Your Thoughts Matter

Campaign Media

Election Day 2014: Research-based best practices for media; scholarship on trending campaign topics

Source: JournalistsResource.org

From the infamous 1948 “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline in the Chicago Tribune to the reporting debacle around the “Bush v. Gore” 2000 presidential election, news media have sometimes under-served the public on Election Day, sowing confusion and mistrust.

Messages that mobilize? Issue publics and the content of campaign advertising

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Issue-specific political advertisements are ubiquitous during elections, and they’re often assumed to be effective in increasing voter turnout. Such ads frequently target specific groups — what political scientists sometimes call “issue publics” — such as veterans, parents or senior citizens.