

"The story had a lot of audience appeal, not to mention a fairly long shelf-life," he said. "But the issue didn't get as much play as the earthquake (scare) got a few years back.

"I received complaints from both sides about our coverage of the issue, which generally indicates that we're doing a pretty good job," Beecher continued. "People accuse us of various and sundry things, but that's part of life in the media."

Beecher also pointed out that his station traditionally does not editorialize on any matter, and did not take a position on riverboat gaming. The news director said his bosses do not want to act "as the conscience of the community" by editorializing on matters which are covered by his news department.

Keeler said that she felt the radio station "drove the issue into the ground" the first time riverboat gaming appeared on the ballot, but approached it from different angles the second time around.

"It was something people wanted to talk about every day," Keeler said. "But there wasn't near as much talk about the issue the second time around."

Keeler said she tried not to take a stand on her talk show and did not editorialize on the matter.