Form and variations in negative political advertising |
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| Authors: | David E Procter William J Schenck‐Hamlin |
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| Institution: | Associate Professor in the Department of Speech Communication, Theatre and Dance , Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas, 66506 |
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| Abstract: | Using a sample of 99 political advertisements from 1990 statewide and federal elections, a content analysis was employed to test whether negative political advertisements exhibited a normative style. Results indicated that negative political advertisements were remarkably similar in substance and style, indicating a normative advertising form. The authors suggest that negative advertisements are used more to “blunt” an opponent's chance of winning the election than to promote the sponsoring candidate's own images or characteristics with their constituency. |
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