CTQ 9

Nowadays, the highly dynamic and interactive nature of social technologies has fully
transformed the way in which political campaigns are organized. Social media platforms and
other widely-used communication mediums enable candidates to strategically communicate
with potential voters. In that respect, proper framing of the candidate and the political process
as a whole is an essential part of the campaign strategy as it focuses of selecting particular
aspects of a perceived reality and making them more prominent to the public, so as to affect
the individuals’ perception of reality and favor the candidate in question. Namely, it is the job
of political consultants to build and maintain this favorable image of their candidates by
ensuring more and better media coverage.

In my role of political consultant for Elizabeth Warren, I need to make sure that my client is
portrayed in a bright light so as to be viewed positively by the public.

Elizabeth Warren is an American legal scholar and politician who was elected as a Democrat
to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and was appointed representive figure of the state of
Massachusetts in that body the following year. She is well known for her progressive policies
on economic and social issues. Prior to serving in the Senate, she was an adviser for the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. On February 9, 2019, she announced her candidacy
for president of the United States.

Throughout the years, Warren has been the center of numerous political campaigns which
have spread false/uproven claims about herself, making her appear as a fraud and ultimately
losing her credibility. For instance, she has repeatedly told stories about her Cherokee
heritage but has failed to back up her claims by DNA results, which lead to many, even
Donald Trump, questioning her authenticity and accusing her of playing a fake victimhood.

What I believe Warren can do in order to clear her name and get better media coverage is to
publicly talk about those instances, when she might have overexaggerated or even falsified
certain information and admit her guilt. At first, there might be an outbreak of negative
comments and opinions, questioning her dignity and intentions, by this is also the path of
establishing a positive long-term reputation and strong political presence. If she does not own
her mistakes, people won’t be able to fully regain their trust in her and vote for her when the
time comes.

I would recommend that Warren undertakes a more personal approach and addressed the
issue on her social media platform through an informative post. Doing so will bring her closer
to her audience and allow her to apologies “individually” to her supporters. She can also
participate in a talk show where she would speak more about her deeds and the motives
behind them, and further clear her name by offering her sincere apologies to the broader
public.

I believe this particular approach will achieve success because it would target both the
individuals themselves as well as the broader society, allowing for a wider media coverage.