ABSTRACT
Advertising, we have noted, has one fundamental weakness as a form of political communication. To the receiver of the message it is perceived as being, if not necessarily ‘propaganda’ (in the negative sense of that term), then ‘biased’ and partial. Regardless of whether or not the audience agrees or disagrees with the message being advertised, he or she is aware that it is a politically loaded message, reflecting the interests, ideas and values of the sponsor. For this reason, the effectiveness of political advertising as a means of persuasion will always be limited. Knowing that a message is ‘committed’ allows the reader, viewer or listener to take a distance from it – to resist and reject it. This has not, as we have seen, prevented political advertising from playing an increasingly important part in the political process, but it has encouraged the view that other forms of communication may be more effective in transmitting the desired messages. In particular, political actors have come to believe in the importance of ‘free media’ in achieving their goals, as opposed to the paid-for variety (Levy, 1989). By ‘free media’ I mean those spaces and outlets in which political actors may gain exposure and coverage, without having to pay media organisations for the privilege.
