Media experts today use many methods to persuade the audience to believe something or to do something. Politicians hire media experts to develop techniques that will inspire emotions in their audiences, and move them to take a desired action.
These techniques are sometimes called the power of persuasion because they can be so convincing. People respond to emotion, so evoking an emotion is key to many messages.
Persuasive Communication That Evokes Emotion
- Name calling. This common technique, also called mud slinging, is used by politicians as a way of showing how much better they are than the other candidates. When a candidate states that she will refrain from name calling, the assumption is made that she is morally higher than the others. Using it or stating they will not use it has the same persuasive effect.
- Glittering generalities. Throughout campaigns words and concepts considered virtuous are bandied about. Patriotism, loyalty, honesty, freedom, responsibility to the people, and family life are some examples. How these particular concepts apply to the candidate may or may not be addressed. The politicians hope that use of these words will align followers to their cause.
- Rhetorical questions. Do you want to be free from debt? This rhetorical question has only one expected answer: yes. These types of questions are used to inspire an audience with a desire or emotion that will lead into the next topic, motivating to action.
Persuasive Techniques to Motivate People to Action
- New ideas. Candidates often base platforms on the concept of change. They promise change that will benefit the people. They promise change from the old, corrupt ways, (invoking a bit of name calling,) and they promise progress. However, change and progress can sometimes present new problems, which often are not mentioned in the speeches.
- Majority belief. This technique uses polls and surveys to check the pulse of the public opinion. However, as with all media messages, people should ask, “Who conducted and paid for the poll?” Another question is “How were the questions phrased?” The polls may or may not reveal the true opinions of the public.
- Timing. Any major event can be used by a politician to send a message about themselves. The market downturn and housing crisis was used extensively in the recent United States campaign for the presidency. Messages timed around current issues, regardless of their content, can be used to grab attention, evoke emotions, and motivate to action.
These common persuasion techniques are often used in conjunction with other powerful techniques to gain attention and establish trust. Each political message should be analyzed with a critical eye to the media language used. Deconstructing the speeches by using media literacy questions will help uncover the true meaning and intention of the message.
Suzanne Pitner - Suzanne Pitner is a teacher and published writer. A member of RWA and YARWA, she writes fiction as Suzanne Lilly.
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