Chapter 19: Political Communication

political communication mainly focuses on [5]

1. The political content of media

2. The actors and agencies involved in the production ofcontent

3. The effect

4. The impact of the political system on the media system

5. The impact of the media system on the political system

Why is Political Communication Important?

●It influences voter behavior and public opinion formation.

●It determines the effectiveness of political campaigns

and elections.

●It affects democratic accountability and transparency.

●It plays a role in authoritarian regi

Political communication primarily revolves around interactions

between what?

politicians, voters, and the media.

what relies on effective communication between leaders and

the public to function properly?

Representative democracies

what entities continuously interact and influence one another, making

communication a fundamental tool in governance.

Political elites, the media, and citizens

Mass media

powerful instrument that influences our lives, and

in such a way, it could affect our opinions and behavior.

"Natural History”

• people tend to have natural history shaped by the specific circumstances of time and place.

"Environmental Factors"

• "Environmental Factors" such as government interests,

  legislative decisions, rapid technological advancements, and

  historical events play a crucial role in influencing this history.

Media Phases

●1st Phase- This ranges from the 19th-20th century until the

1930s wherein the media has a lot of power. The use of

media during the First World War propagandists by having

dictatorial states in the inter-war years.

●2nd Phase- This is from the 1930s to the 1960s. Various

studies have been carried out investigating the effects of

different types of content and media.

●3rd Phase “The return to the concept of Powerful Media”

Media was seen as influential again, with political and

commercial motives shaping content.

●4th phase- This phase changed the attention towards

long-term change to cognitions rather than attitude, towards

also to the collective phenomena such as climates' opinion,

structures of belief, definitions of social reality and

ideologies.

Agenda Setting

The theories of agenda setting suggest that the news drives the

public issues' priorities.

Models of Historical Approach

●Direct effects

●Conditional

●Cumulative effect

●Cognitive transactional

Two Phases of Political Campaigning

• Pre-modern Era : Political communication was based on the strength of the local party organization and face-to-face contact.

• Second wave of campaigning: Having a mass media party can disseminate to a broader range of audiences since they not only focus on mobilizing the electorate but also target some undecided voters.

Shopping and Adoption Model

Plasser (2002), U.S. election campaigns follow a shopping model, while other countries adopt certain U.S. techniques but maintain unique elements.

different styles of media systems and media logic (3)

1. Mediterranean or Pluralist Model

2. Demographic Corporatist Model

3. North Atlantic or Liberal Model-

The New Political Communication

The rise of new media has transformed election campaigns and political messaging. Political institutions must now adapt to digital communication strategies.

The early days: Web 1.0 Communication

• Academic Analysis: Creation and Content- Robert Klotz

  (1997)

• Potential Impact

• Political Communication 2.0