Gov: Media Influences Politics

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Content Objective:

Understand the influence of media coverage, political advertising, and public opinion polls in shaping public opinion.

Language Objectives:

• Understand, learn, and use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly through informational text and direct instruction.
• Identify and/or summarize main ideas, facts, supporting details, and opinions in an informational and/or practical selection.
• Read and synthesize information found in various parts of charts, tables, or diagrams to reach supported conclusions.

Learning Target:

Students will explain the roles and activities of news media and how they affect the beliefs and behaviors of voters.

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In 1960, Richard Nixon and John Kennedy participated in the first televised debate between two presidential candidates. Those who watched the debate on television concluded Kennedy had won. Those who listened on the radio considered Nixon the winner. The difference reflected not what the candidates said about the issues, but rather the images they projected. This outcome underscored the growing importance of image over issues in political campaigns.

Media Consultants

Media consultant’s job is to advise candidates on how to present a positive image to voters. They make sure their candidates wear flattering colors that show up well on television. They coach candidates on how to speak to the press and how to respond to voter’s questions.

Media consultants help candidates plan their media campaigns. They work with the news media to get free coverage of the campaign in newspapers and newscasts. Media consultants help decide what ads should say and where and when they should appear.

Most media coverage comes from paid political advertising and advertising is expensive. Candidates may spend up to 80 percent of their war chest or campaign funds, on paid ads. Media consultants use opinion polls to make sure that money is spent effectively. They also work with focus groups to test the appeal of campaign messages. A focus group is a small group of people who are brought together to discuss their opinion on a topic of concern. Before the public sees a campaign ad, it has probably been discussed and tweaked by a focus group.

Persuasive Techniques Used in Political Advertising

Political campaigns use a number of persuasive techniques in an attempt to influence the opinions of voters. The more you know of these techniques, the better you will be at analyzing political advertising.

Name-calling uses personal attacks on an opponent to distract voters from the real issues of the campaign. The goal is to inspire doubts about the opponent’s fitness for office by appealing to people’s fears or prejudices.

Transfer uses symbols or images that evoke emotion to something unrelated, such as a candidate or proposition.

Bandwagon creates the impression that “everyone” supports a cause or candidate. This technique plays on people’s desire to conform or climb on the bandwagon, rather than be left behind.

Plain folks uses folksy or everyday images and language too show that the candidate is a regular person who understands the needs and concerns of the common people.

Testimonials is using a well-known celebrity or personality endorse a candidate or proposal. The hope is that voters will follow the celebrity’s example without questioning his or her qualifications to make such a judgement.

Card-stacking is presenting facts, statistics, and other evidences that support only one side of the argument.

Glittering generalities uses vague, sweeping statements that appeal to voters emotionally, but do not actually say much of anything specific. Candidates and proposals are often described in lofty terms.

Types of Campaign Ads

Political advertisements usually fall into two groups. The first group deals with issues, the second with images. Ads in either group can be positive or negative. Positive ads are aimed at making you like or respect a candidate, while negative ads are designed to make you dislike or fear his or her opponent. 

Positive issue ads promote a candidate’s position on topics calculated to appeal to voters. Negative issue ads, on the other hand, criticize the opponent’s stand on issues of importance to voters.

A positive image ads might show the candidate as a selfless public servant, a strong leader, or someone who cares about ordinary people. The candidate might be portrayed as a hero or as just “plain folk.” In contrast, a negative image ads might portray the opponent as weak, inexperienced, or lacking in integrity. Often negative ads include unflattering photographs of the opposition candidate. The desired effect is to convince voters that this person is somehow unfit for public office.

Attracting Media Coverage

Candidates and their media consultants work hard to attract news coverage. Almost all aspects of a campaign are designed to generate as much free publicity as possible. This is done by creating a photo op for the candidate. A photo op is a carefully staged event designed to produce memorable photographs and video images.

National nominating conventions are staged to attract maximum media coverage. Past conventions were dominated by long-winded speeches and debates over the nominees and platform that bored television viewers. As a result broadcast media drastically cut their coverage of these events. In response, parties streamlined their conventions. Most business is conducted off camera. Prime time speeches and events are designed mainly to promote the party’s ideas and candidates to the viewing public.

Coverage of Elections

Studies of election news coverage show that most reporting falls into two distinct patterns. The first pattern, horse race coverage, treats an election as a sporting event. Horse race stories focus on who is winning and why. Issues are discussed only in terms of whether they will help or hurt the candidate’s chances. Opinion polls, often sponsored by a news organization, are used to track who is ahead or behind. The results of the polls are then covered by the media as campaign news.

The second pattern of coverage, soap opera stories, focuses on the ups and downs of candidates and their campaigns. Soap opera stories thrive on gossip, scandals, and personality. Questions of character are more important than issues. In their hunger for soap opera stories, reporters sometimes practice what has become known as gotcha journalism. The aim of gotcha journalism is to catch the candidate making a mistake or looking foolish.

Why Go Negative

At some point during a campaign, media consultants may advise a candidate to go negative. This means switching from a positive, upbeat campaign to negative campaigning, also known as mudslinging. The decision to go negative is not taken lightly. Polls show that the public dislikes attack ads. Going negative also leaves the candidate open to criticism for running a mean-spirited campaign.

Clients are advised to consider negative campaigning only when the candidate has absolute proof that the opponent has done something wrong or when the candidate is facing an uphill battle and has little to lose.

Campaigns go negative because it works. Negative ads work by discouraging voters who might have supported a candidate under attack from going to the polls. Others contend, however, that negative campaigning actually stimulates voter interest. They argue that going negative works not by discouraging voting, but instead by causing more voters to go to the polls and choose a different candidate on Election Day.

Like it or hate it, negative campaigning is part of our political tradition. How well it works depends on how you and voters like you react to what you see and hear during each election season.

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Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the students and speakers of our government classes and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of this website, institution, or organization. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.