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Power as well as Persuasion: Political Communication and Party Development

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Abstract

In the run-up to and during the 1997 general election political discourse was dominated by references to the supposed power and influence of the so-called ‘spin doctors’ and ‘image makers’. These terms are often, and quite erroneously, used interchangeably. Those charged with ‘doctoring’ the ‘spin’ are primarily concerned with managing so-called ‘free’ media which is the coverage given politicians by print and broadcast journalists. Working in tandem with this group, the ‘image makers’ are those marketing experts charged with interpreting popular opinion and developing a strategy to promote their particular party, candidate or leader by the use of ‘paid’ or ‘controlled’ communications such as advertising.

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Notes

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© 2001 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited

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Wring, D. (2001). Power as well as Persuasion: Political Communication and Party Development. In: Bartle, J., Griffiths, D. (eds) Political Communications Transformed. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333977286_3

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