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By JOHN GOOLRICK
Kappahannot k News Contributing Writer
A few weeks ago in this column I took a somewhat cursory look at that part of the Virginia media covering politics. It was totally unscientific and the basic point was that while I think the media will be fair in this year’s statewide elections, it should do everything possible to avoid even a hint of bias toward either party.
Just recently I received a copy of a piece done by Mary Washington College political science professor Mark J. Rozell who is widely quoted by the media about state politics and is currently working on ap in-depth study of state politics and the media.
While my observations were off the top of the head, Rozell is much more focused and finds at least some truth in a complaint of losing 1989 Republican gubernatorial candidate Marshall Coleman that the state media had been overtly pro-Doug Wilder in its campaign coverage.
Rozell thinks the media trained much of its coverage on such hot button issues as abortion and gun control, treating these issues largely on Wilder’s terms and aiding the Democratic strategy to keep Coleman constantly on the defensive.
Rozell says he has heard recent GOP assertions that coverage of the 1993 races will bring more of the same and complaints that a Democratic-leaning state media will attempt to paint the Republican ticket as extremist.
While Rozell does feel a rightward drift of the state party may hurt its chances, he, nevertheless, feels that the press should not hone in exclusively on such highly controversial issues as gun control and
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