Political Persuasion: An Evolution of Political Campaigning Through Media

 Without a doubt, social media has consumed every aspect of our world. Politics are no exception to this wave of technology. Over years, candidates and politicians have adjusted their mediums to keep up with different audiences. The first presidential candidate to use social media for their campaign was Barack Obama in 2008. Although social media was still new to the game at this point in time, it gave candidates an entirely new way of accessing the global audience.  Before television and radio, audiences could only read about their candidates. While television and radio allowed audiences to watch and directly listen to candidates, it still does not hold the same impact as social media does. Social media platforms allow for two-way communication from politicians and a wider audience. Because of this, people from all over the world are able to interact and engage with their favorite candidates on the daily. This allows for audiences to ask questions and directly comment on a po...

 When the 1960 Presidential Debate rolled around, many had opposing opinions. This was the very first debate to be broadcasted nationally on television and our candidates were Nixon and Kennedy. Before now, radio and newspaper were the leading medium for the debates. Because of this change in medium, a change in how an audience perceived different media was made. Those who listened to the debate or read about it argued that Nixon had won the debate. However, those who had watched the debate, some 70 million, claimed that Kennedy had won the debate. So, why was there such a divide? Before the debate, Nixon was generally the more favored candidate. He had already been vice president, had strong republican views, and was a Protestant, something that set him ahead of Kennedy and his Catholic faith. Those who couldn't see Nixon believed that he had won the debate. On the other hand, those who watched the debate could truly see the difference in the two men. Nixon, who had been in and ou...