Content Analysis of the Election Campaign on Radio and TV, 1975

The data material contains the results of a systematic content analysis of the election programmes on radio and TV up to the general election in 1975. #The units of observation are the debaters' uninterrupted, continuous statements; and the separate programme functions as context unit. #All the statements have been analysed to see if they contained references to the selected categories. The purpose of the survey is to interpret the behaviour of various types of communicators (in this case politicians and reporters) when using the mass media. The survey is based on a number of expectations regarding the behaviour of politicians and reporters. As regards politicians it was assumed that both ideological and strategic considerations were part of an appearance on radio or TV, and as regards the reporters it was assumed that they work according to a set of professional criteria which is further confined by the very fact that their work on radio and TV. #These mass media problems are made topical by the fact that in a democracy with elected legislative assemblies it is in particular in connection with the election of representatives for these that the individual voter exerts influence in the representative system. And it is therefore obvious to concentrate on the attempts at exerting political influence which take place via the mass media in the period prior to elections for the legislative assemblies, in this case the Danish parliament. #The survey concentrates on individuals, not on people's party affiliation. The survey analyses the roles of politicians and interviewers in election programmes, the problem-orientation of the election, mutual party references, appeals to the voters, etc. In addition, it contains information on references to various population groups and organizations, as well as references to the following selected issues: # Economy # Public retrenchment # Tax # Labour market policy # Housing policy # Social issues # Education policy # Environmental issues # Defence policy # The EC # Government formation