Public perceptions of television and online political advertising

Bibliographic Data

ID13016751
AuthorsTravis N Ridout (0000-0003-3268-4358, Washington State University, corresponding author), Michael M Franz (0000-0001-5996-075X, Bowdoin College), Erika Franklin Fowler (0000-0003-3141-572X, Wesleyan University), Taewoo Kang (0000-0002-4556-9319, Siena College)
Year2024
Volume11
Issue2
Publication date2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueResearch & Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2053-1680 • E-ISSN: 2053-1680
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/20531680241263766
OpenAlexW4399909896
LanguageEN
References cited18

For decades, television has dominated political advertising, but that is changing due to the rise of advertising online and on social and digital media. How do people view online political advertising and how does this compare to their views of television advertising? To address these questions, we examine a nationally representative survey of 1200 U.S. adults that was fielded in February 2021. The survey contains an experiment in which the description of advertising (generic, television, or online) is altered. We find, in general, that people view online advertising more favorably than television advertising. We also find that, in some instances, age influences views of advertising. This study provides some of the first evidence of how Americans view online political advertising. Understanding what people think about online advertising can shed light on the potential impacts of online ad exposure, such as persuasion and participation, and people’s attitudes toward online advertising should inform proposals for its regulation

Advertising · Business · Media studies · Perception · Political advertising · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Public relations · Sociology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Social Media and Politics