Election Campaigns and Media Effects
For most people living in established democracies and societies that are in transition to democracy, election campaigns are primarily experienced through the media. Politicians know that far more people turn to the media for information than turn out for political rallies in local town squares. The daily campaign activities are thus primarily designed to meet the constraints and deadlines of the major news outlets. Therefore, there are two important contexts to consider when thinking about the effects of the media in election campaigns. One is the context of the campaign or the potential media effect on the campaigns of candidates, which can be described as the institutional level of media effects. The other is the context of the potential media effect on individual voters or citizens, which can be described as media effects at the individual level.
Institutional Contexts and Effects
The institutional effects of the media on the campaigns of candidates may vary depending on the type of electoral system, the rules and regulations governing campaign coverage, and other institutional characteristics of the political and media systems. In the United States, for example, where the race for the presidency begins a year prior to the election with candidates declaring their candidacy and then moves into the primary season when Republicans and Democrats vote in each state to select the ultimate nominees for the parties, the media play a very important role in shaping expectations and judging outcomes.
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