Media MessagesMWI 3

Media Messages Media messages are those distributed by organizations with

the intent of communicating an idea or ideas to a wide audience.

Media messages are constructed in different ways for different purposes.

Media Messages Communication methods influence the ways people define

and act on issues.

Media messages affect public opinion on issues.

Organizations adjust their messages for different audiences.

Media Messages Propaganda- Information designed to persuade, is used

widely in advertising and politics

The goals of these campaigns vary but all attempt to influence the audience to act a certain way, whether that is to vote for a certain candidate or buy a product.

Media Messages Children in presidential ads serve as a lens through which to

view the wider concerns of the nation, such as nuclear war drugs or affordable health care

However, many candidates oversimplify issues, arousing emotions with drastic predictions about the future of our children that are based on little or misleading information

Media Messages Ads that focus on the emotions of viewers or attack the competition have been

prevalent in recent election campaigns

Studying how presidential commercials have returned to the same themes throughout the past half-century helps us to understand the reasons for the repetition of certain types of imagery.

Political ads featuring children have been common since the 1950s. Some ads use images of a candidate with his own children or grandchildren to help establish him as a "family man."

Others portray anonymous or "real" children who are not related to the candidate in order to elicit powerful emotions, including fear, anxiety, and hope for the future.

BRAINSTORMBrainstorm about the reasons why a candidate for president might refer to or use children in a campaign commercial.

Assignment 1. Define Media Messages.

2. How might an organization change their message depending on the audience they are trying to reach?

3. What are examples of media that you use everyday? Provide an example of media message that targets your demographic

4. Why do politicians use emotions in their ads?

5. What types of emotional responses are they hoping for? Give an example.

Assignment Watch the following ads ("Family/Children" (George H. W. Bush, 1988) and

"Dangerous World" (George W. Bush, 2000) and answer the following questions

Describe the children in these ads. Is there one child, or are there many?

What are the children doing?

How do these ads make you feel? Why?

What is each ad about?

Are children used effectively in these ads? Why or why not?

Do you think the impact of using children in these ads would have been different for older viewers and younger ones?