1st Edition
Talk Show Campaigns Presidential Candidates on Daytime and Late Night Television
1. The Entertainment Talk Show Strategy. 2. Embracing the Talk Show Strategy. 3. Searching for Hard-to-Reach Voters. 4. More than a Forum for Lighthearted Banter. 5. Getting the Word Out and Going for Votes. 6. Generating Media Exposure. 7. Conclusion.
Biography
Michael Parkin is Associate Professor of Politics at Oberlin College. His primary research and teaching interests are in candidate use of new media, particularly entertainment television and the Internet.
"Talk Show Campaigns offers a fresh, comprehensive, and discerning examination of politics in the media age. For years even casual observers of American politics have noted an increasing number of TV talk show campaign appearances and now, thanks to Michael Parkin, we know why. In this meticulously researched and captivating book, Parkin explores the relationship between political candidates and voters through the increasingly important structure of entertainment television. Through his examination of this talk show strategy, Parkin tells a larger story about American elections, the entertainment we enjoy, and the new ways that we get our information. Well written and accessible, this is a fantastic book."
—Alison Dagnes, Shippensburg University"This is a book that needed to be written. Over the past two decades, appearances on entertainment talk shows have played an increasingly important role in the campaign strategies of presidential candidates. While others have investigated this phenomenon, no study to date has offered such a comprehensive assessment of it over time. To do so, Parkin assembles an impressive array of data spanning over 200 appearances on entertainment talk shows by presidential candidates between 1992 and 2012, including content analyses of candidate interviews, audience demographics and ratings data. In bringing all of these elements together, Parkin is able to offer a thorough accounting of the role of entertainment talk shows in modern presidential politics. This book is a must read for students and scholars interested in presidential politics and political communication."
—Matthew Baum, Harvard University
