Date of Award
Fall 12-16-2016
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Political Science and International Affairs
First Advisor
Murphy, Chad
Major or Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
The media has been the prevalent source of political information to voters for decades. Meanwhile, negativity in the press has grown as reporters investigate political candidates and often criticize them to try to come up with attention-grabbing news stories. During this time of increasing negativity in the news, do political candidates running for office benefit from media coverage? It is important to determine whether the media has an effect on candidate popularity and if it influences voter opinion during election years. This paper describes the media's relationship with political candidates running for office and the power of the media in the electoral process. In order to test the media's effect on candidate popularity, this paper analyzes the 2012 and 2016 elections and the media's future implications on political candidates and elections in the upcoming years.
Recommended Citation
Szczesna, Aleksandra, "The Media and Candidate Popularity During the 2012 and 2016 Elections" (2016). Student Research Submissions. 140.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/140