News reporters who openly acknowledge that they have a preference, but still report the news, or news reporters who pretend they have no preference, but still report the news, or news reporters who don't report the news?

I think that the first and second are interchangeable, but the third is poison.

Editorial policies concerning projections were profoundly affected by 2000.

Do you know why CNN still has Iowa and New Mexico as undecided? Do they have a policy concerning "decided" vs. "certified"?

Ohio isn't considered undecided, because, as Kerry noticed when he did the math, even if he won all the outstanding ballots the state would still go to Bush, so Ohio results aren't certified, but the state has decided. Pennsylvania is the same way: we had a flap over Nader on the ballot that forced an extension of the absentee ballot deadline, so we aren't counted nor are we certified, but we are decided.