Media Messages in American Presidential Elections

Focusing her attention on the audience, Diana Owen investigates the way people process media messages during campaigns. This study examines the role of ads, news stories, poll results, and debates in Presidential elections. Based on surveys fielded during the 1984 and 1988 Presidential campaigns, Owen compares these four message categories to determine their relative importance to voters. In addition she investigates how individuals make use of messages in establishing their perception of candidates and issues. The uses and gratifications of mass communications provides the theoretical foundation for this book. It is designed for researchers and students in communications and mass media, voting behaviour and public opinion.