This volume represents one of the first major scholarly efforts to unravel the psychological and symbolic processing of political advertising. Utilizing survey, experimental, qualitative, and semiotic methodologies to study this phenomenon, the contributors to Television and Political Advertising trace how political ads help to interpret the psychological reality of the presidential campaign in the minds of millions of voters. A product of the National Political Advertising Research Project, this interdisciplinary effort is valuable to researchers in advertising, communication, and consumer psychology since it helps define future work on the relationship between television, politics, and the mind of the voter. This volume, Television and Political Advertising: Signs, Codes and Images, is the second of two, and covers such areas as Generating Meaning in the Pursuit of Power, Analyses of the Meaning of Political Ads, The Campaign Documentary as an Ad, and Regulating Signs and Images.

Examining political campaigns and political advertising through the analytical lens of media literacy, this well-illustrated and timely handbook guides readers through the maze of blandishments and spin that is the hallmark of the modern political campaign. It dissects the persuasive strategies embedded in the political messages we encounter every day in the media and demonstrates the importance of critical thinking in evaluating media stories. Key concepts of media literacy are applied to political advertising in traditional media (newspapers, television, radio) and on the Internet, the new frontier of the political advertising wars. Dealing with blogs, social networking, user-generated Web sites, and other electronic formats familiar to young voters, this lively introduction to the new world of political messaging appeals to readers' affinity for visual learning as well as their ability to discern messages in text. Unique in applying media literacy concepts to the political context while directly addressing students and general readers, this book not only explains but graphically demonstrates both established techniques of political framing and the new avenues of persuasion being pioneered in digital media. It will also interest viewers who like their political news in traditional media but unconventional formats.

This volume represents one of the first major scholarly efforts to unravel the psychological and symbolic processing of political advertising. Utilizing survey, experimental, qualitative, and semiotic methodologies to study this phenomenon, the contributors to Television and Political Advertising trace how political ads help to interpret the psychological reality of the presidential campaign in the minds of millions of voters. A product of the National Political Advertising Research Project, this interdisciplinary effort is valuable to researchers in advertising, communication, and consumer psychology since it helps define future work on the relationship between television, politics, and the mind of the voter. This volume, Television and Political Advertising: Signs, Codes and Images, is the second of two, and covers such areas as Generating Meaning in the Pursuit of Power, Analyses of the Meaning of Political Ads, The Campaign Documentary as an Ad, and Regulating Signs and Images.

In recent years political campaigns in Western democracies have relied increasingly upon television advertising to promote candidates and//or political parties. Campaigns in North America were the first to channel political messages in this way and many European campaigns have been based on the United States models. This comparative analysis highlights the differences and the similarities of campaigns in Western democracies. The various campaign styles, their methods and approaches reflect the unique political and cultural traditions of each country. Written by renowned contributors, the chapters are based on the most recent campaigns in the countries represented.

This volume represents one of the first major scholarly efforts to unravel the psychological and symbolic processing of political advertising. Utilizing survey, experimental, qualitative, and semiotic methodologies to study this phenomenon, the contributors to Television and Political Advertising trace how political ads help to interpret the psychological reality of the presidential campaign in the minds of millions of voters. A product of the National Political Advertising Research Project, this interdisciplinary effort is valuable to researchers in advertising, communication, and consumer psychology since it helps define future work on the relationship between television, politics, and the mind of the voter. This volume, Television and Political Advertising: Signs, Codes and Images, is the second of two, and covers such areas as Generating Meaning in the Pursuit of Power, Analyses of the Meaning of Political Ads, The Campaign Documentary as an Ad, and Regulating Signs and Images.

A state-of-the-art account of what we know and do not know about the effects of digital technology on democracy.