Political Advertising in Western Democracies

An interesting study about political advertising on TV.... The material in the book can work as a good guide for both the Ministry of information and Broadcasting (including Doordarshan bosses) and major political parties while preparing to use TV as an effective medium for the next election campaign. --The Hindustan Times "This invaluable work significantly advances the cross-national, comparative study of political advertising broadly defined. In pellucid prose, the editors and contributors identify commonalities and differences among media systems, regulations, contents, and styles and point to their likely impact and effects. It is essential reading." --David L. Paletz, Duke University In recent years, political campaigns in Western democracies have increasingly relied on television advertising to promote candidates and/or political parties. Although North America was the first to channel political messages in this way and many European campaigns have been based on the U.S. model, Political Advertising in Western Democracies highlights the differences as well as the similarities of campaigns in Western democracies. The various campaign styles, their methods, and approaches reflect the unique political and cultural traditions of each country. Viewed individually and comparatively, they formulate the first comprehensive study to date on the role that television plays in the electoral process. The chapters, written by well-known contributors, are all based on original research of the most recent campaigns in England, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United States. An invaluable resource for anyone interested in this topic, Political Advertising in Western Democracies is also an ideal supplement for courses such as Survey of Political Communication, Mass Communication and Politics, International Communication, Political Advertising, Comparative Political Communication, and Political Campaigning.

Lynda Lee Kaid (Ph.D., M.S., B.A., Southern Illinois University) is Professor of Telecommunications and Senior Associate Dean of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. She previously served as the Director of the Political Communication Center and supervised the Political Commercial Archive at the University of Oklahoma. Her research specialties include political advertising and news coverage of political events. A Fulbright Scholar, she has also done work on political television in several Western European countries. She is the author/editor of 14 books, including the Handbook of Political Communication Research, Videostyle in Presidential Campaigns, The Electronic Election, New Perspectives on Political Advertising, Mediated Politics in Two Cultures, Political Advertising in Western Democracies (SAGE, 1995), and Political Campaign Communication: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature. She has received over $1 million in external grant funds for her research efforts, including support from the U. S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Science Foundation. She is a former chair of the Political Communication Divisions of ICA and NCA and has also served in leadership roles the American Political Science Association and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.