The 2008 Election: Highlighting the Need to Explore Additional Communication Subfields to Advance Political Communication

Abstract

This essay makes the argument that political communication researchers would be well served to look to communication theories developed in other communication subfields as a means by which to advance a number of different research agendas. A series of events or issues that came to light during the 2008 Presidential election are highlighted and specific theories from communication subfields, other than political communication, are isolated in order to show the utility these theories would bring to political communication scholarship. Five communication subfields are focused on in this essay: Interpersonal communication, persuasion, communication information technology, media effects, and strategic communication. The 2008 election topics covered in this essay include face-to-face political discussions of race and gender, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, YouTube, Saturday Night Live, and lifestyle political campaigning.

Keywords:

• Interpersonal
• Media Effects
• Persuasion
• Political
• Strategic
• Technology

Additional information

Notes on contributors

R. Lance Holbert

R. Lance Holbert (PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2000) is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University.

Nick Geidner

Nick Geidner (MA, Ball State University, 2007) is a doctoral student in the same school.