Public Interest, Convenience, & Necessity: Analyzing Government Advertising in a Changing Mediascape
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2013
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Haverford College. Department of Political Science
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Abstract
The Public Service Announcement (PSA) industry is currently facing some serious challenges in light of a changing mediascape which is inevitably affecting the government's ability to produce effective social issue campaigns. This thesis examines the normative, historic, and current role of PSAs in America. By linking their function to democratic values such as promoting freedom of expression and access to information, I assert the relevance of PSAs to American democracy. The historical narrative illustrates the intricate relationship between advertising executives and the government. The contemporary analysis suggests that there are two main concerns that the industry must take into consideration: the emergence of the Internet, and increased demands of fiscal sensibility to justify government advertising expenditure. In light of these two issues, I provide two case studies that illustrate the risks with keeping the multi-million dollar PSA industry unregulated.