Abstract
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced his candidacy at Liberty University on March 23, 2015, becoming the first major candidate of either party to formally enter the race.  A review of front pages of the nation's largest newspapers on March 24 provides an indicator of the importance editors accorded to the story.  Examining front-page coverage of subsequent candidate announcements will add further understanding.

Methodology
Front pages of over sixty of the top newspapers from March 24, 2015 were reviewed for coverage of Cruz's announcement. 
The list of top papers came from BurrellesLuce "Top Media Outlets."  The source of the front pages was the Newseum's "Today's Front Pages."

The front pages were examined for four main elements.  a) Teasers, which are usually just a few words or sentence or two pointing the reader to the actual article on an inside page, are the minumum.  They can vary considerably, however; some of them stand out with a big font size and bold typeface and others are very inconspicuous.  b) Thumbnail photos are tightly cropped headshots that give no context and often are not even credited.  c) Articles range from a single column to multiple columns.  d) Feature photos show the announcement event.  Combining text and an image multiplies the impact.  Finally if the article or photo appears above the fold that is also considered to add impact.  Reporters, headlines, photographers and image descriptions were noted.

A quantitative analysis of each paper's coverage would have been very useful, but was not possible due to time constraints.  This could have been accomplished by measuring the images of each front page on the computer screen and working out the proportion of space devoted to announcement coverage to total front page space. 

Tabloid papers are not considered in this review; additionally a couple of other papers were missed by mistake.

Newspaper
Teaser
Thumb Photo
Article
Feature
Photo
Above the fold
Reporter
Headline
USA Today
-
-
x
x
-
Susan Page/USA Today
"Combative Cruz vows to lead right's fight"

The Wall Street Journal
-
-
x
-
x
Reid J. Epstein and Rebecca Ballhaus
"GOP Race Opens to the Right"
The New York Times
-
-
x
x
x
Ashley Parker and Maggie Haberman "Cruz Defined As Ambitious And Tactical"
Los Angeles Times
-
-
x
x
x
Lisa Mascaro
"Ted Cruz tilts the 2016 GOP race to the right"
News Analysis
New York Post
- - - - - - -- TABLOID- did not make the front page --

San Jose Mercury News
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Daily News (NY)
?




? TABLOID

Chicago Tribune
-
-
x
-
-
Lisa Mascaro/Tribune Washington Bureau
"Presidential campaign is officially up, running"
Newsday (NY)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- TABLOID - did not make the front page --

The Washington Post
-
-
x
-
x
Phillip Rucker and Robert Costa
"Cruz one of many courting the right"








Chicago Sun-Times






-- TABLOID - did not make the front page --

The Dallas Morning News
-
-
x
x
x
Todd J. Gillman
BIG"Eyes on the prize"
"Texan enters fray, seeks help of 'courageous conservatives'"

The Denver Post
?




?

Daily News (CA)
x
- - - - -
-

The Orange County Register (CA)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --
Houston Chronicle
-
-
2



x
x

1. Kevin Diaz

2. Theodore Schleifer and Allan Turner
BIG"'Ready to stand with you'"
1. "In the Running: Cruz kicks of 2016 grass-roots bid for president"
2. "Evangelicals: Christian setting may glimpse future of campaign"
The Philadelphia Inquirer
-
-
x
x
-
Katie Zezima and
David A. Fahrenthold/
Washington Post

"Cruz vows spirited run for president"
Star Tribune (MN)
-
-
x
x
-
Dan Balz/Washington Post
"Cruz tests the limit of conservatism"
Analysis
Tampa Bay Times
-
-
x
x
-
New York Times
"Ted Cruz becomes first GOP candidate in presidential race"
The Star-Ledger (NJ)
-
-
x
x
-
Phillip Elliott/Associated Press
BIG"Cruz Starts White House Run"
"Positions himself as the champion of conservatives"








Honolulu Star-Advertiser
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

The Boston Globe
x
-
-
-
x
-
-

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
x
-
-
-
x
-
-
The Arizona Republic
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

The Seattle Times
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Las Vegas Review-Journal
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

The Oregonian
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

The San Diego Union-Tribune
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --
The Plain Dealer (OH)
x
-
-
-
-
-
-

San Francisco Chronicle
x
-
-
-
x
-
-









Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
x
-
-
x
-
-
-

Pioneer Press (MN)
-
-
x
x
-
Maria Recio/Tribune News Service
"Cruz makes it official: He wants to be president"
Detroit Free Press
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
x
-
-
-
-
-
-

The Sacramento Bee
-
-
x
x
x
Lisa Mascaro/Tribune Washington Bureau "Cruz's leap into campaign pressures party from right"
The Tampa Tribune
x
-
-
-
-
-
-

Star-Telegram (TX)
-
-
x
x
x
Maria Recio/
Star-Telegram Washington Bureau
BIG"Cruz vows to reignite 'promise of America"
"Junior senator from Texas portrays himself as the most Reagan-like contender"
Kansas City Star
x
-
-
x
-
-
-

El Nuevo Dia (PR)






-- TABLOID - did not make the front page --

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --









The Salt Lake Tribune
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Investor's Bus. Daily
?





?

The Baltimore Sun
x
x
-
-
-
-
-

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Orlando Sentinel
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --
Sun-Sentinel (FL)
x
-
-
-
-
-
-

The Record (NJ)
x
x
-
-

x
-
-
The Indianapolis Star
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Ark. Democrat-Gazette
-
-
x
-
-
Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff from Wire Reports
"Extolling faith, Cruz enters race"
The Buffalo News
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --









The Columbus Dispatch (OH)
x
-
-
x
-
-
-
Austin American-Statesman
-
-
x
x
x
Jonathan Tilove BIG"Cruz's first pitch: 'God isn't done' blessing us"
San Antonio Express-News
-
-
x
x
x
Teddy Schleifer and Allan Turner "Hints of potential matchup for president in the air" "Cruz aiming to win with evangelicals"
(grouped with article/photo on Hillary Clinton)
The Miami Herald
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

Charlotte Observer
x
-
-
-
-
-
-

Omaha World-Herald
-
-
-
-
-
-
-- did not make the front page --

The Courier-Journal (KY)
x
-
-
x

-
-
- [USA Today]
    

 

 
Examples of teasers from
The Baltimore Sun with
a thumbnail photo and from
the Charlotte Observer
with no photo.

Prominent coverage
in Cruz's hometown
paper.


Results
The final sample includes 50 papers. 

- In 17 papers (34-percent), the announcement did not make the front page.

- In nine papers (18-percent), there was a teaser with no photo. 

- In 18 papers (36-percent), there was a front-page article on the announcement.

- Of those 18, In 14 (28-percent) the front page article ran with an acompanying feature photo.

Discussion
In the March 24 morning papers there was not a single story that dominated the headlines and would have relegated Cruz's announcement to the inner pages.1  A wide variety of lead stories filled the papers. 

Cruz is a high-profile figure (+) and is seen as a major candidate, although several recent polls show his support among Republicans in the 4- to 6-percent range.

A bit over one-third of papers had no front-page mention of the announcement, meaning just under two-thirds had something, be it a full article and photo or just a teaser.  All five Texas papers in the sample gave the announcement very prominent coverage.  A couple of other papers (The Star-Ledger and The Sacramento Bee) fit in that category as well.

The number of papers with no front-page mention or notice of Cruz's announcement -- just over one-third -- seemed a bit high.  However, looking at those 17 papers one sees that many of them feature only four front-page articles; they have an open, uncluttered design, often with a large graphic element.  Under older newspaper designs, the Cruz announcement might have made the front page in a higher proportion of papers.

This analysis does not consider the depth or tone of the coverage, but a "Cruz first in" aspect was obvious.


Note
1. Sen. Richard Lugar's announcement on April 19, 1995, occurred the same day as the Oklahoma City bombing.

2. CNN/ORC Poll. March 13-15, 2015. N=450 Republicans and independents who lean Republican nationwide. Margin of error ± 4.5.  McClatchy-Marist Poll. March 1-4, 2015. N=426 registered voters nationwide who are Republicans or lean Republican. Margin of error ± 4.7.  Quinnipiac University. Feb. 26-March 2, 2015. N=554 registered voters nationwide who are Republican or lean Republican. Margin of error ± 4.2. PollingReport.com.

    B. Photo Coverage
Newspaper
Size
Photo
Description   W  MW  M  MCU  CU  ECU
USA Today
rel. small, one-column
H. Darr Beiser/USA Today
MCU of Cruz speaking, holding his hands in front, fairly tight crop; bit of audience v. blurry in background.
The New York Times
small, one-column
Travis Dove for the New York Times
CU of Cruz; conveys no info as to setting.
Los Angeles Times
two-column
Andrew Harnik/
Associated Press
MCU of Cruz speaking; audience and lights in the background.
The Dallas Morning News
three-column, center, above the fold
Andrew Harnik/
Associated Press
MW of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; crowd in the background, LU logo on the ceiling.
Houston Chronicle
five-column, center, above the fold
Andrew Harnik/
Associated Press
M of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; tight crop
The Philadelphia Inquirer
two-column, below the fold
Jay Paul/Bloomberg
M of Cruz waving; a bit of crowd visible in distance in lower part of the frame; LU logo on the ceiling.
Star Tribune
two-column, below the fold
Andrew Harnik/
Associated Press
M of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; tight crop. 
*same shot as HC used
Tampa Bay Times
two-column, below the fold Associated Press
MW of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, the two parents waving, daughters holding flags; crowd in the background, LU logo on the ceiling.  *same shot as DMN used
The Star-Ledger (NJ)
three columns, very big
Andrew Harnik/
Associated Press
M of Cruz speaking, microphone wire to jaw, right hand outstretched.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
three columns, small, very vertical crop
AFP/Getty Images
W of Cruz speaking (on the right side of the frame), and audience behind him filling most of the frame.
Pioneer Press (MN)
two-column
Associated Press/
Andrew Harnik
MCU of Cruz speaking; audience and lights in the background.  *same shot as LAT used.
The Sacramento Bee
three-column, center, above the fold
Travis Dove/
The New York Times
MW looking down on Cruz in middle of crowd reaching up to shake hands.
Star-Telegram (TX)
four-column, big, on the fold
The Associated Press/Andrew Harnik
M shot, kind of from the side, of wife Heidi and Cruz in between their two daughters standing in a row on stage, daughters holding flags; crowd in the background.
Kansas City Star
cut-out, no context
no credit
cut-out
The Columbus Dispatch (OH)
small, one-column
no credit
MCU of Cruz speaking.
Austin American-Statesman three-column above the fold
Jay Paul/Bloomberg
M of Cruz speaking, a couple of lens flares from bright lights; audience very distant in background.
San-Antonio Express-News
four-column, above the fold
Travis Dove/
The New York Times
MW shot of the Cruz family on stage walking towards the camera, holding hands; daughters holding flags; crowd in background.
The Courier-Journal
rel. small, one-column
no credit
MCU of Cruz speaking, holding his hands in front, fairly tight crop; bit of audience v. blurry in background.

Results
- Eighteen of the papers had front-page feature photos of the announcement (and there were also two thumbnail headshots not considered here).


- 12 of the 18 photos were Cruz himself and six were family shots.

- Eight of 15 credited photos were from The Associated Press.

Discussion
The dominance of AP photos is striking, as the sources of written reportage were more diverse. 
The family shot was a nice image, showing the parents flanked by their two daughters, who were wearing red dresses and holding American flags.  The two-to-one ratio of Cruz solo to Cruz family shots is interesting. 

Conclusion
This front-page survey presents a very narrow, superficial analysis and one wonders if these trends would hold if interior coverage was also considered. 
It will be interesting to see if coverage of subsequent candidate announcements follows the patterns observed above.