Busted by the Ad Police: Journalists' Coverage of Political Campaign Ads in the 1992 Presidential Campaign

Abstract

Adwatch attempts both to refute any false claims made by a candidate and to deconstruct an advertisement’s peripheral cues. This is an attempt to encourage voters to evaluate the substance of a persuasive message and reduce the influence of peripheral cues. By evaluating the veracity of a candidate’s message, Adwatch focuses on the quality of the candidate’s argument. By deconstructing the dramatic and visual content of a message, Adwatch encourages voters to think about peripheral cues rather than allowing these cues to influence them unaware.

We wanted to know whether Adwatch had the intended effect on voters. If successful, Adwatch should increase the elaboration of political thought. This increased elaboration should in turn increase the stability of voters’ political preferences and reduce their vulnerability to attitude change. In order to assess the effects of Adwatch, we employed a dual strategy, interviewing a number of political reporters who covered political advertisements during the 1992 campaign, and conducting an experimental test of the effects of Adwatch.