IU professors study importance of visual images in campaigns

Presidential candidates are seen more and heard less, according to research conducted by two IU associate professors.\nThe research reveals the importance of visual images for candidates running for president and the power that visuals have on the minds of viewers.\n“We analyzed the visual aspects of the last four elections,” said Erik Bucy, an IU professor who is currently a visiting associate professor at the University of Michigan. “This is unique in the sense that most researchers don’t focus exclusively on the images,” “The question is, ‘are the candidates shown more than they’re heard?’ and the answer is ‘yes’.”\nIn the past, researchers had no way to cipher or examine visuals, but a reliable method has emerged from this research, Bucy said.\n“With this paper we’ve documented the visual aspects of general election coverage,” he said. We know from previous research that (visuals) have persuasive influence. We feel it’s important that images are treated as a valid form of information.”\nAdditionally, the length of sound bites is falling even as the length of “image bites,” or visuals of candidates without sound, are rising, said Betsi Grabe, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Telecommunications.\n“It’s kind of like a weather cast. You want to hear what the weatherman says but you also get the radar image,” Bucy said. “The radar image gives you a clear picture and a clear story in an instant. News visuals perform a similar service in elections.”\nPeople use visuals to assess candidates even though it may be on a subconscious level, Bucy said. \nThe portrayal of candidates by journalists can influence that assessment, Grabe said.\n“The interesting thing is in these shots where we see the candidates interacting, that’s an image bite,” Grabe said. “When you go deeper, you see camera technique.”\nGrabe refers to low- and high-angle shots as well as long and close-up shots to illustrate his point\n“Low-angle shots attribute power,” Grabe said, citing Adolf Hitler as an example. “Hitler was always presented as a low shot. It made him look larger than life.”\nDemocrats are shot in more high angles, Grabe said.\n“There’s a long history of Republicans accusing the media of having a liberal bias, but we’ve found the opposite,” Grabe said.\nIn fact, Grabe said journalists favor Republicans more often \nthan Democrats.\n“Republicans have made it a strategy to beat up on journalists and (journalists) become very nervous of being accused of bias,” Grabe said. “So they’re over compensating, making sure Republicans are not put in those high-angle or long shots and rather putting them in low-angle and close shots.” \nDespite this, voters can be educated by these findings to help them make sense of image bites, Grabe said. She said the study’s findings will help journalists overcome their fear of bias in their portrayals.\nBucy said the two plan to publish a book on these findings, set to come out next year.