TABLE OF CONTENTS

  

  

Background/
Introduction/
Standards

Key Quotes 

Objectives/
Preparing Students

Critical Inquiry

Media Literacy

Teaching Suggestion (NCSS)

Other
Lesson Plans

Candidates
Websites/Streams

NEW
Ad Watch Columns
(evaluating spots 
for accuracy)

Past Campaign Ads

Timely News articles  
 

Campaign/Election
news resources

Election sites for
Teachers and students

Web Resources

Recommended Texts

Recommended
Videos

 
 
 

  Hit Counter

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Role of Media in Elections: 
Helping Students Understand Media's Influence
 by Frank Baker, media educator ©2004
(do you find this resource valuable?
  let me know:
 fbaker1346@aol.com


 Political ads IN THE NEWS: 

2008
 Cable Consortium Pushes Political On-Demand Ads
 Political Ads: Web Vs. TV
 Political Ads: TV's Last Bonanza
 Obama campaign preparing series of attack ads
McCain Ad Calls Obama Dangerously Unprepared
Candidates Spending More on Cable Ads
 Conservative Group’s Ads Link Obama to 1960s Radical
Obama counterattacks on 'Swift Boat'-style ads
 How Are Political Ads Made Quickly?
'3 AM' McCain ad uses Clinton clips
 Obama asks Justice probe of 'Issues' ads
McCain ad: Clinton's 'truth hurt'
 McCain ad says Obama snubbed Clinton in VP pick
 Obama silences ads in some states during convention
Every Four Years: Presidential Campaign Ads (Newseum DC Exhibit)
 Obama Stops Advertising in Red Battleground States
When Images Speak Louder Than Words
 Group to spend $2.8 million on anti-Obama ad
Candidates' wives lend voices to anti-poverty ad
Presidential campaign ads: Watch, rate
Obama ad focuses on tax cuts
 McCain, Obama to silence critical ads on Sept. 11
Obama’s Ads in Key States Go on Attack
Television Starts to Court the Young Voter
 All's Fair in Love and Political Ads  
 They're back: Harry and Louise on health insurance
 Subtle Internet Ads Send Targeted Political Messages (NPR)
 Obama targets Olympic audience with economic TV ad
Obama, McCain Air Olympics Ads (WSJ)
 Jackson Browne sues McCain over ad
 Are You Ready For More McCain Attack Ads? (Natl Journal)
 NC Obama campaign spends over $2M on NC TV ads
Entravision, Univision Political Ads May Soar in US Election
IN New Obama ad features Hoosiers criticizing the economy
 Who's winning the message war, Obama or McCain?
 Candidates' Olympics ads take different approaches
FL Obama Runs 9,785 TV Ads In Fla., Zero For McCain
Study: Candidate Web Sites Are as Effective as TV and Cable Ads
Campaigns unveil dueling celebrity ads
Barack Obama responds with his own McCain 'celebrity' ad
 Political Spots Now a Bargain
 Getting in their digital digs
On positive side, negative ads work
Obama Ad Attacks McCain on Yucca Mountain
 GOP  Launches Three New Ads
New McCain Ad Hits Obama on Celebrity Again
 Is there sinister subtext in McCain ads? (Politico)
 Poll: Obama's ads positive, McCain's not
Obama' plan to put ads on gas pumps hits roadblock
Winning the Message War: 2 Parts (Campaigns & Elections)
 McCain ad asks if Obama is ready to help families
 McCain’s $6M Olympic ad buy tops Obama’s
 New McCain ad pushes independence, distance from Bush
 Study: McCain Finally Getting Media Coverage Equal To Obama
 McCain ads may hurt Obama, but they've already hurt McCain
 Obama assails McCain as tool of Big Oil in ad
Obama ad calls for return of windfall profits tax
 Campaign ad blitz already at $50 million
Obama extends reach with TV ads
No. 1 spots for campaign ads? Phila. and Pa. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
 Election Year Rains Millions on Media Outlets
 Presidential Candidates Battle It Out With Ads
Presidential Campaign Ads Take On Aggressive Tone
MoveOn responds to McCain ads
Battleground states see more political ads
 Our view on campaign fairness: McCain attack ad cheapens campaign. More to come?/ Opposing view: Ad confronts the inevitable
Campaign ads attack GOP candidates for oil industry ties
Obama, McCain Now Battling On MTV, Comedy Central
 Comedy Central Accepts Political Ad
Are the media biased against Obama?
 Political Ads May Not Tell Whole Story (NPR)
 New McCain Ads Attack Obama's Canceled Troop Visit
 McCain has Berlin moment too — in little Berlins
Election-Year Ads Seek Spotlight for Education Issues
 Obama to run ads during Olympics
 McCain, Obama launch new radio ads
RNC airs anti-Obama ads
McCain, Obama spend $7.2M on Michigan TV ads
McCain TV ad accuses Obama of shifting Iraq views
 Third party groups unleash barrage of new ads
 Two ads, two views of Iraq war
 McCain returns to NM, ads focus on Hispanics
RNC and DNC exchange web attack ads on Iraq
 Black Media Hopeful on Election Ad Spending
 Ad campaign presses candidates on education
Hispanics in military focus of ad
Obama Ad Takes On McCain’s Energy Plans
 Cashing In On Obama; McCain/ Where the presidential candidates spend their money (NYT)
 New RNC Ads Go After Obama on Energy
Through Ads, Candidates Vie For Hispanic Voters (NPR)
 RNC Launching $3 Million Ad Buy in Four States
 U.S. presidential race: TV ads galore (Canada)
 Obama, McCain Launch Competing Campaign Ads
NRA to target Obama in ad blitz
 McCain campaign pulls ads from some anti-Obama Web sites
 MTV is keen on airing new video: political ads
Obama airs second campaign ad in Indiana
Unions’ election drive means TV, money and troops
 McCain Ad Touts Energy Policy
 New Ad Hits Obama on Abortion
 Breaking Tradition, MTV to Accept Political Advertising
 GOP senator makes ad touting work with Obama
Obama Camp Vows To Fight Race-Based Ads
Negative TV ads are nothing new in political campaigns
NYT: Obama plans push on ads, turnout
Obama Mulling NBC Olympics Ads
States targeted for Barack Obama ad include some shockers
 Obama Launches Nationwide Ad Campaign
 Young Child Used in Anti-McCain Ad
 AFSCME, MoveOn ad targets McCain on Iraq war
McCain, liberal groups roll out new TV ads
 Tony Schwartz Obit: helped create famous Daisy Ad
 Appeals court tells FEC to enforce law on ads
Primaries Boost Cable News Ad Revenue
 The internet and the 2008 election (Pew Study)
 Election Ad Uptick
 John Cusack takes on John McCain in MoveOn.org ad
Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage
McCain doesn't talk about Vietnam, but ads do
McCain releases Florida ad in Spanish
 McCain airing 'hates war' TV ads
McCain Launches Spanish Radio Ads in NM and Arizona
 Obama putting more ad shops on his team
Democrats Enjoy More Positive Media Coverage than McCain
 Survey: Most say campaign ads only bore and annoy
 Ad edge in 11-day span boosted Obama, study says
 NEARLY $200 MILLION SPENT ON PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TV ADS TO DATE(pdf)
 Democrats, especially Obama, won campaign ad war
 McCain Quietly Spending on TV in Swing States
For Now, McCain Has The TV-Ad Scene to Himself
 How Barack Obama Is Using the Web to Further Engage Voters
MoveOn.org Launches Anti-McCain Ad Campaign
MI McCain to Begin TV Ads in Michigan
 Going negative in political advertising
 527 groups get the cold shoulder
New Clinton Ads for Oregon, Kentucky
 Obama warns Republicans about critical ads
 Obama stresses his faith in ads
MoveOn ad features pro-Obama Republican
 Are Political Ad Dollars Going Online?
Politcal ads changing 
 The Wealth Behind the Stealth: Advocacy TV Ads Flood the Electoral Landscape
 Misleading gas ads from Clinton, Obama
Campaign Ad War
Republicans use Obama as the bad guy in negative ads
IN A profitable primary over in TV land
 Political Spending Not Benefitting TV Stations Yet
 MoveOn to Air Anti-McCain Ads
 Obama campaign blasts negative ads
IN Presidential campaign prompts unprecedented political ads
Ad Showcases Women in Obama's Family
Pro-Clinton group airing ad in Indiana
DNC Releases First Anti-McCain Ad
Obama strategy: More ads, fewer debates
SD Obama leads off campaign ads with family health-care issue
NC GOP leadership divided over Obama ad
McCain asks NC GOP not to run ad
NC Presidential candidates use ads to win support
Democrats Look Ahead With Ind., N.C. Ads
Hillary, Obama hit each other in attack ads
Political TV Ads Uneven, Back-Loaded
 Three negative spots debut in one day
 New Media As the Message (National Journal)
 TV ads turn negative as primary nears
PA Clinton Airs 5 New Ads in Pa.
PA  Obama's unprecedented ad buy
 'Soft money' battle brewing
NC Clinton goes on TV in Tar Heel state
 McCain and Clinton Ads Spar Over Mortgage Crisis
Clinton TV Ad: McCain Not Ready to Handle 3 a.m. Economic Crisis
IL Media Curves: Viewers React To Clinton, Obama Ads
PA  Clinton Lagging in TV Ad Spending
NC Obama campaign starts TV ads today
      Obama plays on hoops fever in state TV ad buys
 McCain launches general election ad
PA Clinton ads up in Pa
PA Obama Begins Airing Campaign Ads In Pittsburgh
Dem-leaning group airs anti-McCain ad
 MoveOn.org ads back Obama
Movie stars help with Obama ad
OH Primary TV ads: 3,383 here
The Ohio Ad Wars
Girl in TV phone ad for Clinton is a big supporter of Obama
 Newsweek: Spying attack ads on the way
Ads' influence falls away in a 'message election'
 Clinton’s ‘Daisy’ Ad?
 Iraq back in political ads
RI  Flush with cash, Obama outbooks Clinton in TV Ads
WI  Study: Obama spent 5 times more than Clinton on primary ads
TX Texas political ad blitz kicks off
Clinton Friends to Mount Ohio Ad Campaign
Obama Still Has Big Advertising Edge
 Clinton hopes negative ads will save her campaign
OH Clinton leads in polls, but Obama spends more for TV ads
HI Obama campaign to start radio ad campaign
WI Obama winning ad wars in region
 Clinton Seeks to Regroup in Ad Wars
 Young voters influenced by negative ads
 Obama to start ads in Ohio, Texas
 Web-only campaign advertisements flood presidential race
VA  Local advertising minimal ahead of primary
 Obama, Clinton trade ad buys in critical states
WI Political ad blitz at hand
VA McCain launches TV ads in Virginia
DC/MD/VA Political TV Ads Running Early in the District
MI Even Michigan gets taste of big ad blitz
 Candidates spend super sums on television ads
Ad analysis: Super Tuesday
 Obama Runs Ad During Super Bowl
Screening the Chances: Candidates' spending on TV ads shows the ins and outs of the medium  (link to study press release)
CA TV ad blitz launched ahead of Super Tuesday
GA Obama goes unchallenged on airways
Campaign ads not so negative after all
Romney Outspends All Opponents Combined in Ad Buys
 Romney: Major Ad Buys in California, Other Super Tuesday States
MA Obama campaign will aim an ad at Super Bowl viewers in Boston
 Obama outlines aggressive Super Tuesday ad campaign
 Obama Campaign Ads Are Coming to a TV Near You
NJ Democratic front-runners bring the ad war to Jersey
 AK Ron Paul ad airing on Arkansas TV stations
 Obama’s New Ads in the Big States
 NY  Obama Campaign Launches TV Ads
 McCain Ads Attack Romney
 Primary Tally So Far: 160000 TV Spots and $141M in Spending
FL  Giuliani Blitzes Florida with Ad Buys
 Obama ads feature prominent politicians
 Political Ad Spending- Less than expected
Edwards' Feb. 5 Ad Buy
 Democrats Test Messages in Early Nationwide Ads
U.Va. team: Negative political ads can be good
OK  Clinton To Begin Running Ads
UT Obama to begin airing TV ads in advance of primary
CT  Clinton, Obama Run Ads On State TV
GA Obama Ads Start Running
MN Obama to begin running TV ads ; Obama's campaign to begin TV, radio
AL Barack Obama ads start airing  
 Clinton, Obama run ads in Feb. 5 states
Giuliani, McCain launch new web ads
TN Clinton begins running TV ads in TN
MO Clinton Begins Running Ads In Missouri
Political Candidates Favor Old Media over New
US NEWS  Great Political Ads Pack a Powerful Punch
 Clinton cries foul on Obama cable ads
MO Obama to launch TV ads