This paper examines past media research on presidential campaign debates, reviewing literature from the fields of mass communication, political science, and speech communication, and considering regulatory changes (e.g., debate sponsorship and equal time provisions) and the growth of primary and general debates as an institution. Beginning with the Nixon-Kennedy debates in 1960, the paper reviews the development and proliferation of presidential debates (particularly as they have been affected by the media's role in them) to examine the media-related research conducted on them and to generate a set of media research questions for future inquiry. The paper recommends that future research examine the "triple agenda" of the public, press, and candidates associated with campaign debates. Thirty-seven references are attached. (SR)