The Persuaders: Inside the Hidden Machine of Political Advertising

This is a timely book for the election campaign. And, the first book devoted to Australian political advertising - a hot topic at the moment. Author Sally Young charts how political advertising has changed over time and assesses what impact this has on the nature of Australian democracy. Australian politicians are obsessed with advertising. They spend over $30 million on advertising during federal elections and over $160 million per year when in government. Taxpayers pay for this advertising, they are bombarded by it during elections and yet most know very little about how it works. This is the first book devoted to Australian political advertising. It charts how political advertising has changed over time and assesses what impact this has had on the nature of Australian democracy. This book captures the intensity and colour of election campaigns from the important post-war election of 1949 to the most recent federal election in 2001. Many Australians suspect that politicians try to manipulate them through spin, PR and advertising - this book explains how. It reveals the strategies and techniques that politicians use to try to win over voters. It argues that these techniques pose a real danger to the quality of Australian democracy.