POLI 423 – Presidential Elections Frankie Clogston

Outline History What Media? Free/paid Media and Ads Media Effects – Magnitude and Mechanisms Bias and Spin of the Media Primary Season and Presidential Campaign Campaign Infrastructure and technology Effects of the Internet and New Media Environment

Presidential Campaigns and The Media What are the types of “media”? Pamphleteering, Campaign literature Newspapers... Radio... Television – Network and cable Internet, Twitter Television Ads Cell phones Entertainment/comedy/ talk shows

History Through late 19 th Century – Era of the “Mute Tribune” End of 19 th Century – FDR – Party-centered to Candidate Centered Politics; Increased Campaigning and Media FDR – The Modern Presidency/ Mass Media John F. Kennedy – The Television Era 1990’s – Internet, Multimedia

Presidential Campaigns and The Media What are the types of “media”? Free vs. Paid Media Who pays? Party Candidate PACs

Media Effects Do the media have effects on presidential elections? Movement from thesis of minimal effects to effects via mechanisms of framing, priming and agenda setting effecting rational voters Contemporary study on diverse effects of disaggregated media

Media Effects - Mechanisms What are the mechanisms by which the media has an effect? Framing Priming Agenda-setting Horse race Mistakes/blunders – “game changers” Issues Adversarial Journalism/ Personal Attacks Investigative Journalism

Media Effects What is the target electorate? What are the implications for the campaign?

The Primary Campaign Does media have more or less of an effect in the primary campaign? How do resource-poor, less known candidates benefit or suffer from the primary process?

24 hour/ 365 day campaign What was life like before the 24 hour cycle? What are the effects of the 24 hour news cycle? What are the effects of the “permanent campaign?”

Media Effects – via Prism Bias/ Spin Disaggregation and self-selection How/when can candidates get their message to all the voters? Unmediated forum? Disaggregated channels?

Modern Campaign Infrastructure and Technology President – separate campaign staff Candidates – large campaign staff, including consultants and pollsters Polls Focus Groups Organizational and Fundraising Technology – Direct Mail, Internet

Questions... What kind of candidate does this produce? What skills are necessary in this campaign and media environment? Endurance, Message Discipline, Unblemished Personal Life, Fundraising Skills Does this process produce the best candidate? Is it good for democracy?

Effects of Internet and New Media Environment What is the ability of Presidential Candidates to Control the Message? What are the effects on self-segregation and polarization in the electorate? Does the high-choice environment produce more diverse and better information to voters? Do we have a more or less informed electorate?