Abstract
The 2026 House of Representatives Election was dubbed "midwinter snap election." This paper examines voters' perceptions of TV election coverage through an online survey, analyzes the content of programs aired by NHK and the key stations of commercial network broadcasters, and compares the two. In the online survey, the majority of respondents evaluated the TV election coverage "positive, but not quite sufficient." Regarding the most relied-upon source of information, many respondents cited television, but YouTube and social media—including content posted by political parties—were closing in on television. An analysis of the coverage content indicated that television did provide voters with information to help them form their voting decisions regarding election issues and the stances of political parties, to a certain extent. On the other hand, regarding coverage of the growing problem of disinformation and misinformation, the "insufficiency" pointed out by voters in the online survey was borne out by the actual content of the reports.
