Philly 2014 Political Ad Trends Viewer


Trends Viewer: Philly Political Media Watch Project

Welcome to the interactive Trends Viewer tool designed to allow you to explore the data underlying the Philly Political Media Watch Project of the Internet Archive's TV News Archive! From September 1, 2014 through the election of November 4, 2014, 7 television stations in the Philadelphia market were monitored to identify all politically-related advertisements. In all, 74 distinct political advertisements were identified which collectively aired 13,675 times during the 65 day monitoring period. Each advertisement was assessed for time devoted to functional content, using the approach elaborated by William Benoit, Ph.D., most recently in his 2014 book, A Functional Analysis of Political Television Advertisements. Archive staff scored each ad along the dimensions of "Acclaim" (positive comments about candidate), "Attack" (negative comments about opposing candidate), and "Defend" (defending candidate against attacks by opposing candidate), along with typing up a transcript of its spoken content. A similar approach was taken by a team at the University of Delaware's Center for Community Research and Service lead by Associate Professor Danilo Yanich, in their study, Political Ads & Local TV News - Philly 2014.

Note that you will find some oddities in the data due to the way in which the human coding cataloged the advertisements. Each ad was categorized with the name of the primary candidate discussed, meaning that an attack ad run by one candidate against another will be cataloged under the second one's name, even if the other half of the advertisement lauds the candidate running the ad. This will yield nuanced results, such as comparing the ads focusing on Aimee Belgard vs those sponsored on her behalf.

This tool allows you to interactively explore and visualize the resulting trends (the raw datasets are also available for download). Using the form below, you can select any pair of candidates, parties, races, status, win/lost, sponsor, sponsor type, television channel, or even keywords found in the transcripts, or any combination therein, to compare their respective trends during the 2014 election cycle. If you specify multiple options they will be combined together. For example, you can compare ads focusing on Tom Corbett that were paid by Tom Corbett for Governor vs those paid for by Tom Wolf for Governor. Or, compare all ads mentioning the two candidates from any sponsor. Or ads focusing on candidates that ultimately won vs lost. Or, compare the ads run by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers vs those run by the House Majority PAC. Or, those mentioning "school" vs "job" in the transcript of the ad. Or, simply, view the overall trends for all 13,675 advertisement airings.

Search #1

Use the dropdowns below to select your first query.
You can select multiple options and they will be combined together.

Focal Candidate:
Focal Candidate Party:
Focal Candidate Status:
Focal Race:
Focal Candidate Outcome:
Ad Sponsor:
Ad Sponsor Type:
Television Channel:
Transcript Keyword:


Search #2

Use the dropdowns below to select your second query.
You can select multiple options and they will be combined together.

Focal Candidate:
Focal Candidate Party:
Focal Candidate Status:
Focal Race:
Focal Candidate Outcome:
Ad Sponsor:
Ad Sponsor Type:
Television Channel:
Transcript Keyword:

Select All Advertisements:





Summary Statistics

The four charts below offer a summary of overall trends. See the description under each graph for more detail on what it shows.



Total number of airings of all ads matching your queries

Total airtime of advertisements in minutes, broken down by the functional type expressed: Acclaim (praising the candidate), Attack (attacking the other candidate), or Defend (countering attacks made by the other candidate)



Total airtime (in minutes) of advertisements, broken down by television channel, making it possible to see where advertising time was focused and any differences in the kinds of ads run on each channel. Airtime is further broken down by the functional type expressed: Acclaim (praising the candidate), Attack (attacking the other candidate), or Defend (countering attacks made by the other candidate).



Total airtime (in minutes) of advertisements, broken down by the primary candidate focused on by the ad. An ad may mention multiple candidates, but it is cataloged under the focal candidate that was mentioned the most. Airtime is further broken down by the functional type expressed: Acclaim (praising the candidate), Attack (attacking the other candidate), or Defend (countering attacks made by the other candidate).



Total airtime (in minutes) of advertisements, broken down by the organization paying for the ad, making it possible to see who is paying for ads for/against a given candidate, etc. Airtime is further broken down by the functional type expressed: Acclaim (praising the candidate), Attack (attacking the other candidate), or Defend (countering attacks made by the other candidate).



Total airtime (in minutes) of advertising each candidate ran in shows starting during each hour, making it easy to see what times of day they targeted most heavily



Daily Timeline

The timeline below summarizes the total airtime of advertisements by day over the entire 65 day period, with results for "Tom Corbett + Tom Corbett for Governor" shown to the left of the center line and results for "Tom Corbett + Tom Wolf for Governor" shown to the right. Airtime is further broken down by the functional type expressed: Acclaim (praising the candidate), Attack (attacking the other candidate), or Defend (countering attacks made by the other candidate).




Ad Listing

The thumbnails below show all of the distinct advertisements matching your queries, ordered by how many times each was aired (see the number below each thumbnail). Click on any thumbnail to view a sample airing of that advertisement.

Advertisements Featuring "Tom Corbett + Tom Corbett for Governor"

Times Aired: 382
Times Aired: 95

Advertisements Featuring "Tom Corbett + Tom Wolf for Governor"

Times Aired: 293
Times Aired: 290
Times Aired: 178
Times Aired: 159
Times Aired: 135
Times Aired: 51



Show Listing

The specific television shows that a candidate runs their ads during offers powerful insights into the target demographics being sought by each candidate. The tables below summarize the total number of airings of ads matching your criteria that were run during each television show over the 65 day period. For selected news programming, a preview link is provided to view a sample airing of one of the advertisements that ran during that show.

All Shows Featuring "Tom Corbett + Tom Corbett for Governor"

RankShowAiringsPreview
1Action News38View
2Today21View
3Eyewitness News at 614View
4NBC 10 News Today at 600a13View
5Good Morning America12View
6Good Day Philadelphia12View
7FOX 29 News at Five11View
8Family Feud11
9NBC 10 News at 6pm11View
10College Football10
11NBC 10 News at 11p9View
12NBC 10 News at 5pm9View
13Late Show With David Letterman9
14CBS This Morning8View
15Good Day Philadelphia at 98View
16Fox 29 News at 108View
17Access Hollywood8
18Eyewitness News at 118View
19NBC 10 News Today at 11a8View
20Jimmy Kimmel Live8
21The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon8
22NBC 10 News at 4pm7View
23Fox 29 News at 6PM7View
24Lets Make a Deal7
25Action News at 4pm6View
26Live With Kelly and Michael6
27Eyewitness News at 56View
28The Doctors6
29Action News 530 PM6View
30Steve Harvey6
31Jeopardy6
32Extra6
33Two and a Half Men6
34Judge Judy6
35Modern Family6
36NFL Football5
37Action News 600 PM5View
38NBC 10 News Today at 500a5View
39Action News at Ten on PHL175View
40The Big Bang Theory5
41The Bold and the Beautiful4
42The Price Is Right4
43Talk Philly4
44Dr. Phil4
45How I Met Your Mother4
46The Insider4
47NBC Nightly News4View
48The Ellen DeGeneres Show4
49Wheel of Fortune4
50Fox 29 Morning News at 6a4View
51Entertainment Tonight3
52Americas Got Talent3
53Judge Mathis3
54Inside Edition3
55Daytime Jeopardy3
56Eyewitness News at 5303View
57NBC 10 News at 9am2View
58Days of our Lives2
59Shark Tank2
60La Mission2
61Football Night in America2
62The Young and the Restless2
63Who Wants to Be a Millionaire2
64CBS News Sunday Morning2View
65Last Call With Carson Daly2
66Eyewitness News at 7am2View
67The Queen Latifah Show2
68The Simpsons2
69Chicago PD1
701st Look1
71On the Money1
72Bones1
73The Biggest Loser1
74Action News at 1130 P1View
75Reckless1
76The Millers1
77Scorpion1
78Seinfeld1
79Big Brother1
80Fox29 Sports Show1
81The Voice1
82NFL Thursday Night Kickoff1
83The Secret Lives of Pets With Hoda Kotb1
84Blue Bloods1
85The Meredith Vieira Show1
86American Dad1
87Action News Weekend 7AM1View
88The Middle1
89NBC 10 News at 6am1View
90NBC 10 News at 10am1View
91CBS This Morning Saturday1View
92CSI Crime Scene Investigation1
93FOX MLB Pregame Show1
9420/201
95Under the Lights1
96American Ninja Warrior1
97Extant1
98Sports Zone1
99Countdown to the CMA Awards 15 Songs That Changed Country Music1
100Early Today1View
101Action News 500 PM1View
102Dateline NBC1View
103NBC 10 News Today at 530a1View
104Eagles Post Game Show1
105Nightline1View
106NBC 10 News at 7am1View
107TMZ Live1

All Shows Featuring "Tom Corbett + Tom Wolf for Governor"

RankShowAiringsPreview
1Action News69View
2Today59View
3Good Morning America54View
4Good Day Philadelphia50View
5Fox 29 Morning News at 6a41View
6NBC 10 News at 6pm33View
7NBC 10 News at 11p33View
8Fox 29 News at 1032View
9Eyewitness News at 1131View
10Family Feud31
11CBS This Morning30View
12Modern Family27
13The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon27
14Eyewitness News at 627View
15Eyewitness News at 526View
16Action News 600 PM25View
17Wheel of Fortune25
18Extra24
19Jeopardy23
20Judge Judy22
21Action News at Ten on PHL1722View
22Late Show With David Letterman21
23Dr. Phil20
24The Insider19
25Good Day Philadelphia at 917View
26NBC 10 News at 5pm16View
27Access Hollywood16
28The Ellen DeGeneres Show14
29NBC 10 News Today at 500a12View
30Action News at 4pm11View
31Law Order Special Victims Unit8
32NBC 10 News at 4pm8View
33Entertainment Tonight8
34The Voice8
35CBS This Morning Saturday7View
36Jimmy Kimmel Live7
37Eyewitness News on the CW Philly7View
38Eyewitness News at 7am7View
39Judge Mathis7
40Anger Management6
41Dancing With the Stars5
4260 Minutes5View
43Action News 530 PM5View
44NBC 10 News Today at 430a5View
45NBC 10 News Today at 530a5View
46In Depth With Graham Bensinger5
47The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson4
48Fox 29 Morning News at 4a4View
49NBC 10 News at 9am4View
50NBC 10 News Today at 600a4View
51The Blacklist4
52The Good Wife4
53TMZ Live4
54Eyewitness News at 5304View
55Eyewitness News at 8am4View
56The Price Is Right4
57Early Today4View
58The Office3
59Person of Interest3
60NBC 10 High School Blitz3
61Seinfeld3
62The Simpsons3
63Fox Sports Sunday3
64Animation Domination High-Def3
65Football Night in America3
66Inside the Eagles3
67NBC Nightly News3View
68Sports Zone3
69Shark Tank2
70The Meredith Vieira Show2
71The Doctors2
72White Collar2
73CSI Crime Scene Investigation2
74The Biggest Loser2
75CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley2View
76NCIS New Orleans2
77Fox29 Sports Show2
78NBC 10 News2View
79CBS News Sunday Morning2View
80Lets Make a Deal2
81The Queen Latifah Show2
82Dish Nation2
83Steve Harvey2
84The Peoples Court2
85Fox29 Weekend2
86Paid Programming2
87Inside Edition2
88Madam Secretary2
89Blue Bloods1
90PHL17s In Focus1
91Hot Bench1
92Scandal1
93ABC World News Tonight With David Muir1View
94NBC 10 News at 10am1View
95Castle1
96Late Night With Seth Meyers1
97Chicago PD1
98Action News at 1130 P1View
99NFL Football1
100NBC 10 News at 530a1View
101Eyewitness News at 6am1View
102Eagles Game Plan1
103The Wendy Williams Show1
104NBC 10 News Today at 11a1View
105Fox 29 Game Day Live1
106Fox 29 Morning News at 5a1View
107Family Guy1
108Gracepoint1
109The Better Show1
110Americas Got Talent1
111Open House1
112Action News Weekend1View
113Chasing1
114Football Night in Philly1
115Dateline NBC1View
116Eyewitness News Sunday1View
117Breakfast with the Candidates1




The Philly Political Media Watch Project

See more information about this project.