Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices

The tenth edition of Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices provides a clear and thorough survey of the strategic decisions vital to the success of contemporary political campaigns. The authors draw on a host of examples involving political campaigns at local, statewide, and national levels to illustrate all aspects of campaign communication, from forms of public address to buttons, yard-signs, and billboards, to traditional media and the use of internet and social media platforms. Throughout the volume they draw on communication theories to clearly explain contemporary political campaign practices.

Updated to reflect the most recent practices and events from the 2020 presidential campaign, the book also considers journalistic practices and ethical considerations of today.

Features of the tenth edition:

• Includes examples and data from the 2020 election cycle
• Updated and expanded discussion of social media platforms and practices
• Increased art and graphics program to engage students and increase information retention
• Expanded discussion of the history, practice, and state of journalism today
• New chapter on local elections and offices

Robert E. Denton Jr. holds the W. Thomas Rice Chair of Leadership Studies in the Pamplin College of Business and is professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech. He has degrees in political science and communication from Wake Forest University and Purdue University. In addition to numerous articles, essays, and book chapters, he is author, coauthor, or editor of thirty books, several in multiple editions. Ben Voth is associate professor and director of speech and debate at the SMU Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. He is author of Rwanda Rising: Debate as an Empowering International Pedagogy and the Rhetoric of Genocide: Death as a Text, as well as co-author with Robert E. Denton of Social Fragmentation and the Decline of American Democracy: The End of the Social Contract. Judith S. Trent was professor emerita of communication at the University of Cincinnati. She was the author of numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles. She wrote and spoke widely on the subject of political campaign communication and was a frequent commentator and analyst on political campaigns and candidates for the ABC, NBC, and CBS television affiliates in Cincinnati, as well as Ohio/Cincinnati newspapers. Robert V. Friedenberg is professor emeritus of communication at Miami (Ohio) University. He is the author of numerous books, book chapters, and articles. He has served as a communication consultant for the Republican National Committee and has been involved in more than seventy political campaigns.