Russ Feingold: “This Senator is intrigued by the Senator's discussion of newspapers and the roles of the newspapers today in the context…”

“This Senator is intrigued by the Senator's discussion of newspapers and the roles of the newspapers today in the context of this bill passing and becoming law. All I hear around the country is that the newspapers have lost their clout and that they do not compare with television, cable TV, and the like. My question is: If it is the case that newspapers somehow have this power, why do not campaigns spend a lot of money on newspaper advertising to counteract? I would suggest--and it would be an interesting response--that the influence of newspapers is absolutely minuscule. Regrettably the influence of these editorial writers is minuscule compared to the power of television. I would suggest that is the reason that 75 or 80 percent of almost every Senate campaign spends its money on television. I would be interested in why suddenly newspapers have reached the power that they have lost over the years.”