Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
Audience: middle/high school students
Copyright 2007 by Frank W. Baker

Connection to National Standards:
McRel Civics
Standard 19.  Understands what is meant by "the public agenda," how it is set, and how it is influenced by public opinion and the media
Level III  Grade 6-8
Benchmark 3. Understands the important of freedom of the press to informed participation in the political system;
and understands the influence of television, radio, the press, newsletters, and emerging means of electronic communication on American politicsBenchmark 5 Understands how citizens can evaluate information and arguments received from various sources so that they can make reasonable choices on public issues and among candidates for political office

McRel Language Arts Viewing Grades 6-8
9. Understands techniques used in visual media to influence or appeal to a particular audience (e.g., production techniques, such as designing a news program as entertainment; persuasive techniques, such as exaggerated claims, portrayal of appealing lifestyles, bandwagon, glittering generalities; subliminal messages; narrative style)

McRel Language Arts Viewing Grades 9-12
7. Understands how images and sound convey messages in visual media (e.g., special effects, camera angles, symbols, color, line, texture, shape, headlines, photographs, reaction shots, sequencing of images, sound effects, music, dialogue, narrative, lighting)

Connection to South Carolina Standards:
Social Studies (2005)
HS United States Government
USG-3.5  Summarize features of the election process in the US, including the roles of political parties, the nomination process, the Electoral College, and the campaigns; the issues of campaign funding; and trends in voter turnout and citizen participation.

English Language Arts (2007)
Guiding Principle # 8  An effective English language arts curriculum utilizes all forms of media to prepare students to live in an information rich society.
(note: having students be familiar with various techniques of persuasion are referenced throughout the document)

Background:  The media are constantly being criticized for reporting on presidential campaigns as if they were horse races. Many news stories report who’s ahead of whom; who’s raised the most money; who won the debate, etc. The media are also criticized for not telling the electorate where the candidates stand on the issues.  The very popular 30 second campaign spot ad can be one method a candidate uses to communicate his/her stand.

Objective: students will choose both a presidential candidate and a corresponding issue to explore. Examples of issues include (but are not limited to): education; immigration; terrorism; Iraq War; poverty; global warming; US Energy policy; border security; minimum wage; family issues, veterans, gay marriage; pollution, etc. 

After researching the candidate and the issue, students will use a script format to write/create a 30-second campaign commercial.


Procedures:

Teachers should ask students what is an advertising and what is its purpose.  Holding up a copy of Sports Illustrated or Seventeen magazine, for example, a teacher might also ask: what kinds of products might you find advertised inside (Students should begin to understand how advertisers target their message to audiences they are trying to reach, using media there target audiences pay attention to).

Links to common ad “techniques of persuasion”

1. The Language of Advertising Claims

2. Media investigations: specific tools for analysis


How to read an ad. Students should understand that many elements and techniques are used to comprise a print ad.  Elements include words, images, layout. All ads are designed to get and keep our attention. Some are designed to make us feel good about the product. Others hope to persuade us to purchase the product, or at the very least, remember it the next time we go shopping. Still other ads instill fear and imply that we won’t be liked unless we use this product.

Moving images (television)  In commercial spots, it is just as important to learn to “read the images and sounds.”  Color, movement, and sound are important elements. When we view a commercial, we should be encouraged to think about the camera angles, camera movement, lighting, editing and other production elements.  Students might also be encouraged, for example, to close their eyes, and simply listen to a 30 second commercial and then write down everything they heard. (Writing the words AUDIO and VIDEO on the board or overhead may be helpful here—because these are the two basic elements of a script.)

Understanding Conventional Advertising
Before creating their political ad, students should be exposed to regular commercials so that they understand both the “techniques of persuasion” and “production techniques.”  For example, in a car commercial, we might find the car photographed from an angle, speeding quickly, leaving the city. It might be driven by young people. The implied message here is that cars provide us escape from our hard work. Students should be encouraged to look at camera angles, camera shots, camera movement, editing, sound including music, etc.

Introducing political campaign spots:
Since the early 1950’s television has been used extensively by candidates to reach voters.  Even with the advent of the Internet, TV is still the medium of choice by presidential candidates. Why: because it can reach millions of people at one time.  Teachers should show students a representative sample of past campaign ads. Ads can be found:


EASE History Campaign Ads 1952-2004

CNN's Presidential Political Ad Archives

The Living Room Candidate, Pres. Ads 1952-2004

In addition, students should have a good understanding of the TYPES OF POLITICAL ADS typically being produced by campaigns today:

Types of Political ads :

Recommended links:   The role of media in politics   Campaign advertising    Negative Advertising

Scriptwriting
Students should be encouraged to understand that an ad just doesn’t happen. Someone had to write it first. And when ad agencies create ads, they use a specific format.  Teachers should download a blank, two-column script form from the following web page and share it with the class:

Blank script form

Websites: Students will explore the websites for their chosen presidential candidate. The teacher may wish to assign each student, or group of students, one candidate and one issue. On each candidate’s website, students will find the word ISSUES posted at the top. Clicking that link will bring up a large variety of “position statements” by each candidate on that issue.  Students may wish to download or print a specific issue to which to investigate.

News search: Additional research should be conducted by students using both Google News; Yahoo News; and any other library subscription service (e.g. EBSCO, General OneFile (aka InfoTrac); Lexus-Nexus; Newsbank) which allows them to search recent or previously published news stories. Students will be looking for news stories about their candidate and the issue they’ve been assigned.  For example: searching for “Obama” + “ Iraq” which would bring up any number of stories referencing the candidate’s public statements about that issue.

Using both the candidate/issue website AND the news search results, the student will create a 30 second advertisement for their candidate.

After completing the assignment, a representative student from each group will read his/her candidate's issue ad.  Teachers should have a stopwatch and time the reading of the ad script to insure that it is exactly 30 seconds. Students should remember to end each ad with the legally required phrase: "I'm (candidate's name) and I approve this message."


For more info and resources: see the Media & Politics website: http://wwwfrankwbaker.com/media_politics.htm
See also The New Media Election from Cable In The Classroom, Oct. 2007 issue