CI5472 Teaching Film, Television, and Media
Module 6: Studying Advertising
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Another important topic related to advertising is political advertising. Political campaigns often revolve around the number and effectiveness of their television ads. These ads may provide some information about candidates, but they often stress slogans, sound bites, and deceptive images. In many cases, candidates turn to negative advertising focused on attacking their opponent’s record. Moreover, these ads are often highly expensive, resulting in the fact that only well-financed or wealthy candidates can run for office. Much of this is due to the relatively high costs of advertising charged by television stations. Although a campaign finance law passed in 2002, it did not include a mandated reduction in the costs of television ads sought by proponents of campaign reform, who argue that these cost price many candidates out of the market. |
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For more on this topic, see the PBS program, The :30 Second Candidate. |
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The American Museum of the Moving Image: The Living Room Candidate (online exhibit of candidates from 1952-2000) Media and American Democracy: Analyzing a political ad Alliance for Better Campaigns (improving political advertising) FactCheck: deceptions in political ads C-Span: campaign ads for the 2004 Presidential election Common Cause The Critical Role of Television in Political Campaigns "Do
the Media Affect the Democratic Process?" |
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For further reading on political ads: |
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Jamieson, K. (1996). Packaging the Presidency: A History and Criticism of Presidential Campaign Advertising. New York: Oxford University Press. |
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Another important form of political advertising are issue ads designed to shape public opinion and policy. These issue ads on topics such as health care, drug benefits, education, etc., are used by advocacy groups to promote their particular agenda. Many of these issue ads are produced and promoted by think tanks which conduct “research” that is then used in these ads. For example, the Heritage Foundation had a major influence on producing ads on behalf of the insurance industry that challenged the Clinton health-care proposals in 1993. |
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For a study of how issue advertising influence Congress in 2001/2002,
see a study by the Annenberg
Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. |
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Political Advertising |
