In defense of negativity

Encuentro un libro que apunta precisamente a la reciente prohibición constitucional de las campañas negativas en nuestro país: In defense of negativity, el autor es John G. Geer. Según este académico, este tipo de prohibiciones no sólo atacan la libertad de expresión, sino que también impiden la oxigenación de la política. Aquí una pequeña reseña de este libro:

"Americans tend to see negative campaign ads as just that: negative. Pundits, journalists, voters, and scholars frequently complain that such ads undermine elections and even democratic government itself. But John G. Geer here takes the opposite stance, arguing that when political candidates attack each other, raising doubts about each other’s views and qualifications, voters—and the democratic process—benefit. In Defense of Negativity, Geer’s study of negative advertising in presidential campaigns from 1960 to 2004, asserts that the proliferating attack ads are far more likely than positive ads to focus on salient political issues, rather than politicians’ personal characteristics. Accordingly, the ads enrich the democratic process, providing voters with relevant and substantial information before they head to the polls. An important and timely contribution to American political discourse, In Defense of Negativity concludes that if we want campaigns to grapple with relevant issues and address real problems, negative ads just might be the solution."

Encuentro también unos textos de Héctor Aguilar Camín y Leo Zuckermann, quienes vuelven al tema de las campañas negativas y la publicidad política en medios de comunicación.