Can the strategy of negative political advertising developed in the United States succeed in Canada, or does this kind of advertising do more harm than good? The year 1988 saw elections in both the United States and Canada. It also saw a turning point in the tenor of television campaign advertising. By the early 1990s there was a growing reliance upon negative political images and symbols. This book is about that growing reliance. While focusing on the use of “attack” ads, Television Advertising in Canadian Elections provides a historical overview of the growth of negative advertising. It includes a discussion of advertisers’ intentions and strategies, an analysis of the ads played on both English language and French television and their impact and the ethics of political advertising. This is the first book-length investigation of negative political advertising in Canada. Professional politicians, as well as anyone interested in election politics, journalism, communication studies or advertising, will find this an absorbing study.

This volume presents five studies on the relationship between the media and voters. Each examines some aspects of the flow of information to voters during election campaigns and all reflect the assumption that the right to vote must include the right of access and sufficient information to make an informed decision. In separate studies, Jean Crête and Robert MacDermid examine existing studies and data on the relationship between attention to media and voter information and behaviours. Both studies discuss methods for improving voter information. Televised leaders debates have become an important feature of democratic elections. Cathy Widdis Barr examines the effects of these debates on Canadian voters in 1984 and 1988, concluding that they were an important source of campaign information for less-informed voters. Robert Bernier and Denis Monière provide the most comprehensive comparative overview available on the importance of televised leaders debates and the policy issues surrounding them in democratic countries. Finally, Lyndsay Green examines the potential of new communication technologies for improving the information available to voters during campaigns, with particular attention to voters with special information needs. Taken together, the five studies provide a useful overview of the effectiveness of various forms of campaign communication in informing voters. Much of the material presented here is not readily available elsewhere.

Media, Elections and Democracy examines campaign communication in selected industrial democracies. Klaus Schoenbach, Karen Siune, Doris Graber and a host of authors around the world contribute critical overviews of the systems in their countries. The studies deal with a wide range of issues in modern communication, including the principles and practices of news and public affairs coverage and the impact of new technologies.

Election Broadcasting in Canada explores the role of media in Canadian politics. David R. Spencer, David Hogarth, Catherine M. Bolan and others look at the history, legal framework, and difficulties in election broadcasting, as well as the impact of new broadcasting services.

Canadian Newspaper Ownership in the Era of Convergence investigates the current state of Canada's newspaper industry in light of recent developments-increasing concentration of ownership, multi-media convergence, and controversy over the actions of proprietors. Case studies examine how Conrad Black's acquisition of newspapers in the mid-1990s, bringing his total ownership to over half of the country's dailies, followed by the subsequent purchase of the most important of these by CanWest Global, has actually influenced the content of newspapers. Canadian Newspaper Ownership revisits "social responsibility" in the context of the changed media landscape as a means of prescribing how newspaper owners and employees might conduct themselves in the public interest.

Media pundits and students of Canadian politics alike have strived to interpret the relevance of the 2021 federal election, held in the midst of a global pandemic and reinforcing the existing parliamentary balance of power. This timely volume explains the election's import, offering an insightful account of Canadian democracy in an age of increasing rancour and polarization and explaining why the Liberals did not win a majority government. In a unique collaboration, some of the country’s most distinguished political scientists, pollsters, and journalists examine the parties, issues, machinery, and media of Canadian electoral politics, teasing out the complexities and nuances of what was seen to be a premature federal election. The Canadian Federal Election of 2021 analyzes the campaigns of the major parties and the patterns of voting behaviour. A special feature of this book is its focus on issues of diversity and difference in the partisan theatre – the voting patterns of gendered, Indigenous, and newly immigrant Canadians, as well as the millennial generation. These chapters offer important lessons for the present and for the election to come. A must-read for students, journalists, those working at affiliated think tanks and institutes, and engaged citizens, this thoughtful exposé will interest international observers and anyone following the Canadian political landscape.

A comprehensive overview of the field of applied politics, encompassing political consulting, campaigns and elections, lobbying and advocacy, grass roots politics, fundraising, media and political communications, the role of the parties, political leadership, and the ethical dimensions of public life.