Background
Pfau, Michael Walton was born on March 14, 1945 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States. Son of Russel William and Vivian E. (Hudson) Pfau.
( In a timely contribution to the political communication...)
In a timely contribution to the political communication and U.S. politics literature, Pfau and Kenski trace the nature and growth of political attack messages through the 1988 election. As the authors note at the outset, political attack messages have grown more and more popular in contemporary political advertising, in large part because research indicates that attack messages are extremely effective in influencing voters. The authors examine the various attack strategies, both generally and as applied in specific campaigns, and then focus on responses to political attacks. Particular attention is given to the resistance strategy of inoculation which, the authors argue, is one of the few viable strategic defenses available to candidates who find themselves under attack. In addition to reviewing early laboratory research on inoculation, the authors present the results of two large experimental field studies--one involving a Senate campaign in 1986, the other the 1988 presidential campaign--which represent the first tests of inoculation in a political campaign context. Following an overview of the historical role played by attack messages in American politics, the authors examine the rapid growth of attack politics during the Reagan era, culminating in the 1988 election. They demonstrate the inadequacies of existing and proposed options for limiting the use of attack messages in political campaigns, arguing that the judiciary's support for unfettered political expression combined with the perception among campaign professionals that attack strategies are an important and effective option mitigate against any decrease in their use. The authors also point out the inadequacies inherent in present defenses against attack messages--the preemptive attack, the refutation strategy, and the counterattack strategy. Turning to a consideration of the inoculation message strategy, Pfau and Kenski present an extended discussion of the results of the 1986 and 1988 field studies. The findings indicate that inoculation messages deflect the persuasiveness of subsequent attack messages that might be launched by an opponent during a campaign, thereby reducing the likelihood that political attacks will influence either receiver attitudes about candidates or actual receiver votes. Both political scientists and political campaign professionals will find Attack Politics enlightening and provocative reading.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/027593375X/?tag=2022091-20
( Televised debates between the nominees of the two major...)
Televised debates between the nominees of the two major parties have become standard fare in contemporary presidential election campaigns. The authors of this important volume maintain that television has altered the very nature of presidential debates profoundly, that the demands of television have dictated the structure and formats of contemporary debates, and that the visual content of presidential debates plays an important role in the way that candidates exercise influence in televised debates. This important work employs a television perspective in examining the sponsorship, formats, nature, and impacts of presidential debates, stressing the 1960, 1976, 1980, 1984, and 1988 debates. The authors assert that in order to understand contemporary political debates, one must understand how television communicates and exercises influence in this context. Hellweg, Pfau, and Brydon integrate contemporary theory and research about the television medium and influence with extensive research on presidential debates. Specific topics include how presidential debates have evolved as a function of the participation of the broadcast industry, how debates are structured to fit the demands of the television medium, how candidates' verbal messages must be tailored to the medium, how candidates' visual messages are defined through the medium, and the persuasive effects of mediated debates. Televised Presidential Debates will be particularly useful to scholars and students of political communication, campaigns and elections, and mass media.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0275936228/?tag=2022091-20
Journalism and mass communications educator
Pfau, Michael Walton was born on March 14, 1945 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States. Son of Russel William and Vivian E. (Hudson) Pfau.
Bachelor summa cum laude, University New Hampshire, 1970. Master of Arts, University New Hampshire, 1971. Doctor of Philosophy, University Arizona, 1987.
Program director, WWNH Radio, Rochester, N.H., 1968-1969; teacher, debate coach, Alexander Ramsey High School, Roseville, Minnesota, 1971-1975; associate teaching and research, U. Arizona, Tucson, 1984-1986; associate professor, director forensics, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakot, 1975-1984; professor, department chairman committee and theatre, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, 1986-1993; professor, director graduate studies School Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Wisconsin, Madison, since 1993. Political analyst KSFY-television, Sioux Falls, 1986-1993, WISC-television, Madison, since 1993.
( Televised debates between the nominees of the two major...)
( In a timely contribution to the political communication...)
(Book by Pfau, Michael W., Thomas, David A., Ulrich, Walter)
(Book)
Sergeant United States Air Force, 1965-1969. Member Speech Communication Association (finalist Dissertation of Year award 1988, speaker many functions since 1976), International Communication Association (frequent speaker), Midwest Forensic Association (Vice-President 1981-1982).
Married Virginia Adair Nelson, August 3, 1968. Children: Michael William, Julie Annual.