This book offers content analyses of the 2016 presidential candidate campaign messages from the primary and the general election. The chapters examine both new (Twitter, Facebook) and traditional (TV spots, debates, speeches) media employed in this contest. This allows comparison of campaign phases (primary versus general), candidates (Republican primary and Democratic primary candidates; general election candidates), and message forms. The results are compared with data from analyses of previous presidential campaigns.

William L. Benoit
(Ph.D., Wayne State University) is a professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. He has published books and journal articles on functional theory, which he developed with his co-authors.

Mark J. Glantz
(Ph.D., University of Missouri) is an associate professor of communication and media studies at St. Norbert University. He has published books and articles on a variety of topics including
Persuasive Attacks on Donald Trump in the 2016 Presidential Primary.

Preface - Introduction - Methods and Procedures - Candidacy Announcement Speeches - Primary Television Spots - Primary Debates - Primary Social Media - Primary TV Talk Shows - Nomination Acceptance Addresses - General Television Spots - General Debates - General Social Media - Conclusions and Comparisons - Appendix: Meta-Analysis of Research on the Functional Theory of Political Campaign Discourse - References - Index.