Influence of Popular Media on Youth: Politics

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Influence of Popular Media on Youth Politics
Voting
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Effect of Popular Culture

• Popular culture has more influence than
  campaigns.
  
• Popular culture tends to polarize the
  electorate.
  

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Pop Culture Events and the 2004 Election
4
Janet Jacksons Super Bowl performance had a
distinct impact on the 2004 election.

• No popular culture event had a bigger impact on
  politics in 2004. The Right is energized, using
  this event as a launching pad to question the
  moral fabric of America.
• Ramifications
• The FCC fines Viacom 550,00
• The FCC changes the amount of fines levied to
  first offenders from 32,500 up to 500,000
  
• Shock jock Howard Stern is dropped in six markets
  by Clear Channel communications as the media
  giant fears more fines.

During the live taping of the Super Bowl, Janet
Jacksons right breast is exposed when Justin
Timberlake pulls off part of her costume.
Jackson and Timberlake call it a wardrobe
malfunction.
5
Fahrenheit 9/11 The Two Hour Political
Advertisement

• 2004 was the first Presidential election where
  motion pictures were used as political
  advertisements.
  
• Ramifications
• The film further polarizes the country. Many see
  it as false and inflammatory, while others view
  it as an eye-opening look at the Bush
  Administration.
• Although very popular with Democratic base voters
  and moviegoers under 30, the film galvanizes the
  Right and fails to persuade voters to turn Bush
  out of office. To many voters, Michael Moore
  typifies Democrats ties to Hollywood culture.

Michael Moore releases the controversial film
Fahrenheit 9/11. The film breaks records in its
opening weekend and has grossed 119 million to
date.
6
Gay culture hits the mainstream, but does not
prevent gay marriage backlash.

• Although shows featuring homosexuals like Queer
  Eye for the Straight Guy and Will and Grace are
  popular on TV, America was not ready to be so
  accepting in their communities.
• Ramifications
• Pro-gay marriage measures fail in all 11 states
  where they appear on the ballot. The Right
  rallies around this issue to turn out their
  voters and moral values becomes a top reason
  people voted for Bush in the 2004 election.
  Democrats are associated with Hollywood culture.

Shows such as Will and Grace and Queer Eye for
the Straight Guy achieve high ratings with
straight audiences.
7
Celebrities tied and untied the knot.

• 2004 marked the year of celebrity marriages and
  divorces. From Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anistons
  break up to Britney Spears 55 hour Las Vegas
  marriage - you could not miss these stories on
  the news.
• Ramifications
• Proponents of gay marriage used these to question
  the sanctity of traditional marriage.
  
• Republicans used these to further stay on the
  moral values message.
  
• Democrats are kept on the defensive on faith and
  family values.

8
Fake news becomes the real deal.

• Ramifications
• Millions of younger viewers are turning to this
  show for their political information which takes
  shots at politicians across the board, but is
  highly critical of Bush and considered
  left-leaning.
• Politicians are turning to the Daily Show to move
  younger voters while avoiding Meet the Press.

John Stewarts the Daily Show greatly increases
its ratings and popularity for its coverage of
the 2004 Election. The popularity of the
well-written show makes Stewart an overnight
political analyst and a top selling author.
9
Sex in the City says goodbye.

• Sex in the City portrayed unmarried women as
  strong and independent.
  
• Ramifications
• Unmarried women become a formidable voting bloc
  and a key Democratic persuasion target. The surge
  in youth turnout is young women
  
• Jenna Bush uses an awkward Sex in the City
  analogy about her grandmother during the GOP
  Convention and she is not heard from for the rest
  of the campaign.

The popular HBO show depicting the lives of
relatively affluent single women in New York
ended its six year run in 2004.
10
Hip Hop makes its move into politics.

• Rap artists were visible during the 2004
  elections, especially in turning out younger
  African Americans.
  
• Ramifications
• African American turnout increases and youth
  turnout increases, however it is not enough for
  John Kerry and other Democrats.
  
• Young voters, both male and female, are the age
  group that vote more for Democrats.
  

Sean P Diddy Combs makes his presence known
with this Vote or Die campaign during the 2004
elections.
11
Ronald Reagans death reminds voters about stem
cell research, but it also reinforces the image
of strong foreign policy that helps Bush.

• Ramifications
• Stem cell research gains momentum in the 2004
  election with both Nancy and Ronald Reagan Jr.
  calling for increased funding for research.
  
• Ronald Reagan Jr. speaks at the Democratic
  Convention on this issue, but does not mention
  Bush specifically.
  
• Bush, although weak on stem cell research, is
  unaffected in the election as stem cell research
  is a bottom tier concern for voters.
  
• The remembrances of Reagan help reinforce unity
  of the Republican side.

On June 5th, the 40th President of the United
States passed away from Alzheimers Disease.
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Young Voters in the 2004 Election
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Youth turnout was up

• Among 18-29 year olds, turnout was up as much as
  9.7 points 52.
  
• Among 18-24 year olds, turnout was up as much as
  10.8 points to 48.
  
• Approximately 21 million votes were cast by 18-29
  year olds, and 10.5 million were cast by 18-24
  year olds, both up sharply from 2000.
  
• Greatest turnout since 1992.
• The top value for youth as well as all voters is
  opportunity.
  

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Youth turnout was up Living in a battleground
state had a greater impact in 2004
Source 2004 Pew Charitable Trust CIRCLE Post
Election study
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The increase in youth turnout was driven by young
women

• .

Source 2004 Pew Charitable Trust CIRCLE Post
Election study
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Voters aged 18-24 supported Kerry 56 to 43
Source 2004 Pew Charitable Trust CIRCLE Post
Election study
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Reaching Young Voters
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The Re-Engaged GenerationGen X vs. Gen Y

• They have different opinions than their
• older brothers and sisters.
• In comparing 1829 year olds to 3039 year olds,
  under 30s were
  
• More likely to identify as liberal by 12 points
• Less likely to call themselves conservative by 7
  points
  
• Favor gay marriage by 16 points
• More likely to believe that government should do
  more to solve problems by 5 points.
  

Source 2004 Pew Charitable Trust CIRCLE Post
Election study
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Young people believe that government should help
them but are often cynical about politics.
Now I'm going to read you a pair of statements.
Please tell me whether the FIRST statement or the
SECOND statement comes closer to your own views,
even if neither is exactly right. Which statement
comes closer to your own view?Do you feel
STRONGLY about that, or not so strongly?
Politics is a way for the less powerful to
compete on equal footing with the powerful.
Politics is a way for the powerful to keep power
for themselves.
The government cannot really do much to make sure
young people have access to good paying jobs or
affordable education, housing and health care.
The government can be a force to help young
people get greater access to good paying jobs or
affordable education, housing and health care.
The government should do more to help people
solve their problems.
The government does too many things that are
better left to individuals and business.
Note Latinos (-19) and African Americans (-11)
are particularly likely to think that the
government is for the powerful while whites (6)
are more likely to think politics helps the less
powerful compete.
Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Why young voters dont vote

• Young voters do not feel empowered to make a
  difference in the larger scheme of things, or to
  change government. They believe that government
  can and should make a difference in peoples
  lives, but they doubt that it will.
• Their lack of faith in government is two-fold.
  First, they doubt their own power to change
  government. Second, they distrust elected
  officials and are cynical about politics.
• Young voters are not anti-government. In our
  focus groups we found that many question the
  governments priorities but not the governments
  power to make a positive difference in peoples
  lives.
• They believe the government has the power to make
  a difference, but they doubt that those in charge
  are committed to change.
  
• We need to communicate to young voters that they
  have the power and the numbers to change things.

Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Youth Voter Attention

• Catch the attention of previously unengaged youth
  with people they respect for other reasons.
  
• While young people respond to popular culture,
  the election was serious to them. They are
  interested in information and having serious
  discussion.
• Get them interested with comedy/celebrity, but
  they respond to facts. In the end, it is the
  message, not the messenger that is important.
  
• Use friends family influentials to reach
  out to young people.
  

Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Youth Vote Not A Monolithic Group

• 20 are college graduates
• 58 dont expect to complete a 4-year degree
• 31 are married
• 57 are renters, 18 are homeowners
• 21 live with their parents

Source July 2004 survey of 1,000 18-29 year olds
in 17 Battleground states.
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Spokespeople can catch young peoples attention,
but are less persuasive than messages.

• Celebrities can bring excitement and attention to
  the cause of registration, participating, and
  supporting particular candidates. However, when
  it comes to messaging and persuading these young
  voters it is more often people who look like
  them, talk like them, and are experiencing the
  same reality as them who break through the
  clutter and focus the issue.
• This is especially true among young white and
  Latino voters. While they look to entertainers
  to guide trends they respond less positively when
  athletes, musicians, or other personalities tell
  them to vote a certain way.
• The exception, however, is among young
  African-American voters. For young African
  Americans, Hip Hop is an avenue that validates
  and credentials politics and civic engagement.
  There are few things this cohort holds in higher
  esteem than the culture 88 of younger weak
  African American voters find hip hop credible on
  politics, including 48 who find it very
  credible. Hip hop not only brings excitement
  and attention to the cause, it also brings
  validation and may be a requisite for messaging
  among young African American voters.

Source ACT African-American Battleground survey
conducted by Brilliant Corners Research, March
2004
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Gens X Y on Celebrity Spokespeople Moderate
weight is given to celebrities making them aware
of global poverty
How important would you say celebrity appeals
are in making you aware of the issue of global
poverty?
?
N 311, /- 5.6 margin of error. CA, IL, KS,
MA, VA.Source December 2004 LSPA study
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Celebrities Gens X Y Admire
admire a lot or somewhat among 18-34 year olds

• Denzel Washington 59
• Oprah Winfrey 52
• Jimmy Carter 48
• Julia Roberts 46
• Tom Hanks 43
• Brad Pitt 34
• Bono 25

.Source November 2004 LSPA study 1,140 adults
nationwide 268 aged 18-34
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Admired celebrities with a local connection and
respected hip hop icons got voters attention in
2004.

• In 2003, Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street was
  engaged in a tightly contested rematch with local
  businessman Sam Katz.  During the final days of
  the race, television icon and prominent
  Philadelphian Bill Cosby offered his voice and
  personal message to impress upon the community
  the importance of reelecting Mayor Street,
  because of the improvements he had made to the
  community during his term. In what was supposed
  to be a very close election, Mayor Street pulled
  ahead for good in the closing days of the
  campaign.
• As part of ACT's minority registration and
  primary GOTV efforts in Missouri, Hip-Hop icon
  Doug E. Fresh offered his voice and personal
  message for our automated phone program to stress
  the importance of voting in support of local
  Missouri candidates including Claire McCaskill.
•  

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Young Voters And Technology
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How to Reach Young People?

• Use their technology
• Cable television, radio, Internet, text
  messaging, instant messaging
  
• Go to them
• Integrate paid media with Internet
• Newspapers and mail dont work
• Be factual

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Young people get most of their news from
television which is also their most trusted
source.
Percent who say they get most of their news and
information from this source
Percent who say they trust this source for news
and information
Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Television

• Television is still the number one medium to
  reach young people, but the audience is more
  fragmented and not watching the same stations or
  shows as an older audience.
• Broadcast
• No longer dominant with rise in cable and the
  Internet.
  
• Broadcast news and local news are no longer chief
  source of political information. Cable news is
  now number 1.
  
• Cable
• 37 of adults 18 to 29 regularly watch cable
  news
  
• Comedy programming is important news source.
• The Daily Show, Conan OBrien, Saturday Night Live

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Go to Them

• Young people respond to different mediums and
  different channels than older generationsall at
  different times.
  
• Theyre watching MTV, Comedy Central, Fox, WB,
  BET and Cartoon Network.
  
• And theyre watching much later.
• Top cable stations for young people start prime
  time two hours later and rerun prime-time
  starting at midnight.
  

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Young people, especially African Americans and
those with a low propensity to vote, listen to
the radio late as well as early.
Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Radio

• Young people listen to the radio and they listen
  a lot.
  
• The best way to reach young people on the radio
• Alternative Rock/Modern Rock, Hip-Hop/Rap are
  most popular.
  
• Top 40 and Classic Rock also do well.
• Hip-Hop/Rap reach all young listeners, no matter
  their race or gender.
  
• The best time to reach young people is
• Like all listeners, young people listen during
  morning drive.
  
• They also listen latebetween 8 pm and 11 pm,
  which is much cheaper.
  
• Source Mediamark Research Inc.

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What about Print?

• Young people are not reading newspapers.
• In the last four years, daily newspapers lost
  nine percentage points.
  
• And very few are reading their mail.
• If they even take the time to check their mail,
  its quickly discarded as junk.
  
• They depend on the Internet to communicate with
  family and to pay bills.
  
• Source Pew Research, January 2004

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The Internet

• The fastest growing news source for young people
• One in five young adults rely on the Internet for
  news and politics
  
• Think about your audience
• Liberal college kids frequent blogs
• Non-college educated kids should not be targeted
  using a blog
  

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Compare, Decide, Vote Ad
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Sponsoring an online chat room where people can
go to ask questions is the most popular way a
candidate can communicate with young people
38
Independents are the least likely to take
internet actions.
Net Likely minus unlikely to take the action.
39
Over half of these young people use an instant
messenger service at least weekly and 4 in 10
send text messages at least weekly. Less than
half of this group does not have access to these
messaging devices.
37 percent of African Americans and 37 percent of
Latinos instant message.
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52
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48
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40 percent of African Americans and 35 percent of
Latinos text message.
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Only 32 percent of all young people would
download voter registration forms, including only
19 percent of low propensity voters who say they
would do so.
Source August 2004 Rappaport study
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Text Messaging

• 1 billion text messages are sent each month in
  the U.S.
  
• Must allow the user to opt in to receiving
  messages.
  
• Encourage the receiver of the message to send it
  on to friends.
  

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Taking Lessons From The 2004 Election Into 2005
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Health Care

• Lesson Learned Health care got pushed out by the
  war in Iraq and terrorism, even among health care
  voters. Health care voters are open to
  opposition arguments.
• Action to Take Own the issue, make a more
  explicit link between health care and economy,
  and counter tort reform arguments.
  
• Messaging to Use Talk about health care in terms
  of values and personal stories. Dont be
  wonkish.
  

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Immigration

• Lesson Learned Voters believe the system is
  broken and needs to be fixed. They are ready to
  support new approaches including limited
  legalization as long as certain conditions are
  met and the system becomes more fair and orderly.
  
• Action to Take Promote bipartisan reforms that
  make our immigration system more fair, legal and
  orderly. Budget fights make this more zero-sum.
  
• Messaging to Use It is important to describe
  proposed reforms in terms of fair and reasonable
  rules that apply to everyone. Voters want both
  immigrants and U.S.-born citizens to be treated
  fairly. Highlight positive images of immigrants
  as hardworking taxpayers

44
Minimum Wage

• Lesson Learned The minimum wage helps mobilize
  African American voters, particularly younger
  African American men, low income voters,
  unmarried women, and Hispanic voters. Minimum
  wage initiatives can be a critical tool for
  mobilizing turnout in 2006.
• Action to Take Put minimum wage initiatives on
  the ballot. The minimum wage initiatives won in
  Nevada with 71 and in Florida with 68. In both
  states, a majority of Republicans voted to raise
  the minimum wage.
• Messaging to Use That it's the best way to fight
  poverty among full-time working Americans and an
  effective way to keep people working and off of
  welfare. Juxtaposing salaries of CEO's with the
  minimal wages that their workers earn can be very
  powerful.

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Wal-Mart

• Lesson Learned They are not invincible.
  Overcoming consumer affinity for their
  convenience and low prices will be difficult.
  
• Action to Take Get the facts out to consumers
  about Wal-Mart's harmful business practices and
  unfair treatment of employees. Even a modest
  reduction in shopping trips can cut into their
  profits.
• Messaging to Use Personal stories of workers,
  show that there is a better way, talk about issue
  in terms of values and fair play. Remind people
  of the huge profits they make.

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Questions to Answer
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Strategic Questions

• What kind of communications infrastructure is
  needed to keep the new voters of 2004 engaged and
  active on issues and future elections? 
  
• Can popular culture (TV scripts, movies, music,
  video games) be used more strategically to engage
  people or frame the public debate? 
  
• How do we avoid/overcome backlash on events like
  Kerry's Hollywood comedy fundraiser?
  

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Strategic Questions

• Voters adopt the party of their first three
  votes. How do we keep youth engaged
  progressive? 
  
• How does the current issue debate on subjects
  like Social Security hurt appeals to youth,
  making them feel their issues are being ignored? 
  

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Research Gaps and Future Actions
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Youth Views

• Research gap Youth perspectives on key issues
  like immigration, health care, minimum wage and
  fighting the Wal-Mart economy.
  
• How we use that information Develop effective
  messages, and use them to mobilize young people.
  

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Branding

• Research gap What do people think of
  progressives, conservatives, moderates,
  Democrats, Republicans and independents? What
  images do they have?
• How we use that information Frame our
  positioning to attract more people and encourage
  them to develop a progressive identity.
  

52
Values

• Research gap What does values mean? How can we
  get back to values connecting to social justice?
  Is there a generationally compatible position?
  
• How we use that information Stop focusing on the
  fact battle while losing the war on emotions. Do
  not allow Republicans to be the party of God and
  family.

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Health Care

• Research gap Linking patient satisfaction scores
  with staff levels and malpractice suits.
  
• How we use that information Be able to make the
  argument that the way to reduce malpractice suits
  and have more satisfied patients is to stop
  problems from happening in the first place due to
  understaffing.
• Research gap Attitudes and understanding of the
  medically underinsured.
  
• How we use that information Develop messages and
  campaigns to pressure employers and insurers to
  increase the quality of coverage.
  

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Latinos
Research gap Modeling unaffiliated Latinos to
learn which types are open to aligning with
Democrats and Republicans, and affiliated Latinos
to see which ones are open to switching parties.
How we use that information Aid in recruitment
and retention of the fastest growing minority
group in the US. Gap A comprehensive Democrati
c training and recruitment program to develop the
next generation of Latino elected officials.
How we use that information More high quality D
emocratic Latinos elected to office.
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Wal-Mart

• Research gap Linking consumer attitudes to
  actual consumer behavior.
  
• How we use that information Beta test different
  types of campaigns by market to evaluate which
  type of campaign works best by market type.
  
• Research gap Modeling the various types of
  Wal-Mart consumers to understand which types are
  most likely to change their shopping behavior.
  
• How we use that information Allows for more
  effective targeting.