RTE broadcasters will admit that there is little place for probing journalism on radio and television during an election.
RTE judges its success by the number of banana skins it avoids. On that criterion, senior sources in RTE were pleased. There were only a few complaints from the political parties, and its own researchers found the coverage balanced.
Mr Bruton's handlers complained that his photograph, used to promote RTE's coverage, wad too grainy. Complaints that the Taoiseach was not on one Six One News and on the second day the item was too far down were explained by satellite link faults.
Much of the coverage is pre-arranged, with RTE and the leaders' handlers agreeing on tours and coverage. "If we did not cover them they would probably not take place," according to an RTE source.
Both national and local radio was the major medium, fed by party handlers all day long. Radio reporters were supplied with fresh soundbites for hourly bulletins until the evening television news featuring party leaders on tour.
The newspapers gave the election massive coverage, up to four broadsheet pages a day. The papers fell into the soundbite trap as well with "quotes of the day". Much of the coverage was colour. Where the newspapers scored was with specialist writers.
In the first week there was an issue - taxation. The media had already been signalled in advance that it would be a major issue by Fianna Fail and the PDs. Whether the voters believed it was an issue worthy of dominating the media for a week is a moot point. Fianna Fail's research showed it coming fourth or fifth.
The media jumped on taxation because it suggested differences between the two alternative governments on offer. It allowed the media to respond in the traditional way of offering two views.
When tax failed to set the campaign alight, it became a reactive campaign dominated by the spin doctors. Mary Harney's comments on public service jobs and single mothers were both regarded as two good "hits" by Labour.
Opinion polls dominated rather than journalism. When Mr Bruton saw the Rainbow still slipping, he used the Examiner to call for a debate with Mr Ahern in Cork. The Star announced that Mr Bruton was to be more available to the media and would no longer rely on his handlers to advise him.
The voters hardly featured, other than as props for party leaders on TV. The audience for RTE's Questions and Answers was made up of party activists, rather than ordinary people asking questions.
One indication of public interest was the huge number of people who watched both the leaders' debate and the Spring-Harney debate.