Content Analysis of Televised Communication Events

Abstract

Content analysis has been included In political communication research less often than would seem useful. Typically, when It is employed manifest content is measured alone, to the exclusion of other varieties of content. This paper advocates more extended treatment of content data. It develops a fourfold scheme for classifying communication content, both verbal and nonverbal, and it illustrates the utility of the scheme in political communication research. Two dimensions underlie the classification scheme: (1) message consciousness and (2) message ambiguity. Illustrative data-gathering and analyses are based on the first 1960 and 1976 televised presidential debates, and on American National Election Study data. Findings suggest a diversity of political communication research hypotheses to be tested and derived from an expanded perspective on content analysis of communication events. On a more general level, the benefits of content analysis in mass communication research are brought to life.