Preface:
This annotated
bibliography will explore the current news stories associated with the
celebrity endorsement surround the 2012 United States Presidential Campaign. The
following mediums were analysed; two online articles and a news broadcast. Each
medium communicated parallel and differing opinions on the event, often
dependent on the target audience and credibility.
Inthorn, S., Street, J. (2011). Celebrity Politics:
Simon Cowell for Prime Minister? Young citizens’ attitudes towards celebrity
politics. Media, Culture and Society, 33
(3). 479-489. DOI: 10.177/0163443711398765
The authors, Sanna Inthorn
and John Street, are both faculty members of the Arts Department at the
University of East Anglia. Ms Inthorn is a Senior Lecturer of Journalism, Media
and Cultural Studies and Professor Street is a Professor of Politics and the
author of several books, therefore both a credible sources (University of East
Anglia, 2012). The article focuses on the influence of celebrities in politics
on young citizens in the United Kingdom. The method of content collection used
in this study was reliable as first hand opinions were taken from UK
adolescence’s. Throughout the analysis, it was found that young citizens
associate a level of trust with a celebrity that they do not associate with
politicians, as they believe that celebrities share the truths of their lives
through music or performance and politicians keep personal information quiet.
Despite this, the information regarding the overall influence of celebrities in
politics was conflicting. It was recognised that people who have a strong
interest in celebrity culture ‘are the least likely to vote, and their
political interest is low’ (Couldry and Markham, 2007). However, in the USA and
Canada there is evidence of celebrities having a positive impact on the
willingness of young people to support specific causes (Jackson and Darrow,
2005) or to vote in elections (Austin et al., 2008).
Cited below are some
commercial media texts which emphasise both the negative and positive celebrity
influences in regards to supporting a cause and voting, in particular the 2012
United States Presidential Election.
Wong, V. (2012, September). Obama vs Romney Celebrity
Endorsements: Why Stars Continue to Shine in Election 2012. PolicyMic. Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/articles/15082/obama-vs-romney-celebrity-endorsements-why-stars-continue-to-shine-in-election-2012
Freelance journalist Vicky
Wong wrote a story last month which discusses the impact, both negative and
positive, of celebrities on the 2012 United States Presidential Election. The
site PolyMic, founded by Harvard and Stanford graduates Chris Altchek and Jake
Horowitz, is a democratic online news platform which aims to engage readers in
open debates (PolyMic: About Us 2012). Being an open news platform, its source
material is only as reliable as the author, and as Vicky Wong is a graduate in
Politics and International Relations (PolyMic, 2012) the source has been deemed
credible. As mentioned in the academic article, it was found that celebrity
endorsement had an impact on the younger demographic, with the number of voters
increasing from 2004 to 2008. Contradictory, celebrity endorsement was said to
be patronising towards those who take genuine interest in politics, and this
high-profile endorsement assumes that nobody people don’t understand politics
and need to have it explained to them. The article continues to touch on this
patronising nature and compares celebrities to cheerleaders, implying that they
lack knowledge but are useful in rallying support. Despite the slight
tendencies to render celebrities stupid, there is little bias in the article as
it covers both the negative and positive impacts of celebrity endorsement.
Harper, J. (2010, April 27). Celeb Support Doesn’t
Help Candidates. The Washington Post.
Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/27/hollywood-fame-brings-candidates-political-fortune/?page=all
Journalist Jennifer Harper
wrote an article in 2010, analysing a study released by North Carolina State
University. The study was conducted by an Associate Professor of Political
Science, Michael Cobb. The Washington Times has gained reputation for hard
hitting investigative reporting and thorough coverage of politics and policy,
therefore this is a reliable source (Washington Times, 2012). The study, which
gathered the opinions of 800 college students, found that celebrity
endorsements do not help political candidates, they can hurt them. The study
even refuted a study conducted by the University of Maryland, which estimated
that Oprah’s endorsement of Barack Obama in 2008 was responsible for around one
million votes. Mr. Cobb contradictorily claims that data indicated Oprah’s
ratings declined in the wake of her political endorsement. The article contains
strong bias as it almost entirely focuses on one study, therefore one set of
findings. These findings suggest the negative impact of celebrity endorsement;
therefore the article also reflects this viewpoint. This strong political bias is not as
prevalent in either of the other commercial media sources, which leads us to
question the author’s personal bias and credibility.
Raaflaub, L (Presenter). (2012, September 10). Celebrities in Politics [Academic
Newscast]. Denver, United States of America: The Met Report
Presenter covered the
effects of celebrity endorsement in the 2012 Presidential Campaign during a
segment of the Met Report. The Met Report is an academic newscast from
the University of Denver, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstanding
Student Achievement in Television Broadcasting, making it a highly reliable source.
The segment offered an ‘expert’ opinion from Dr. Robert Preuhs, a Professor of
Political Science, who explained the lack of evidence suggesting that
celebrities sway voter opinion. However, he further explains that public
opinion leaders; well know and well respected individuals, can influence voters
perceptions of a candidate. The segment is brief and only one ‘expert’ is
consulted, leaving little room for bias or political debate. Consequently it is
less informative than the other commercial pieces, and rather than discuss the
negative and/or positive impacts, it just claims that there are no real impacts
or influences at all.
APA Style Reference
List
Harper, J. (2010, April 27). Celeb Support Doesn’t Help Candidates. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/27/hollywood-fame-brings-candidates-political-fortune/?page=all
Inthorn, S., Street, J. (2011).
Celebrity Politics: Simon Cowell for Prime Minister? Young citizens’ attitudes
towards celebrity politics. Media,
Culture and Society, 33 (3), 479-489. DOI: 10.177/0163443711398765
Metro Student Media. (2012). The Met Report. Retrieved from http://metrostudentmedia.com/about/met-report/
PolyMic. (2012). PolyMic: About Us. Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/info/ourStory
PolyMic. (2012). PolyMic: Vicky Wong. Retrieved from http://vickywong.policymic.com/
Raaflaub, L (Presenter). (2012, September 10). Celebrities in Politics [Academic Newscast]. Denver, United States of America: The Met Report
The Washington Times.
(2012). Staff Members: Jennifer Harper.
Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/jennifer-harper/
The Washington Times.
(2012). The Washington Times: About.
Retrieved from http://www.washingtontimes.com/about/
University of East Anglia.
(2012). Academic: Sanna Inthorn.
Retrieved from http://www.uea.ac.uk/psi/People/Academic/Sanna+Inthorn
University of East Anglia.
(2012). Academic: Prof John Street.
Retrieved from http://www.uea.ac.uk/psi/People/Academic/John+Street
Wong, V. (2012, September). Obama vs Romney Celebrity Endorsements: Why Stars Continue to Shine in Election 2012. PolicyMic. Retrieved from http://www.policymic.com/articles/15082/obama-vs-romney-celebrity-endorsements-why-stars-continue-to-shine-in-election-2012
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