Media and Voters in Canadian Election Campaigns

JEAN CRÊTE

Introduction

The Media

Knowledge of and Interest in Politics

Media Agendas and Political Personalities

Media Effects on Voting

Conclusion and Discussion

Appendix

Notes

Bibliography

2. MEDIA USAGE AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR

R.H. MACDERMID

Introduction

Media Attention

The Sociodemographic Correlates of Media Attention

The Political Behaviour Correlates of Media Attention

Media Impact on Political Opinions and Political Behaviour

Summary

The Media and Politics: Some Conclusions

3. THE IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL OF LEADERS DEBATES

CATHY WIDDIS BARR

An Overview of the 1984 and 1988 Elections

The Effect of Leaders Debates on Vote Decisions

The Effect of Leaders Debates on Voter Turnout

The Effect of Leaders Debates on Attitudes toward Party Leaders

The Effect of Leaders Debates on Political Knowledge

Conclusions and Recommendations

Notes

References

4. THE ORGANIZATION OF TELEVISED LEADERS DEBATES IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA

ROBERT BERNIER AND DENIS MONIÈRE

Introduction

Televised Debates in the United States

Televised Debates in Europe and Australia

Televised Debates in Canada

Conclusion and Recommendations

Interviews

Bibliography

5. IMPROVING VOTER INFORMATION ABOUT PARTIES AND CANDIDATES

LYNDSAY GREEN

Voter Information Methods

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Canadians

Blind and Visually Impaired Canadians

1. TELEVISION, ADVERTISING AND CANADIAN ELECTIONS

1.1Input–output model of persuasion

3. THE IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL OF LEADERS DEBATES

3.1Leader chosen as debate winner, 25 October–20 November 1988

3.2Vote intention, 1988

3.3Respondents’ scores on three knowledge scales, 1988

TABLES

1. TELEVISION, ADVERTISING AND CANADIAN ELECTIONS

1.1Relative importance granted to each party in television news coverage of election campaigns, 1974–88

1.2Relative attention paid to the major parties by television networks during election campaigns, 1974–88, compared with election results

1.3Overall positive and negative orientation of election news on television

1.4Election news devoted to issues in 1988

1.5Election news time devoted to various players during the 1988 federal election

1.6Knowledge of local candidates, 1988 federal election campaign

1.7Exposure to the media and election advertising, and degree of knowledge

1.8Knowledge of candidates and exposure to election advertising, controlling for interest in politics

1.9Relative importance of various media as sources of political information

1.10Exposure to television by age group during the 1988 federal election

2. MEDIA USAGE AND POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR

2.1Frequency of television news viewing and newspaper reading, NES 1988

2.2–1 Media use trends across the NES surveys

2.2–2 Watched campaign news on television

2.2–3 Heard campaign news on radio

2.3Response changes to identical TV questions asked of the same respondents before and after election day, NES 1988

2.4Response changes to identical newspaper questions asked of the same respondents following the 1974 and 1979 elections, NES 1974–79 panel

2.5Most important media for information

2.6OLS regression coefficients for sociodemographic correlates of attention to television

2.7OLS regression coefficients for sociodemographic correlates of attention to newspapers

2.8OLS regression coefficients for sociodemographic correlates of attention to radio

2.9OLS regression coefficients for sociodemographic correlates of attention to all media

2.10OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to television, 1974

2.11OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to newspapers, 1974

2.12OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to radio, 1974

2.13OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to total media, 1974

2.14OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to television, 1979

2.15OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to newspapers, 1979

2.16OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to radio, 1979

2.17OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to total media, 1979

2.18OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to television, 1984

2.19OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to newspapers, 1984

2.20OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to total media, 1984

2.21OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to television, 1988

2.22OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to newspapers, 1988

2.23OLS regression coefficients for political behaviour correlates of attention to total media, 1988

2.24The pattern of significant coefficients in tables 2.10 through 2.23

2.25Most important issues, 1974–84

2.26OLS standardized regression coefficients for correlates of political knowledge, NES 1984

2.27OLS regression coefficients for correlates of turnout, NES 1988

3. THE IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL OF LEADERS DEBATES

3.1Debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.2Leader chosen as debate winner, 1984 and 1988

3.3Relationship between current vote and debate exposure, vote switching and debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.4Loglinear models of relationship between current vote and debate exposure, vote switching and debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.5Parameter estimates, current vote by previous vote by debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.6Relationship between voter turnout and debate exposure, with and without controls for level of interest in election, 1984 and 1988

3.7Loglinear models of relationship between voter turnout and debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.8Parameter estimates, voter turnout by interest in election by debate exposure, 1984 and 1988

3.9Overall evaluation of leaders, 1984 and 1988

3.10Judgement of leaders’ personal characteristics, 1984

3.11Judgement of leaders’ personal characteristics, 1988

3.12Respondents’ assessments of what they learned from the 1984 debate

3.13Determinants of political knowledge, 1984

3.14Determinants of political knowledge for all respondents, and for selected media users, 1984

4. THE ORGANIZATION OF TELEVISED LEADERS DEBATES IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA AND CANADA

4.1Viewer ratings during the leaders debates, as measured by BBM and Nielsen

4.2Free air time