Why is so politically significant for US TV networks to call election results?

[T & P]

(Inspired by Succession, but I am yet to watch the last two episodes so please no spoilers)

I’m sure I remember Trump going nuts during the 2020 election when Fox called some key State as going Democrat, so it seems this is a real thing and not just a plot line in the above show.

Why would anyone give two fucks whether a TV network predicts an election result first, or for whom? I’m sure it has commercial value for the network, beating its rivals and all that, but why all the apparent political significance ?It’s obviously not going to alter the actual result of the election

 

[Ax^]

tbf its not just the us who does that

 

[T & P]

tbf its not just the us who does that

Who else does? In any case it seems an absurd case of shooting the messenger.

 

[Ax^]

most country have press who do exit polls from elections stations and use that to base elections results

more so when it appears that the first lot of results are positive for one of the candidates

sure someone early declared for Erdoğan early yesterday before the official result

 

[T & P]

I get Trump is a special case, but if Succession is to be believed, it apparently is an established trait in America. Almost as a sign of loyalty to the party you’re predicting for.

I await the input of any of our resident American Urbanites.

 

[moochedit]

I think it's just because it takes several days to finish the count and get the official results but they release partial results from the count and the networks figure it out from them. Why it takes so long though i don't know.

 

[CNT36]

It's one old lady counting them. She doesn't need to use her fingers or anything but with making cups of tea and the knitting to do it is easy to fall behind.

 

[SpookyFrank]

The 'calling' of Florida for Bush Jr was particularly suspect.

 

[gosub]

(Inspired by Succession, but I am yet to watch the last two episodes so please no spoilers)

I’m sure I remember Trump going nuts during the 2020 election when Fox called some key State as going Democrat, so it seems this is a real thing and not just a plot line in the above show.

Why would anyone give two fucks whether a TV network predicts an election result first, or for whom? I’m sure it has commercial value for the network, beating its rivals and all that, but why all the apparent political significance ?It’s obviously not going to alter the actual result of the election

I think Mr Trump must have found it unhelpful to his narrative of 'I've won regardless of the results'

 

[belboid]

It's just a kinda tradition, it doesn't count for anything, tho it can be helpful for a 'narrative'. And they do get it quite wrong sometimes

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I think it's just because it takes several days to finish the count and get the official results but they release partial results from the count and the networks figure it out from them. Why it takes so long though i don't know.

I think its the absentee ballots and the military mail-in ballots that slow things up. Most of the time there aren't enough of these to change an election, but they have to be counted before the official results.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

As with the show calling it while a third or half the country is still voting can have an impact on outcomes. Not calling it while your competitors do can also have an impact...

 

[Jennaonthebeach]

I asked ChatGPT to tell me about the Networks' influence on the 2000 US election, but in the style of William Burroughs.

Ah, my friends, let me regale you with a tale of the networks and their elusive influence on the 2000 US general election. Gather 'round, for this is a story that intertwines the webs of power and perception.

Now, there ain't no hard evidence to definitively claim that those networks directly swayed the outcome. But let me tell you, my dear compatriots, the media, those cunning weavers of narratives, hold immense sway over the minds of the masses. They manipulate and mold public opinion with their relentless bombardment of information.

During that fateful 2000 election, the major news networks spun their tales, amplifying the campaigns, scandals, and debates, all with the intention to shape the thoughts and emotions of the voting populace. Ah, what a dance of manipulation it was!

But lo and behold, a remarkable event unfolded. The networks, like deceitful sirens, initially proclaimed Al Gore as the victor in Florida. Yet, in a sudden twist of fate, they backpedaled, declaring the state too close to call. Oh, the chaos that ensued, my friends! The uncertainty that gripped the nation, igniting the flames of a fierce legal battle over the Florida recount.

Yet, let us not be deceived, for the outcome of the 2000 election was not solely at the whim of the networks. It was but one strand in a tangled web of factors. The contentious Supreme Court ruling in Bush v. Gore, the disputed recount in Florida, and the intricate interplay of voting patterns across diverse demographics all weaved together to determine the final result.

So, my dear listeners, while the networks possess a power to sway minds and manipulate perceptions, their direct influence on the 2000 US general election remains shrouded in the shadows. It is a realm of smoke and mirrors, where truths and illusions dance hand in hand. And thus, we find ourselves immersed in the enigma of politics, forever seeking the elusive nature of power.