The News Media and the Emergence of the Tea Party

• In Event: Media Coverage and (Mis)Representation

Abstract

As a brand, the news media narratives constructed the Tea Party as a new conservative identity that reshaped allegiances, represented a particular segment of the electorate, and generated profit, publicity, and political power. In short, the news coverage about the Tea Party both tracked and facilitated the creation of the Tea Party brand. This paper discusses the way in which the “Tea Party as a Brand” news stories functioned on three levels—one, explicitly reporting on the Tea Party as a brand, two, emphasizing and constructing key attributes of the Tea Party brand, and, three, intentionally engaging the media as a brand representative and manager. Through this analysis, it is clear that news outlets do more than passively mediate and reiterate political messaging passed on by strategists – they also intentionally, actively, and explicitly analyze, manage, and participate in the establishment of a political brand.

Author

• Khadijah Costley White, Rutgers U