‘Dislocated and Distracted’: Media, Parties and the Voters in the 2005 General Election Campaign

Abstract

This study of the 2005 General Election campaign is based on a detailed analysis of all the national news releases issued by the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties from the day of the announcement of the poll up to the eve of polling day. It is also based on an analysis of the media and the parties’ election campaigning strategies during the campaign. It argues that 2005 saw an acceleration in trends in political campaigning that has resulted in a reduced prominence for the national news media and an increased campaigning emphasis on other media and more direct forms of political marketing. The analysis of the parties’ news releases highlights how there was not one election news agenda but, arguably, six. These agendas are the public's, the three main parties’ and two media agendas – one shared by the broadsheets, broadcasters and middle-market papers and the other shared by the so-called ‘Red Tops’. The analysis also reveals that, despite their protestations to the contrary, the parties’ election agendas were dominated by attacks on their opponents rather than positive policy presentations, and that in policy terms, they still believe that the economy is the central issue. Finally, it notes how the Liberal Democrats steered their news agendas closest to the media's, but the Conservatives' and Labour's agenda were closest to the public's.