Myth of 24-hour News Cycle Directly Impacts (and Undermines) 2004 Presidential Campaign

Though it is commonly assumed that the media is now on a 24-hour news cycle, the opposite appears to be true, according to an exclusive analysis of The Global Language Monitors PQ Index (Political-sensitivity Quotient).

Danville, CA (PRWEB) October 18, 2004 - Though it is commonly assumed that the media is now on a 24-hour news cycle, the opposite appears to be true, according to an exclusive analysis of The Global Language Monitors PQ Index (Political-sensitivity Quotient). Though the day-to-day headlines of the 2004 Presidential Campaign are relatively transient, the ideas encapsulated in the political buzzwords that GLM tracks take several months to cycle through the electronic and print media, the internet, and cyberspace, particularly the blogosphere. Once a 'politically-sensitive buzzword is launched into todays media world, it seems to persist for an indeterminate period, building a kind of 'media momentum and extending the news cycle rather than shrinking it. This persistence seems at odds with the general perception of the media being fixated on the 24 hours news cycle.

The PQ Index (Political-sensitivity Quotient) released monthly by The Global Language Monitor (www.LanguageMonitor.com) is a proprietary algorithm that tracks politically sensitive words and phrases in the media and on the Internet.

A current example: the PQ Index has been the tracking the Swift Boats" issue for over six months as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Though it peaked in the last few weeks at No. 1 in the August Tracking Index with the release of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads, it remains a strongly entrenched in the Top Ten in the October survey. The evidence suggests that the issue will persist for some time to come; definitely through November 2nd.

Another example might be the labeling of President Bush as a 'Liar. This first surfaced in early spring as a result of ads launched by 527 organizations, such as MoveOn.org, in an action without precedent in the mainstream media, boldly labeling the sitting president a 'Liar. This was an early version of this years 'attack ads that would proliferate throughout the year, and was little noticed by the mainstream media at the time, except as a curiosity.

The ads, however, proved to be harbingers of what was to follow. Over the course of the next six months the label stuck, increasingly resonating especially on the Internet and in the 'blogosphere. This month the term sits at No. 11 on the PQ Index, down from No. 4 in August. In fact, 'Bush as Liar! is up some 1400% since the beginning of the year. An additional wrinkle is that Kerry, too, is now being labeled as a 'Liar! by his critics with nearly 40% of the references tracked by the PQ Index labeling the Democratic nominee as such.

Another example is the 'Dead and Done Presidents phenomenon. With the passing of Ronald Reagan in June and the much-anticipated publication of Bill Clintons autobiography the next month, these two former presidents, leapt to the top of the PQ Index in June and July respectively. In the October Index, they both still rank in the Top Twenty demonstrating the persistence of their long-shadows over the current campaign.

'Fahrenheit, representing Michael Moores controversial film, Fahrenheit 451, took the top ranking in the July PQ Index, jumping some 400% over the previous month. 'Fahrenheit maintained its No. 1 position in August and currently ranks as No. 6 in the October Index. Mr. Moore, more than most, seems to have appreciated the new Surprise" phenomenon, though for maximum impact he might have, in retrospect, released his film a month later, in August rather than July.

And now, in what could be a sign of mounting difficulties for the Democratic Presidential Campaign, this months top political buzzwords (including 'Dan Rather-related Bias, 'Liberal,' Global Test,' 'Flip flop/flopping' and 'Swift

Boats) are creating an inhospitable climate, in many cases overshadowing the key messages of the Democratic Nominee, according to the October PQ Index. In the October PQ Index, 'Swift Boats is actually getting more media hits and citations than all other key Kerry messages combined. These messages include; Two Americas," Bush the Misleader," jobless recovery," and global outsourcing".

With weeks remaining in the Campaign, there is a very real danger that Kerrys key messages will continue to be swamped by the "flip flop," Swift Boat" and Rathergate" (and now the 'Mary Cheney')issues.

This is not to say that an October Surprise is not possible. Based on recent history -- and the uncertainty associated with al Qaeda -- it would be wise to expect any number of such events. However, the importance of the August Surprise with its attendant, momentum-building sustainability, should not be overlooked by current, or future, campaigns.

Analysis by Paul JJ Payack, President of The Global Language Monitor.

Note: Complete charts can be found at http://www.languagemonitor.com.

About The Global Language Monitor

The Global Language Monitor documents, analyzes, and tracks the latest trends in word usage and word choices, and their impact on the various aspects of culture, with a particular emphasis upon Global English.

For more information, call 1.925.367.7557, send email to info@LanguageMonitor.com or visit Http://www.LanguageMonitor.com.

# # #