Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper studies the persuasive power of mass media during an election campaign. Using the availability of a three-wave rolling panel from the UK election campaign in 2005 and matching respondents with content analysis data from commentary in newspapers they read, we are estimating the impact of political slant on party and leader evaluations. Controlling for socioeconomic factors and partisan predispositions, and employing a growth model for change (and additional analysis with a fixed effects model), it is established that praise and criticism in the press positively affects feelings towards a party or leader, while indicating that Labour and the Conseratives, as well as their leaders, may also benefit substantially from criticism of their direct opponents.