horse-race journalismnoun.
Media coverage that focuses on poll results and political battles instead of policy issues.
Example Citation:
"[O]ne reason the substance of policy is not communicated is that reporters carry over to their coverage of government the campaign mind-set of horse-race journalism. Process stories predominate, and the emphasis is on who is gaining or losing, not on what is being done."
David S. Broder, "War on Cynicism," The Washington Post