POLITICAL ADVERTISING

Politics and Mass Media

Politics and Mass Media

Four phases of political advertisements

First Phase

This ranges from the 19th till the 20the century until the 1930's during which the media was given considerable power. This also helped in shaping the opinions and beliefs of the people and also created changes in habits. In Europe, it was also revealed in the first phase that media could be used as a powerful tool. During the inter-war years, mass media had a direct impact on the way public opinion was shaped. The ad contained the biographical information and its purpose was to introduce a candidate in the initial campaign (Trent & Friedenberg, 2000).

“Although experimental sets appeared in the late 1930s, television was essentially unknown by the general public in 1945 at the end of World War II (Harris, 1999).”

Second Phase

This phase was between 1930s and 1960s in which effects of content and media were investigated. The media played a modest role and had a lot of influence on planned effects. It was also revealed that mass communication not only served as sufficient cause of audience effects, but it also functions through mediating factors. The ad contained argument information that also aided in classifying the position a candidate had on different issues.

Third Phase

This phase can also be titled as “Return to the Concept of Powerful Media”. Individuals who used and controlled the media particularly for political motives did not want to risk accepting the message of considerable media impotence. Minimal effect was not accepted readily because the television arrived in the 1950s and 1960s. This medium was powerful and had a huge impact on the social life. There were advertisements that meant to attack and reduce the integrity of a candidate who was in the opposing party. “A TV set is turned on ...