A long line formed at a voter registration booth Thursday evening following a forum about media coverage of politics hosted by the Manship School of Mass Communication.

Students checked absentee voting protocol and registered to vote in Louisiana.

Southern University professor Albert Samuels joined LSU professors James Garand, Chris Weber and James Shelledy in addressing questions about media coverage of politics.

Keeping with the trend of social media playing a role in the election, moderators urged the audience to tweet questions using the Twitter hashtag lsuvotes.

Questions chosen included, “Now that technology does not allow candidates to hide as much as before…is this the most honest presidential election ever?” from user Joey Giglio.

This prompted a response from Shelledy, who replied with one word. “No.”

Garand elaborated on the answer, saying candidates know if they distort the truth they will be “called to the carpet by someone, but might not be by everyone.”

Samuels said ratings matter for television news coverage.

“The fundamental bias is, will it make money?” Samuels asked.

Shelledy said if voters think they can get the whole story of an election by flipping on the TV, they’re “sadly mistaken.”

Twitter user T Graham S. Howell asked if campaigns should target college voters.

Garand said if the Obama campaign wishes to have as much success as in 2008 with the 18 to 25-year-old demographic, they have a long way to go.

Though the campaign may have some work to do, Samuels said Obama’s approval among young people is still high.

“If only voters aged 30 and below turn out for this election, Obama wins by a landslide,” said Samuels.

In such a bipartisan media climate, Twitter user YAL at LSU asked, “What’s a Libertarian to do?”

“If you’re a third-party advocate, my sympathies go with you,” said Garand.