Earned Media and the Role of Finance in the 2024 Presidential Campaigns
Does Money Matter?
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publishing:7th Jan '27
£90.00
This title is due to be published on 7th January, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Cayce Myers reconsiders the relationship between campaign finance and success in the United States by analyzing both the strengths and limitations of the role funds play in our current political and media landscapes.
In this book, Cayce Myers examines one of the most unusual elections in the history of American politics to analyze the role of campaign finance in the 2024 US presidential election. While studies often focus on what can be achieved through campaign fundraising, Myers posits that this election also presents a perfect case study of what funds alone cannot achieve.
In his analysis of the 2020 presidential election, Myers demonstrated how Donald Trump's lack of campaign funds and inconsistent messaging strategy resulted in a victory for Joe Biden (Money in Politics: Campaign Fundraising in the 2020 Presidential Election, Lexington Books). In the 2024 election, however, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris amassed a fortune in donations, with Harris ultimately losing despite both outraising and outspending Trump during her short campaign. This, Myers argues, is evidence of the shifting nature of political campaigns and the media in the 2020s. Analysis of donation amounts and campaign narratives brought to light a disconnect between what candidates and campaigns have traditionally prioritized and an upending of previously understood strategic norms.
Through his analysis of the 2024 campaign, Myers rethinks precedent in the context of modern tactics utilized by Trump in his campaign, such as recognizing the power of earned media through alternative outlets, like podcasts, and the leveraging of unscripted, viral moments that dominate the media narrative. With these 'new rules' now in play, Myers provides an updated account of the current political reality for government and campaigns in the United States.
To reach voters in today’s fragmented media environment, earned media is essential – traditional advertising is no longer enough. Through a detailed analysis of the 2024 presidential election, Myers examines the connections between fundraising, earned vs. paid media, and candidate messaging strategies, highlighting how these new rules for campaign finance will impact future races. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand modern political communication. * Lisa M. Burns, Professor of Media Studies, Quinnipiac University, USA *
In this book Dr. Myers identifies four new campaign rules after diving deeply into the presidential campaigns of 2024. In particular, he gives attention to the leveraging of modern earned media, an area that has often been overlooked in previous political communication analysis. The traditional concepts of campaign finance and media use have changed significantly because of the fragmentation of the media landscape, which means that political campaigns must now look for new ways to reach potential voters. This book provides a good look at how the Trump and Harris campaigns navigated that landscape and gives insight into the new communication pathways being utilized by savvy political strategists. * Melissa Smith, Professor and Gibbons Chair of Journalism of the Department of Communication, Mississippi University for Women, USA *
This important book puts the Citizens United v FEC and the 2024 presidential election in perspective. Author Cayce Myers describes the recent changes in election financing were more complex than originally thought. In particular, the examining of paid and earned media. He did a masterful job of analyzing the roles of political public relations, a changing media landscape and an evolving model of communication. The book provides a significant foundation for future understanding about media and politics in the future elections. * Kimberly Voss, Professor, University of Central Florida, USA *
ISBN: 9781666978773
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages