John G. Geer, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, is the author of In Defense of Negativity: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns. While at the Shorenstein Center, Geer examined the news media’s coverage of attack advertising and what role this coverage had in the recent increase in negativity in political campaigns.
Fanning the Flames: The News Media’s Role in the Rise of Negativity in Presidential Campaigns
February 1, 2010
John G. Geer Shorenstein Center Fellow, Fall 2009 Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University Read the full paper (PDF). Excerpt Summary “Ads are about news coverage these days.” Mark McKinnon, November 2009 The rise of negativity in presidential campaigns is well documented. Few doubt that attacks ads are more common in campaigns today than
