Political argumentation and violations of audience expectations: An analysis of the bush‐rather encounter

Abstract

This research analyzed the 1988 encounter between George Bush and Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News as an attack‐rebuttal sequence. The experimental study considered reactions to the 5½‐minute mini‐documentary (attack) preceding the actual interview and to the live interview (rebuttal) itself. Respondents seeing the mini‐documentary only had more negative views of Bush; exposure to the mini‐documentary and interview together enhanced Bush's image while Rather's evaluations decreased. Violations of audience expectations about television news structure and conversational norms may have accounted for strong viewer reactions.