A Functional Analysis of Political Television Advertisements

(Paperback)

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A Functional Analysis of Political Television Advertisements examines theory and research on election advertisements. William Benoit employs the Functional Theory of Political Campaign Discourse to understand the nature or content of television spots in election campaigns. Beginning with a look at American presidential spots from 19522012, Benoit investigates the three functionsacclaims, attacks, and defensesand the topics of policy and character for these groups of political commercials. The following chapters are devoted to reporting similar data on presidential primary advertisements, presidential third party spots, other theories including Issue Ownership Theory and Functional Federalism Theory, as well as nonpresidential and non-U.S. election advertising. Benoit considers the data, discusses the development of political advertising over time, and finally, presents areas for further research. This book is a uniquely comprehensive examination of the value and use of television spots in political election rhetoric.

Reviews

Benoit is a communication scholar of the highest order, a researcher who reveals the importance of studying message. A Functional Analysis of Political Television Advertisements is exhaustive in its analysis of a wide range of spots created for candidates varying in level of government, stage of campaign, and nation. There are few works that parallel Benoits effort in producing a generalizable set of findings that reflect genuine insights, and it is sure to have a sustained impact on the field. -- Lance Holbert, University of South Carolina
Benoit's insights and new perspectives on how political advertising impacts voters is a must read for scholars and professionals in political communication. A Functional Analysis of Political Television Advertisements provides the crucial next step in understanding the dynamics at work in campaigns micro targeted to specific publics. -- Gregory Payne, Emerson College

Author Bio

William L. Benoit is professor of communication studies at Ohio University.