The Media, Campaigns

1
The Media, Campaigns Elections

• Do Political Campaigns affect behavior?
• Do Modern Campaigns turn people off politics?
• What is a negative campaign?
• Can the media influence electoral outcomes?
• What are the problems/inconsistencies with the
  paid media?

2

• According to Norris, Political communication is
  an interactive process concerning the
  transmission of information among politicians,
  the news media, the public.
• Clear to see that it is normally a downward
  process from macro to micro- from government
  institutions to the voting public.
• Political campaigning is a hugely important
  enterprise in elections. In the US a vast
  majority of a candidates time and resources are
  spent appealing for the public to elect him/her.
• Norris identifies 3 main stages in the Evolution
  of Campaign Communications
• 1. Pre-Modern
• 2. Modern
• 3. Post-Modern (Americanization of campaigning)
• NB As we go through these three stages think its
  clear that the stages are not zero-sum, it is not
  one or the other but rather they supplement each
  other.

3
IMPORTANCE OF CAMPAIGNS

• It is generally taken for granted that political
  campaigns boost citizens' involvement- their
  interest in the election, awareness of and
  information about current issues, and sense that
  individual opinions matter. (Ansolabehere et al.
  p.829)
• Voter turnout is thus considered to increase
  directly with the level of political stimulation
  to which the electorate is subjected. (Campbell
  et al. 1966, 42 Patterson and Caldeira 1983).
• Key to remember- will be touched on- that
  campaigns can be either mobilizing or
  demobilizing events.

4

• PRE-MODERN
• Campaign Organization- with leader at apex-
  surrounded by few close political advisers
• Heavy reliance on both Local volunteers and
  Partisan Press
• Voters were largely stable therefore job of
  parties was to mobilize their traditional bases
  of electoral support
• Direct forms of campaigning- door-to-door,
  handing out flyers.

5

• MODERN
• Move from dispersed state and local party
  organizations to a nationally co-ordianted
  strategic campaign from party officials and
  volunteers to paid professional consultants.
• Printing Press still important, but in many
  countries there are weakening press-party
  linkages- as CRUCIALLY newspapers have
  increasingly become politically independent. They
  have the funding to be independent- do not need
  blessing of gov.
• Newspapers began to become supplemented by TV
• TV in turn has led to a greater polarization and
  disparity in Politics
• New professionals were hired guns external to
  the party.

6
POST-MODERN

• New Opportunities/forms of voter-parties
  interaction- websites, QA's etc.
• Post-Modernism Greater cultural pluralism,
  social diversity and fragmentation of resources
• Huge amount of Parties/candidates have their own
  websites
• 40 of all daily papers were online in mid 2000
• The Internet is a hugely important campaign
  weapon. Raising funds, helping people find
  information about candidate/policy etc.

7
Modern Day Facts Figures

• It is clear that Norris's point on the paid
  consultants is clearly true in modern day
  campaigns
• Hilary Clinton has hired more than 350 full time
  paid employees according to Boston Globe this is
  more than 95 of American businesses
• In 1992 Bill Clinton spent hardly anything on
  consultants whereas his wife Hilary so far has
  spent 1.3 million on consultants and advisers
• All 17 candidates between them have spent 16.2
  million on consultants during the first six
  months of this year according to FEC's latest
  returns

8
IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA

• It is clear that the media does have some impact-
  however lots of research has shown that the media
  can dictate the turnout rather than the overall
  turnout.
• If the media predicts a foregone conclusion then
  people will be a lot less inclined to go out and
  vote. In 1996 turnout dropped 5 after the media
  had predicted a Clinton victory well in advance.
• Whereas in both 2000 and 2004 Bush vs. Al Gore
  Bush vs. Kerry, there was no sure winner and
  turnout rose on both occasions.
• Candidates in the Post Modern era feel that media
  and advertising is the best way to get people to
  vote
• BUT (Green and Gerber 2004 9.) Door-to-Door
  campaigning and canvassing by party workers is
  more likely to increase turnout, and parties
  should resort to this.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO
  MOBILIZE PEOPLE? A TV ADVERT, NEWSPAPER ARTICLE,
  PHONE CALL, LOCAL PARTY WORKER?

9
The Importance of Advertising for candidates

• Whatever we feel is best way to mobilize the
  vote- it is clear that in elections in America
  the main way to campaign is through television
  advertising.
• Direct way to appeal to voters
• Psychological research shows that people will
  often subconsciously frame opinions on what they
  have watched.
• FACTS FIGURES
• According to TNS Media the amount spent on TV
  Advertising could reach 3 billion compared to
  1.7 billion in 2004
• Mitt Romney has aired his advertisements approx.
  11,000 times at a cost of 8.6 million. He is in
  the red, and lagging in the polls. Does it work??
• DECEMBER 10TH 2007 Presidential Campaigns spent
  1 million dollars on TV advertising in a day

10
PROBLEMS WITH PAID MEDIA

• Does it work to the extent that money is paid for
  it?
• Unfair advantage to the more wealthy candidates.
• In USA if no financial backing cannot hope to
  compete with the Clinton's and Guliani's
• Whereas in other countries all parties with some
  minimum threshold are allocated some free air
  time
• Is it a problem that the entire electoral process
  now rewards those whose skills are more
  rhetorical than substantive. The media builds up
  events such as debates as the be all and end all
  of campaigns- whereas surely a candidate should
  be judged on their policies and experience.
• Today however according to Ansolabehere et al.
  What is important to success is that candidates
  private lives and electoral viability, rather
  than party ties, policy positions, and
  governmental experience, can withstand media
  scrutiny.

11

• Today and following on from this issue is the the
  notion of 'negative' or 'dog-eat-dog'
  campaigning. The last election between Bush and
  Kerry was characterized by Negative campaigning
  from the Kerry side on Bush's involvement in the
  National Guard instead of being called up, and
  from the Bush side whether Kerry was indeed as
  good a fighter and as brave as he said.
• This negative campaigning is often carried out by
  interest groups not necessarily by the parties-
  but eg. By criticizing Kerry this is in turn
  criticizes the democratic party. Are these
  interest groups free of influence??
• This negative campaigning is, it has been argued
  has turned people off politics. Citizens would
  rather here about candidates stand on a
  policy/issue or what they feel strongly about.
  However today campaigns due to the need to get
  the most for money are taken up with
  slanging/criticizing their opponent.
• In Democratic campaign- already clear to see-
  although under same party slogan Clinton
  criticizes Obahama for being in experienced.
  -Concept of Obama's middle name Hussein

12

• Ansolabehere, Iyengar, Simon and Valentino
  investigated the effects of campaigns on the
  electorate, to see whether campaigns mobilize the
  electorate.
• Conclusions We assert that campaigns can be
  either mobilizing or demobilizing events,
  depending upon the nature of the messages they
  generate.
• Attach advertising extracts a toll on the
  electoral participation. Voting intention dropped
  by 5. In 1992 senate race it dropped by 4
• Clear that it does turn voters off. Also clear
  that those who engage in such advertising can
  turn voters away from polls.

13
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

• Should there be a limit on spending on
  advertising?
• Do you agree with the notion that the wealthiest
  candidates will do better regardless of skill?
  (Romney in Iowa only 2nd Place- Huckabee
  values/principles proved the winner)
• If you were running a campaign what would be your
  main focus?
• How important is the support of the media?
• Do you agree that Negative advertising turns the
  electorate off politics? If so why do politicians
  continue to do so?