Argument and visual structuring in the 1984 Mondale‐Reagan debates: The medium's influence on the perception of clash

Abstract

An analysis of the visual and verbal content of the 1984 televised debates between Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan reveals that the visual structuring of candidate statements of clash altered the verbal record of clash in two ways. First, the visual presentation misrepresented the amount of verbal clash in the debates. Second, the switching sequences during arguments between the candidates visually favored one of the candidates, so that regardless of the verbal dimension of the argument, one candidate was made to “look”; like he had won, or at least neutralized, the argumentative exchange.