Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Second Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Third Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Abstract

During the 2016 presidential election season, Senator Ted Cruz’s use of social media to promote his campaign and build up a grassroots following was masterful. This case study explores Cruz’s digital outreach efforts in the shadow of GOP rival Donald Trump’s commanding use of traditional earned media. This case study views the Cruz campaign’s digital outreach strategy through the lens of the Agenda Setting theory of communication, which seeks to explain the mass media’s ability to influence what the important issues are to the public, and through the reverse agenda setting effect, meaning if the airtime is unavailable through traditional means, the opportunity to create their own media space is open to anyone that needs it, and their own agenda will be established for the digital audience.

Comments

All rights reserved. 

Download

Share

COinS