by Thomas E. Patterson

About the author: Thomas E. Patterson is a political science professor at Syracuse University in New York and the author of Out of Order, an analysis of presidential campaigns.

Reporters have a variety of bad-news messages, but none more prevalent than the suggestion that the candidates cannot be trusted. When candidates speak out on the issues, the press scrutinizes their statements for an ulterior motive. Most bad-press stories criticize candidates for shifting their positions, waffling on tough issues, posturing, or pandering to whichever group they are addressing.

After the 1992 election, I asked several of the nation’s top journalists why they portray the candidates as liars. “Because they are liars,” was the most common response, which was usually followed by an example, such as Bush’s 1988 pledge not to...