Political Communication in the 2016 Election

        Depending on when and who someone asks, political communication can mean a number of things. Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Kate Kenski list three different definitions for the term in their article “Political Communication: Then, Now, and Beyond.” The first is from the origins of political communication in the early 20th Century, defining political communication as “who gets what, when, (and) how by saying what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect.” The next definition is found from political science and communications associations themselves. These define political communication as the information related to power and the political system that is created, shared, and interpreted by politicians, candidates, and their staff, the media, and citizens. The final definition given is by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, which define political communication “as ‘making sense of symbolic exchanges about the shared exercise of power’ and ‘the presentation and interpretation of information, messages or signals with potential consequences for the exercise of shared power.’”

  In this 2016 Presidential election cycle, there are many examples of political communication taking place. Candidates give speeches, participate in town halls, and hold rallies to communicate directly to voters as well as the media their message and to attempt to create a positive image for themselves. One candidate, John Kasich, has held 50 town halls in New Hampshire alone this election cycle. Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are often in the news for the size of the crowds that attend their rallies. Candidates can also give television interviews, utilize social media and the internet, and buy ad time on television and the radio. The media’s role has evolved, as campaign trail reporting is no longer as important as it used to be. With their focus on their television ratings and website visits, the media look for popular stories over substantive analysis. Voters can generate their own political communication through giving campaign donations and displaying bumper stickers, but more often take part in political communication by interpreting news to help them decide who to vote for. When Donald Trump is criticized for something controversial he said, the media backlash causes some to like him even more, displaying the different ways people interpret news from the media.