A study examined the coverage of the 1984 Jesse Jackson presidential campaign in the "New York Times,""Washington Post,""Chicago Tribune," and "Los Angeles Times," noting (1) the number of stories that mention Jackson; (2) the total column inches devoted to the stories mentioning Jackson; (3) subject matter of the story; (4) degree of bias inherent in the story; and (5) mediated image as reflected by descriptive references to the candidate in the coverage. The period of examination was from November 3, 1983 to April 11, 1984. Results showed that the "Los Angeles Times" contained the most column inches of campaign coverage, and the "Washington Post" featured the most exclusive stories. In addition, analysis showed little difference in topics covered on the Jackson campaign among the various newspapers, and that all emphasized Jackson's problems with Jewish voters. With the exception of the "Tribune" (which displayed a negative bias), the tone of the Jackson coverage was judged to be generally fair and straightforward. The mediated image throughout the months reflected a gradual evolution in coverage from "black civil rights leader" to "Democratic candidate for president." It was also noted that the coverage of the campaign followed the "confirmation" paradigm of press coverage (going through the phases of announcement, definition, judgment, debunking, and conversion), and that Jackson's campaign was characterized by an intense debunking period. (A table of data is included and 12 end notes are attached.) (ARH)