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Presidential Ads 70 Percent Negative in 2012, Up from 9 Percent in 2008 2012 ElectionsReleases

Presidential Ads 70 Percent Negative in 2012, Up from 9 Percent in 2008

Super PACs Sponsor Bulk of Presidential Ads; Obama, Crossroads GPS Battle in Same States (MIDDLETOWN, CT) May 2, 2012 – The 2012 presidential race is shaping up to be an overwhelmingly negative one, much more negative than the 2008 contest to date. As Table 1 shows, 7 out of 10 of the ads aired in this year’s presidential contests have been negative—that is, they mentioned an opponent. This compares to fewer than 1 in 10 ads aired during the 2008 presidential race up to this point that were negative. Table 1: Tone of Ads in Presidential Race (2008 and 2012)* “One…
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May 2, 2012
Outside Group Involvement in GOP Contest Skyrockets Compared to 2008 2012 ElectionsReleases

Outside Group Involvement in GOP Contest Skyrockets Compared to 2008

Romney Advertising Dominates in Florida; General Election Advertising Sets Furious Pace (MIDDLETOWN, CT) Jan. 30, 2012 – The overall number of GOP presidential ads on the airwaves this election year is comparable with 2008, but who is paying for them so far has changed significantly.  The influence of SuperPACs in the race for the 2012 GOP nomination is clear, with a more than 1600 percent increase in interest-group sponsored ads aired as compared to 2008. In the first presidential election cycle following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Citizens United v. FEC, interest group involvement in the presidential air war…
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January 30, 2012
2010 Campaign Ad Studies Published 2010 ElectionsBlogReleasesYear-End Summaries

2010 Campaign Ad Studies Published

(MIDDLETOWN, CT) Jan. 11, 2011 -- Two comprehensive studies of the campaign ad trends from the 2010 election have been published by the researchers from The Wesleyan Media Project. “Advertising Trends in 2010” (click here for a local copy), by Erika Franklin Fowler of Wesleyan University and Travis Ridout of Washington State University, and “The Citizens United Election? Or Same as it Ever Was?” (click here for a local copy), by Michael Franz of Bowdoin College, appear in the most recent issue of The Forum, a Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics.
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January 11, 2011
An Uptick in Negativity: Last Few Weeks Provide Confirmation – 2010 Campaign Most Negative in Recent History 2010 ElectionsReleases

An Uptick in Negativity: Last Few Weeks Provide Confirmation – 2010 Campaign Most Negative in Recent History

Republicans Using Pure Attack Ads More Often; Dem Attack Ads Still More Personal (MIDDLETOWN, CT) Nov. 1, 2010 – In just the last few weeks a large uptick in negative ads has pushed this year from one that was no more negative than 2008 to the most negative campaign in recent history by both sides. In an analysis of year-to-date (through Oct. 20) and traditional general election advertising (9/1-10/20) of House and Senate races, the Wesleyan Media Project is now finding a marked increase in negativity as the general election season has heated up and drawn close to Election Day. ***To…
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November 1, 2010
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