Communication in the Presidential Primaries: Candidates and the Media, 1912-2000 / Edition 1

by Kathleen E. Kendall

Overview

In a comparison of communication in the U.S. presidential primaries of the twentieth century, Kendall examines the role of the candidates and the media during the period of primary elections. Drawing upon information from a broad array of sources, Kendall uncovers communication patterns that transcend time regarding political image, horse race coverage, and negative campaigning. She takes a strong communication perspective, arguing that the verbal context of the presidential primaries is an important factor overlooked in traditional studies.

Topics covered include the effect of party rules on communication, the role of speeches and debates, the role of political advertising, and the media's construction of the primaries in the pre- television era and the age of television. Kendall examines the 1996 primaries in light of patterns discovered in earlier years, and she makes predictions and recommendations regarding the 2000 primaries. With its century-wide scope and the variety of research methods used, the book will be of considerable value to researchers, scholars, jourbanalists and students involved with political communication and American presidential elections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275968977
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/30/2000
Series:	Series in Political Communication
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Lexile:	1390L (what's this?)

About the Author

KATHLEEN E. KENDALL is Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Communication, University at Albany, State University of New York. She is the author of numerous articles on political communication in jourbanals such as Presidential Studies Quarterly, Jourbanal of Communication, American Behavioral Scientist, and Communication Quarterly, and editor of Presidential Campaign Discourse: Strategic Communication Problems (1995).

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Unique Rhetorical Situation of the Presidential Primary
Primary Rules and Their Impact on Communication
Speeches and Debates for Dozens…and Millions
Advertising in a Multi-Candidate Field
Through Media Eyes in the Pre-Television Era: News Media Shaping of the Primaries, 1912-1952
Through Media Eyes in the Age of Television: News Media Shaping of the Primaries, 1972-1992
Communication Patterns in Presidential Primaries, 1912-2000: Knowing the Rules of the Game
References

Editorial Reviews

Kendall (communication, State U. of New York-Albany) examines and compares the nature of communication in presidential primaries from 1912 through 1996, focusing on five primary years at 20-year intervals: 1912, 1932, 1952, 1972, and 1992. Themes addressed include the effect of communication on the changing rules about primaries and the variable role of political parties; candidate speeches and debates; the use of paid advertising; the role of the mass media in the pre- and post-television ages; findings of the 1912-1992 period, compared with the experience of the 1996 primaries; and conclusions, projections, and recommendations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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