{"id":27072,"date":"2020-07-17T20:36:47","date_gmt":"2020-07-18T00:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/?page_id=27072"},"modified":"2023-12-07T10:07:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T15:07:23","slug":"how-to-approach-2020-political-advertising-a-media-literacy-lesson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/how-to-approach-2020-political-advertising-a-media-literacy-lesson\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Approach 2020 Political Advertising: A Media Literacy Lesson"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to Approach 2020 Political Advertising: A Media Literacy Lesson<\/strong>
\nby Frank W Baker<\/p>\n

So here we are: airwaves (and social media) are already full of ads by candidates running for office. Mostly likely, you\u2019ve seen them. Perhaps you\u2019re turned off by them.
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As a media educator, I see it as my job to help educators and their students analyze these unique persuasive messages using a \u201cmedia literacy\u201d critical viewing lens.<\/p>\n

TARGET AUDIENCE<\/strong>\u00a0 Like all other products, candidates have to position their ads to reach their intended audience.\u00a0 For example, many candidates like to run their ads during local news (have you noticed that?)\u00a0 [ See Why Political Advertisers Double Down on Local TV<\/a>.]\n

But let\u2019s say you (the candidate) want to reach African American voters.\u00a0 You might decide to have your \u201cmedia buyer\u201d purchase time during \u201cBlack-ish\u201d (ABC). Last fall, sports programs, like NFL games or a MLB playoff or World Series game, attracted a large black audience. (Source<\/a>) Might the resumption of these sports also mean the return of political ads? Only time will tell.<\/p>\n

SOCIAL MEDIA\u00a0<\/strong> \u00a0In the meantime, candidates are now using popular social media platforms to also reach their target audiences, many of whom are young.\u00a0 According to this post on the American Bar Association\u2019s website: \u201cthere are a few major platforms that dominate the (political ad) landscape\u2014Facebook (and its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram), Google (and its subsidiary YouTube), and Twitter.\u201d (Source<\/a>)\u00a0 Recently, Facebook and Instagram announced they will allow users to turn off political ads on those platforms.<\/p>\n

NOTE: When Donald Trump first ran for president, his first ad ran on Instagram and was only 15 seconds long. It was not required to include the disclaimer\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m Donald Trump and I approve this message,\u201d because it was not broadcast.<\/p>\n

How to Critically Watch & Analyze a Political Message<\/u><\/strong>
\nCandidates will say anything in their ads. They will even lie.\u00a0 Yes, I said lie.\u00a0 How is that possible you might ask?\u00a0 Political advertising is considered free speech and thus it cannot be censored and broadcasting stations (which reap millions of dollars in ad revenue) cannot refuse to air them.<\/p>\n

You may recall that in March, a pro-Trump Super PAC demanded that TV stations in key battleground states (Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania) stop airing an ad (produced by a Democratic Super PAC)\u00a0 that said President Trump called the coronavirus a hoax. Several fact-checkers said the President did not label the virus a hoax, but instead was referring to efforts by Democrats to politicize the virus. (Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

When watching an ad, pay attention to the words on the screen. Oftentimes, words will be superimposed on the screen to amplify what a candidate or narrator is saying.<\/p>\n

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For example, when Pete Buttigieg was running to become the Democratic Presidential nominee, one of his ads superimposed the words \u201cReduced Poverty Rate\u2019 referring to the time he was the mayor of South Bend Indiana.\u00a0 Factcheckers disputed that assertion.<\/p>\n

Students could also be assigned to VERIFY assertions and other claims made in ads.\u00a0 Today, many fact-checking organizations<\/a> are already investigating these ads.<\/p>\n

Other visuals that might appear in these ads include symbols, like the American flag, the military or children and teachers in a classroom. The people who advise politicians know: visuals often communicate better than words. \u00a0In 2002, researchers revealed some of the tricks and techniques. For example, primary colors (red, white and blue) were used to promote patriotism.\u00a0 Dressing a candidate in certain clothes translated strength, vigor or authority. (Source: The People\u2019s Choice: Digital Imagery & The Art of Persuasion<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Students should consider why these symbols exist in political ads, in other words, what\u2019s their purpose?\u00a0 [For more about this, see Civics 360: Bias, Symbolism and Propaganda<\/a>.]\n

Editing and the manipulation of video is another tool campaign ad experts use in the production of ads. Have students watch this short segment<\/a> from CNN’s special “The Campaign Killers” in which an expert details some of the techniques previously used.<\/p>\n

Sound is also an important element to consider in the production of campaign ads. The use of music, for example, has a long history in politics. [See: Songs of Politics & Political Campaigns<\/a>]\u00a0 Music can be used to convey a message or a mood, especially to make the viewer feel good about a candidate or issue.<\/p>\n

One strategy you might employ with students is to have them close their eyes and listen to an ad that uses music. Afterwards, ask them to describe the music. How did it make them feel?\u00a0 Have your students listen to this ad, The Country I Love,<\/a> which was Senator Barack Obama’s first televised ad when he began running for President. Did they notice the music?<\/p>\n

See also: Political Ad Analysis Worksheet<\/a>; \u00a0Helping Students Read Political Ads<\/a><\/p>\n

Manipulating the Image<\/u><\/strong>
\nThere are predictions that \u201cdeepfake\u201d videos will be employed during the Election 2020 cycle.\u00a0 Deepfakes are cleverly edited videos that electronically copy a person\u2019s face and then, using previously recorded sound, make it appear that the person said something they never really said.<\/p>\n

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In 2019, a deepfake video of President Obama appeared in social media and elsewhere. The producers were wise to explain how the video was made, but also to warn that others might exploit the technology as we get closer to November. [Watch the Obama deepfake video and explanation here<\/a>.]\n

How would your students know if a video is a \u201cdeepfake\u201d?\u00a0 More than likely, they would first see it on their social media feeds, and they might believe it\u2019s real without question. But questioning and verifying its authenticity should be the goal.\u00a0 See also: How to Spot a Deepfake Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Other areas to explore with students<\/strong>
\n<\/u>
\nPropaganda Techniques<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0This website<\/a> breaks down the various “techniques of persuasion” and provides video examples of each technique from previous candidate’s commercials.<\/p>\n

Dark Money<\/strong>\u00a0 Do students know what the phrase \u201cdark money\u201d means? They should.\u00a0 They will probably encounter that phrase in many news stories about political advertising in 2020. [See Lesson Plan: Dark Money<\/a> with links to videos]\n

The Cost of Ads<\/strong> Who benefits when politicians buy time on local TV? The primary beneficiary is the television stations themselves. This time of year, they will reap millions of dollars in ad revenue. Your students can conduct a search (using the FCC\u2019s website) and examine exact contracts politicians and their buyers have with these stations and their owners.<\/p>\n

Follow the procedure outlined in the graphic (below):<\/p>\n

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Project 538 is another great place to start. They are tracking every presidential candidate\u2019s ad buys<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Recommended readings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Political advertising grows on streaming services, along with questions about disclosure
\nhttps:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/06\/03\/politics\/streaming-services-political-ads\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n

The People’s Choice: Digital Imagery & The Art of Persuasion (Lesson Plans)
\nhttps:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/the-peoples-choice-digital-imagery-the-art-of-persuasion\/<\/a><\/p>\n

How to Master the Political Art of Symbolism
\nhttps:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/itsallpolitics\/2013\/12\/18\/255225472\/how-to-master-the-fine-art-of-political-symbolism<\/a><\/p>\n

Political Advertising on Social Media Platforms
\nhttps:\/\/www.americanbar.org\/groups\/crsj\/publications\/human_rights_magazine_home\/voting-in-2020\/political-advertising-on-social-media-platforms\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The Evolution of Political Ads (video)
\nhttps:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/politics\/2012\/10\/17\/natpkg-orig-political-ad-evolution.cnn<\/a><\/p>\n

How Political Ads Get Inside Your Head (Video)
\nhttps:\/\/www.cnn.com\/videos\/bestoftv\/2014\/11\/01\/how-political-ads-get-inside-your-head.cnn<\/a><\/p>\n

Political Commercial Analysis Worksheet (for download and use with students)
\nhttps:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/political-ad-analyzing-worksheet\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The Role of Media In Politics (Media Literacy Clearinghouse)
\nhttps:\/\/www.frankwbaker.com\/mlc\/media-politics\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads (C-span)
\nhttps:\/\/www.c-span.org\/classroom\/document\/?7288<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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