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2016 ElectionsBlogReleasesYear-End Summaries

2016 Election Study Published

Wesleyan Media Project shares lessons, analysis from 2016 election cycle   (MIDDLETOWN, CT) March 6, 2017 - The 2016 presidential campaign broke the mold when it comes to patterns of political advertising. But, in a new publication, the Wesleyan Media Project directors say “Not so fast” to those who argue that advertising no longer matters in elections. The article published in The Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics (open access through mid-April 2017) shows that the presidential race featured far less advertising than the previous cycle, a huge imbalance in the number of ads across candidates, and one candidate…
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2016 Post-Election Conference

On December 4 & 5 the Wesleyan Media Project and Department of Government co-hosted a 2016 post-election conference featuring more than 20 prominent political scientists, non-partisan experts and PBS NewsHour Correspondent John Yang ’80. Details on the panels and topics are below. Monday's panels were live streamed. We have posted a selection of presentations and papers below.   Sunday, December 4 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM An Overview of the 2016 Election Location: Wesleyan University -- PAC 001 The opening session will review what happened in voting/the polls, advertising/campaigning and what it was like to cover the campaign from a journalism…
Wesleyan Media Project
November 29, 2016
2016 ElectionsBlogReleases

WMP/CRP Special Report
Outside Group Activity, 2000-2016

Image: OpenSecrets Super PACs dominate 2016; “Dark Money” a consistent but growing presence since 2000; Outside Groups at all-time high in share of ads aired; most groups active in only one election cycle August 24, 2016 (MIDDLETOWN, CT) August 24, 2016 – A new historical analysis of political advertising data by the Wesleyan Media Project, in partnership with the Center for Responsive Politics, reveals several important findings about the involvement of outside groups in elections over the past decade and a half.  In particular, the report provides an in-depth assessment of outside group advertising (2.4 million airings) over time, examining trends…
Wesleyan Media Project
August 24, 2016
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Knight Foundation provides $45,000
in new support

Election campaign advertising by outside groups continues to break records; Knight Foundation provides $45,000 in new support to Wesleyan Media Project to promote more transparency in elections MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Feb. 18, 2016 – Interest group involvement in television advertising is breaking records in the presidential primary, the Wesleyan Media Project reports today in its first 2016 analysis of political advertising in the presidential race and Senate campaigns. The project is made possible with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Wesleyan University. The report shows that advertising in the GOP primary is up 22 percent…
Wesleyan Media Project
February 18, 2016