Newswise — Washington, DC (September 6, 2012)—Obama Girl on YouTube. Weekly sketches on Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin. The popularity of Stephen Colbert and John Stewart. Pop culture played a large role in the 2008 presidential election. Will the same hold true for the 2012 election? When politics and pop culture mix, does it impact voter behavior? Is this mix beneficial to politicians?
Members of The National Communication Association who study political communication, humor, and the media can provide insight into the following:
•Do late night comedy shows affect political behaviors?•Can the candidates use pop culture to help get their message to voters?•Can exposure to political humor increase someone’s political participation?•How do entertainment shows complement more traditional sources of political news?
WHO:
Dannagal Goldthwaite Young, Ph.D.Department of Communication, University of DelawareShe studies how entertainment media can impact public opinion, political attitudes, and behaviors with a focus on the psychology of political humor.
R. Lance Holbert, Ph.DSchool of Communication, Ohio State UniversityHe studies political communication, the influence of entertainment television on voters, and persuasion.
Karrin Vasby Anderson, Ph.D.Communication Studies, Colorado State UniversityShe studies U.S. political culture, gender, and political communication.
Ben Voth, Ph.D.Communication Studies, Southern Methodist UniversityHe studies humor and politics, debate and persuasion.
CONTACT: To schedule an interview with an expert, please contact Arlyn G. Riskind at [email protected] or 202-534-1104.###
About National Communication AssociationThe National Communication Association (NCA) advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific, and aesthetic inquiry. The NCA serves approximately 8,000 scholars, teachers, and practitioners who are its members by enabling and supporting their professional interests in research and teaching. Dedicated to fostering and promoting free and ethical communication, the NCA promotes the widespread appreciation of the importance of communication in public and private life, the application of competent communication to improve the quality of human life and relationships, and the use of knowledge about communication to solve human problems.
For more information, visit www.natcom.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natcomm and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalCommunicationAssociation.
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