Mass Communication and Journalism: Journalism Genres and Specializations - Political Journalism and Campaign Reporting

What It Is

Political journalism and campaign reporting refer to the coverage of elections, politicians, and government policies by the media. A canonical example is the 1960 US presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, which marked a turning point in the use of television in presidential campaigns. This matters for media analysis because it highlights the importance of visual communication in shaping public opinion and the need for journalists to critically evaluate the use of media by politicians.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Agenda Setting: The process by which the media influences the public's perception of issues and their relative importance.
  • Example: A study by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw (1972) found that the media's coverage of the 1968 US presidential election influenced the public's perception of the issues.
• Campaign Advertising: Paid messages by politicians or their supporters to influence public opinion.
  • Example: The 2004 US presidential campaign saw a significant increase in negative campaign advertising, with 75% of ads being negative (Kenski & Stroud, 2006).
• Fact-Checking: The process of verifying the accuracy of information presented by politicians or their supporters.
  • Example: The fact-checking website PolitiFact won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for its work during the 2008 US presidential campaign.
• Media Bias: The tendency of the media to present information in a way that favors one side or perspective.
  • Example: A study by the Pew Research Center (2016) found that 64% of news articles about the 2016 US presidential election mentioned Hillary Clinton's emails, while only 22% mentioned Donald Trump's tax returns.
• Negative Campaigning: The use of negative messages or attacks to influence public opinion.
  • Example: The 2012 US presidential campaign saw a significant increase in negative campaigning, with 63% of ads being negative (Kenski & Stroud, 2012).
• Punditry: The practice of providing expert analysis or commentary on politics by journalists or commentators.
  • Example: The rise of cable news in the 1990s led to an increase in punditry, with commentators like Chris Matthews and Rush Limbaugh becoming household names.
• Spin Doctor: A person who tries to manipulate public opinion by presenting information in a way that is favorable to their client or cause.
  • Example: The term "spin doctor" was popularized by the 1992 US presidential campaign, when George Stephanopoulos was hired as a communications director for Bill Clinton.
• Surrogates: People who speak on behalf of a politician or their campaign.
  • Example: During the 2016 US presidential campaign, Donald Trump's surrogates included figures like Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich.
• Triangulation: The practice of presenting information from multiple sources to verify its accuracy.
  • Example: A study by the Knight Foundation (2016) found that 75% of journalists use triangulation when reporting on politics.
• Voter ID Laws: Laws that require voters to present identification at the polls.
  • Example: The 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which had required certain states to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Negative campaigning is always effective.
• Correction: Research has shown that negative campaigning can actually backfire and hurt the candidate who uses it (Kenski & Stroud, 2012).
• Misunderstanding: Fact-checking is a new development in journalism.
• Correction: Fact-checking has been a part of journalism since the 19th century, with publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post regularly fact-checking politicians and their claims.
• Misunderstanding: Media bias is always intentional.
• Correction: Media bias can be unintentional, resulting from factors like confirmation bias or a lack of diversity in the newsroom (Pew Research Center, 2016).

Quick Application / Identification

Scenario: A journalist is writing a story about a politician's tax returns. The politician's campaign manager tells the journalist that the returns are not relevant to the story. What should the journalist do?

Answer: The journalist should continue to investigate the politician's tax returns, as they are a legitimate area of inquiry.

Explanation: Journalists have a responsibility to provide accurate and comprehensive information to the public, and tax returns can be an important indicator of a politician's financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest.

Last-Minute Revision

• The 1960 US presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon was the first televised presidential debate.
• Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw's 1972 study on agenda setting found that the media's coverage of the 1968 US presidential election influenced the public's perception of the issues.
• The 2004 US presidential campaign saw a significant increase in negative campaign advertising.
• PolitiFact won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for its fact-checking work during the 2008 US presidential campaign.
• The Pew Research Center found that 64% of news articles about the 2016 US presidential election mentioned Hillary Clinton's emails.
• Negative campaigning can actually backfire and hurt the candidate who uses it.
• Fact-checking has been a part of journalism since the 19th century.
• Media bias can be unintentional, resulting from factors like confirmation bias or a lack of diversity in the newsroom.
• The 2012 US presidential campaign saw a significant increase in negative campaigning.
• The term "spin doctor" was popularized by the 1992 US presidential campaign.
• Surrogates are people who speak on behalf of a politician or their campaign.
• Triangulation is the practice of presenting information from multiple sources to verify its accuracy.
• Voter ID laws require voters to present identification at the polls.
• The 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act.