Final answer:
A reporter might favor horse race stories to capture the election's entertainment value, engaging audiences with the competitive drama rather than policy depth. This approach aligns with media trends for quick news but is criticized for its lack of informative content on candidates' positions.
Step-by-step explanation:
A reporter might prefer to write a horse race story about the election because it emphasizes the entertainment value of the election process rather than diving into the complexities of policies and platform details. This type of reporting focuses on the competitive aspect of the campaign, akin to a sports race, where the interest is in who's ahead, who's behind, and the momentum shifts between candidates. Horserace journalism tends to cover the election in terms of polling numbers and candidate standings without extensive analysis of their policies or platform positions. Moreover, reporting on the horse race aspect of an election can make the news more engaging for viewers as it injects drama and suspense into the coverage. This approach also aligns with the contemporary media environment's preference for concise sound bites and rapid news cycles. However, this type of coverage has been criticized for not providing the electorate with substantial information on where candidates stand on important issues, which is necessary to make informed voting decisions. The popularity of horserace coverage stems from public curiosity about who will ultimately win the election. This interest often translates into high audience engagement and ratings for media outlets, which can be a strong motivator for journalists and reporters to prioritize horse race stories.