What's Ahead

(1)Responsibility of Journalists

A political campaign is relatively short. Only rarely does a candidate for statewide office begin to air commercials more than three months before the election. Usually, ads appear in the last four to six weeks, and the number of ads increases as the date of the election approaches. By contrast, a three-month campaign for a product would be a very short campaign. Often producers spend more than three months just testing the product and then spend additional time testing the commercials that will market the product. The short duration of the typical political campaign is one of the campaign's major liabilities because it is difficult to create or change people's attitudes in a short period of time. Consequently, contenders are announcing their candidacy earlier than they once did, and speculation about likely candidates begins the day after each inauguration.

Politicians are not soap or cigarettes, however, and the campaigns for products and politicians have contrasting functions, values, regulations, and financing. In this chapter we focus on these differences to indicate the peculiar limitations operating on those who would influence the outcome of a political campaign; we also examine the re-sources available to them. By contrasting political and product campaigns, we hope to increase understanding of both.

(2)Products versus Candidates

Conventional wisdom says that candidates for political office are now sold to the electorate like cigarettes or soap. There is some truth to the claim. Both manufacturers and politicians develop mass media campaigns to persuade us to act as they wish. Both manufacturers and politicians seek to create name recognition and employ differentiation, association, audience participation, and repetition to communicate their messages. Both rely on campaigns that are centrally coordinated by people issuing many messages—or a single message to many media—across an extended period of time to accomplish a specific objective. Both condense their messages into slogans.

A political campaign's use of media is more short-lived and more intense than a campaign on behalf of a product. We may see the ads for a specific product, such as Ivory Soap, for decades. As long as the product holds a share of the market the manufacturer considers acceptable, the product will stay on the market. We use soap all year, so advertising for soap appears year-round. A political Cartier Pasha Replica Watches campaign is more akin to an ad campaign for a seasonal product, such as a brand of Christmas tree ornaments.

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(3)Using the Media

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Campaign fund-raising and advertising are a complex and integral aspect of the election process. Journalists who are knowledgeable about campaign finance and advertising can serve their audiences and positively affect political advertising. By understanding the laws governing the content and funding of Cartier Pasha Replica political advertisements, discerning the differences among the three types of political ads, and learning how to analyze ads effectively, reporters can help their viewers and listeners dissect and digest the information they receive from candidates, parties, and issue advocacy groups. As a result, the public can make informed and educated decisions on election day. Ad watching also may help encourage accuracy and honesty in political advertising. When stations neglect these responsibilities, the public can be misled.