Module 14 Assignment: Television and the American Campaign

In this assignment, you will create a storyboard for your own television advertisement for or against Reagan’s presidency. Ronald Reagan was sometimes called “The Great Communicator” because of his ability—honed by his years as an actor—to persuade the public to support his conservative program. Perhaps his master stroke was the “Morning Again in America” advertisement during his re-election campaign in 1984.

As you watch that one-minute-long segment, ask yourself a few questions:

  • What points are used to persuade the viewer that President Reagan deserves another term in office?
  • What are some elements of the Reagan presidency learned in the module that are left out of the ad?
  • Many of the primary sources you have used before in this course were in written or audio format. How does the added element of visual messaging in the medium of television change the way the message can be delivered?
  • Perhaps most importantly of all: why do you suppose these particular visuals were chosen for the advertisement? What do they convey?

Step 1: Select whether you will be making a television ad for or against Ronald Reagan’s re-election (you can get some ideas from The Living Room Candidate videos). Having decided on a perspective, form your advertisement’s argument—that is, a specific way in which President Reagan is succeeding or not succeeding. Using what you have learned from this module, decide upon three points that support your advertisement’s argument. (For the purposes of this assignment, you can use historical evidence from both his first and second term.)

Step 2: Prepare a storyboard for your television campaign advertisement, with the intent of it being 30-45 seconds long. The best results will be able to take individual accomplishments or shortcomings and bring them together into a cogent argument. Using the template in the worked example, you will have the opportunity to note what visuals or imagery you will use in the advertisement as well. In making these choices, consider how you might evoke the proper emotion from viewers. As one of Reagan’s consultants, Philip Dusenbery, once remarked, “That’s the most powerful part of advertising. It stays with people longer and better.” There is no required format for the storyboard submission, but you may make a copy of this document if you’d like.

Post your completed storyboard to the discussion forum.

Step 3: Look at a classmate’s prepared advertisement storyboard. Pretend for the moment that you work for a consulting firm that has been hired to offer an opinion on this potential advertisement. In your 2-3 sentence response, note how effective you think this advertisement would be. In your answer, consider specific demographics or people groups who might find these arguments more compelling or persuasive than others.

Worked Example

Argument: Reagan’s economic policies are detrimental to working class Americans

  • Three points to use against Ronald Reagan:
    1. The Reagan administration’s belief in the Laffer curve
    2. The firing of the Air Traffic Controllers
    3. Opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment

Advertisement storyboard:

Text/Audio Scene Additional Notes
Morning again in America? More like a hangover! [a blue-collar worker is rubbing his temples at the dinner table, his hard-hat resting on the tabletop and in the foreground]
President Reagan’s cuts to our social safety net are hurting hard-working Americans like yourself [another worker is climbing a precarious ladder at work and almost falls. A co-worker comes to his aid and steadies the ladder]
How can women in the workplace be expected to get fair pay for equal work if the president won’t commit to ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment? [an assembly line is shown with both men and women working. The camera zooms in on one of the women, looking concerned and worried] Shows how Reagan opposed the ERA
Our country’s air traffic controllers have been fighting– for their safety and your safety. When their union went on strike for more reasonable working conditions, the president fired them. [a family of four boards an airplane and apprehensively buckles their seats] Air traffic controller situation
And on top of that, America’s very wealthiest are getting a juicy tax cut… [an executive smirks while reclining in his office chair and putting his feet on his desk]
while taxing your social security and Medicare benefits. [a health aide is assisting an elderly woman walking with her cane in a medical facility]
How does the president think he’ll get away with this? His advisor, Arthur Laffer, thinks everyone is better off when the rich get big tax breaks. [the camera zooms in on a graph that a man at a sleazy bar–presumably Laffer–is quickly drawing on a cocktail napkin] Laffer curve
Well, you can be sure that Laffer is laughing…He’s laughing at you. It’s morning again– but not for working Americans. Send Mr. Reagan back to Hollywood in 1984. [stock footage of well-dressed businessmen laughing uproariously in a smoke filled room]

 

  • Consultant comments: I appreciate that this advertisement is pointing out that Reagan’s policies do not work to everyone’s benefit, particularly not the working class’s. Blue-collar workers who switched parties to vote for Reagan would probably be the most likely to be persuaded by this ad. However, I am nervous about including the ERA opposition: many of these blue-collar voters might also be religious, cultural conservatives. As such, they might associate the ERA with undermining gender roles in the family, rather than ensuring equal pay. In other words, they may see it as a cultural issue, and not an economic issue.

 

Rubric

Criteria Developing Satisfactory  Excellent Points
Takes a clear stand in supporting or critiquing the Reagan administration Ad hominem or unsubstantiated arguments are used, or the ad’s stance is unclear (0-1) It is evident that the ad is for or against the Reagan administration (2-3) There is a clear argument that Reagan’s presidency is succeeding or falling short in a key aspect (4) ____/4
Has three distinct points that support this stand Points may be missing, or not closely linked with Reagan-era policies (0-1) The three points are present and relevant, but do not always cohere into an argument (2-4) The three points are relevant and cohere into a case for or against the president (4) ____/4
A tight script that includes visual descriptions The script might be too short, or have serious misunderstandings of the goals and ideology of the Reagan presidency. Suggested visuals may be missing, incomplete, or not clearly attached to the argument being made (0-4). The script tends toward listing points rather than making an argument from them. The visuals chosen may not convey the emotion to impact the viewers of this ad. There may be some minor factual errors or misunderstandings (5-6). Script makes a cogent argument from the three points. The visuals are chosen to accentuate the argument made and to evoke the appropriate emotion. There are negligible, if any, factual errors or misunderstandings (7-8). ____/8
Consultant comments Comments are vague or generically in favor of the author’s advertisement. Commenter struggles to apply knowledge of politics in the Reagan era (0-2). Comments offer a critique of the ad, but do not clearly note who might or might not be persuaded by it (3). Comments thoughtfully apply the ad’s impact to different demographics of Americans. Shows an awareness of the political coalitions that existed during Reagan’s presidency (4) ____/4
_____/20