Dark horses

Polling research shows that American voters are particularly dissatisfied with their presidential choices this election year. For some, there is a deeper dissatisfaction with the control that the two dominant political parties exert over the electoral system. Critics, including some in NPR's audience, accuse the news media of complicity in perpetuating that entrenched system.

Today we address a comment from an audience member who suggests that a lack of news coverage hurts distant challengers. If newsrooms like NPR gave political dark horses more coverage, the argument goes, more voters would become familiar with them and then offer their support and their votes. And then lesser-known candidates wouldn't be such long shots.

It's a fundamental question in a presidential election year: Should newsrooms devote a greater