Kraus, Sidney (1927—)

Sidney Kraus was among the first observers of political communication to perceive and bring attention to the important function served in election campaigns by televised political debates. He was also among the first to begin challenging the limited effects model of media effects, particularly with regard to television, which had long dominated the field. He began his education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he received his BFA (1953) and MFA (1954). In 1959 he earned his PhD from the University of Iowa (Radio and Television). During his academic career, he has taught at Indiana University, the University of Massachusetts, and Cleveland State University, where he served as chair of the department of communication and is now a professor emeritus. In addition to teaching, he has also served as a consultant in communications and campaign advisor to various political candidates and as a political analyst for television news.

In The Great Debates (1962), Kraus brings together for the first time a remarkable collection of interdisciplinary studies that includes a variety of historical, descriptive, critical, and experimental research about a single communication event. This volume opened the door for similar investigations of significant critical events. In 1993, two of his books, The Great Debates: Background, Perspective, Effects (1962) and Televised Presidential Debates and Public Policy (2nd ed., 2000), were selected by the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University as among the 25 most important books on media and politics. Kraus is best known for the work he has done on televised presidential debates, beginning with those in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. In 1964, The Great Debates was chosen for inclusion in the White House Library, one of only four books selected in the area of broadcasting. During the presidential campaigns of 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1996, he was invited to attend the presidential and vice presidential debates, giving him the unique opportunity to study the debates as a participant observer.

In Televised Presidential Debates and Public Policy, Kraus reviews what has been learned about televised presidential debates, their impact on the course of the election, and utilizes that knowledge to address the question of whether or not presidential debates should be mandated by legislation. He concludes that, based on the evidence, voters want presidential debates in national elections and gain significant information from the debates. Therefore, to receive federal funding, candidates should be compelled to participate in televised presidential debates. He further suggests that Congress establish a commission regarding eligibility of candidate participation and establish fair criteria for participation.