Crime in Televised Presidential Campaign Ads

The Making of Visual Metaphor

Bibliographic Data

ID2153263
AuthorsLisa A Kort-Butler (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA), Lisa A Kort‐butler (0000-0002-1880-8716, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume41
Issue5
Pages628-648
Publication date2020-05-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDeviant Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01639625.2019.1582972
OpenAlexW2917432462
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited54

In televised campaign advertisements, political rhetoric potently combines with visual metaphors. Drawing on a digital library of presidential campaign ads from 1952 to 2016, the qualitative media analysis scrutinized how crime rhetoric became visual metaphor. Crime images were positioned and manipulated alongside other content to craft a story about crime and the candidates. Across all ads, two tactics emerged: depicting crime as a problem akin to other social ills – a dark stain; and posing crime as the sinister side to an otherwise vibrant society – a lurking shadow. Candidates were branded as janitors and sheriffs who could rally against these foes

Advertising · Criminology · Media studies · Metaphor · Political science · Politics · Presidential campaign · Presidential system · Rhetoric · Shadow (psychology · Sociology · Visual rhetoric · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies