Truth in Advertising?: Lies in Political Advertising and How They Affect the Electorate

This book examines the factual accuracy of political advertising, the visuals and sound cues used, and their impact on voting behavior. It argues that understanding how the accuracy of claims affects voters is more important than ever, and that negative advertising is more likely to make inaccurate claims and use more visual and sound distortions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 475 pages
Publication date: 14 June 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

This book represents a groundbreaking and comprehensive examination of the factual accuracy of political advertising campaigns, the visual and sound cues employed, and their relationship with the tone and accuracy of ads. It delves into the impact of these factors on the knowledge and voting behavior of individuals during real campaigns. The research is based on extensive and labor-intensive coding of the factual accuracy of every claim made in the presidential ads during the 2008 election and the ads for the races for the US Congress in Minnesota.

The study reveals significant insights into the relationship between the accuracy of political ad claims, the visuals and sound cues used, and the tone of ads, particularly negativity. It argues that understanding how the accuracy of political ad claims affects voters is of paramount importance in today's political landscape.

While the research has avoided the normative question of what these purported gains in knowledge represent, it sheds light on the impact of negative advertising on voter capacities. Does the content of negative advertising enhance voter abilities, such as accurately locating candidates' issue positions or forming reasoned opinions based on accurate information about the candidates' traits or issue stands? Does the accuracy of the information in political advertising matter, regardless of whether turnout increases or decreases? Would voting more, while knowing less, be sufficient in a democratic society?

In addressing these gaps, this book makes a significant contribution. It demonstrates that negative advertising is more likely to make inaccurate claims, and ads that make inaccurate claims also employ a larger number of visual and sound distortions, potentially consuming more cognitive capacity. These findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of political advertising and its effects on public perception and decision-making.

Overall, this book is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and policymakers interested in understanding the role. It provides a thorough analysis of the factual accuracy of political advertising, the visual and sound cues employed, and their relationship with the tone and accuracy of ads, and their impact on knowledge and voting behavior. Its findings have important implications for the future of political communication and democracy.

Weight: 708g
Dimension: 218 x 154 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781498531610