The stressful period of the 2024 General Election has left many reflecting on their political stances and participation. While many of these stances are dictated by objectivity or personal background, another aspect that can prove influential is entertainment media.
Entertainment media includes film, print, radio and television broadcasts, according to the University of Notre Dame.
The Badger Herald spoke to University of Wisconsin professors Allison Prasch and Michael Xenos about the effects entertainment media can have on politics.
Xenos is a professor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at UW’s Life Sciences Department who focuses on the extent to which social media and the internet can help people become involved in politics.
Prasch is a professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture in UW’s Communication Arts Department known for her work in U.S. presidential rhetoric, political communication and the history of rhetoric.
Studies conducted by Xenos and Prasch shed light on the influence of entertainment media on our participation in politics.
According to Xenos, some common examples of political entertainment media include talk and late-night television programs such as The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. But, entertainment media more generally has become increasingly tied to politics in the modern era.
“There have always been these two worlds of entertainment and politics … [and] the line between them is increasingly harder to draw,” Xenos said.
Xenos also points out that such a link between them has positive effects.
Xenos recently conducted a study with a student which shows that presenting political topics humorously — as much modern media entertainment does — rather than seriously can incline citizens to consider and better understand current issues.
Media that is simultaneously informative and engaging can draw apolitical individuals into the political world, according to Xenos. It makes politics entertaining and allows the audience to learn more from their viewing experiences.
The study also shows how such media affects partisanship in politics. Right-leaning individuals tend to prefer more serious forms of political entertainment media while left-leaning individuals tend to prefer satirical or comedic forms of political entertainment media.
Prasch, who is an expert in political rhetoric, spoke about celebrity endorsements and the novel methods in which presidential candidates try to reach their voters.
According to Prasch, endorsements from celebrities such as Oprah or Taylor Swift stimulate political participation and turnout among younger generations. Celebrity endorsements also make candidates appear more authentic and relatable to voters.
Speaking about the approaches 2024 presidential election candidates adopted, Prasch commented on the decisions made by former Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate and president-elect Donald Trump to speak on podcasts, which prove as good examples to see how politicians attempt to reach voters and influence turnout.
According to Prasch, this shift includes more focused and direct appeals to particular demographics and voters, such as those following the podcasts both candidates have appeared on.
Prasch said prominent examples of Trump and Harris’ efforts to reach voters through podcasts were “The Joe Rogan Show” and “Call Her Daddy,” respectively.
Both podcasts rank among the most popular in the United States and their hosts’ interviews with political candidates could have significantly influenced the 2024 election, according to Prasch.
“These [hosts] are shifting and shaping how candidates think about reaching their audience,” Prasch said.
Xenos also commented on the novel approaches to using entertainment. Xenos explained Trump’s strong connection to the entertainment industry, largely made possible through his past television series “The Apprentice.”
According to Xenos, a large part of Trump’s identity is tied to his history on television, and his relationship with supporters is partially based on their familiarity with him through “The Apprentice.”
“In many ways, Donald Trump is a really good example of the blurring of the line between entertainment, politics and the news,” Xenos said.
Politicians have always intended to appear visible to their country and the world through the use of media, according to Prasch.
“Regardless of the media landscape … the president [has desired to be seen] through whatever media channels they had at their disposal.”
What changes is that the widespread nature of digital media has made this aim considerably more feasible, according to Prasch.
Xenos commented that while digital media can influence political mobilization, it primarily impacts political perspectives and the dynamics within the two-party system. The extensive reach of digital media has fueled political polarization by making it harder for people to disengage from political content.
The rise of digital media is and will continue to be incredibly influential in politics and elections, though its exact impact in the 2024 election remains unclear.
This widespread and diverse climate of digital media does not necessarily stimulate one kind of emotion and instead draws multiple emotions to the surface in a more significant way, according to Xenos.
“[Digital Media] has largely become the currency of the two factions, often at the expense of the other side,” Xenos said.
As technology and innovation continue to change the world, so does our use of them in politics and other areas of society. But, as Prasche and Xenos show, if done right, entertainment can be a productive tool.
