The rise and fall of Howard Dean: the media's role in the Iowa caucus "scream" debacle

Unrestricted Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential Primary Bid marked a number of firsts in American politics and existed as a threat to the ruling hegemonic nexus of power. This study, therefore, utilizes contextual content analysis to study the media's editorial treatment of Governor Dean on the heels of his Iowa Caucus "Scream" speech. To provide a reasonable picture of overall media coverage, the editorial sections of The New York Times and The Washington Post, identified by Gerbner as the two intermedia agenda-setters, were studied with hopes of providing not only an overall picture of the mediated depiction of Dean's treatment but also insights into the potential future of Presidential politics. The study found that, almost without exception, coverage of Governor Dean was negative but coverage rarely mentioned the speech specifically, instead calling into question his personal life, his demeanor and his perceived ability to lead.