Policing Political Ads: An Analysis of Five Leading Newspapers' Responses to 1992 Political Advertisements

Abstract

Researchers analyzed the content of five leading newspapers' coverage of 1992 political advertisements. Findings revealed that newspaper ad watches focused more on negative than on positive television spots, particularly those offered by incumbents rather than challengers. Political ads tended to be issue rather than image oriented. The researchers suggest that gatekeepers frame ad watches as priority agenda items. Although the visual and verbal content of the political spots are often discussed, most ad watch features fail to analyze ethically suspect techniques.