When the Frame is the Game: Revisiting the Impact of “Strategic” Campaign Coverage on Citizens' Information Retention 1

Abstract

We explore whether campaign news that emphasizes the strategic motivations for a candidate's promises increases negative evaluations of the campaign and reduces information retention on the part of the average citizen. In an experiment, we exposed adults to contrived news coverage that depicted candidates either as “strategic” actors, motivated by electoral success, or as “sincere” public servants representing constituents. The presence of polls and war language to describe candidate interactions was also manipulated. Strategic frames produced more negative reactions than did sincere frames. Furthermore, strategic coverage significantly depressed substantive information retention. Polls and war language did not exacerbate the effects of the basic frame.